Thoughts from Turn One

So here we are on the first day of the Australian F1 Grand Prix where the mighty cars themselves make their first appearance. First run the other day, you think casting your minds back to earlier blogs.... Wrong again Cheesman, the noise we enjoyed on our arrival turned out to be the two-seater F1 car used to terrify the rich people.

We wake to an untypical sunny start, have a fine breakfast courtesy of Wayne, and head off to the circuit. It's a half mile walk at most. Just how, after all those years of struggling to and from car and bike meets up and down the country back in England, do we rock up right on the very doorstep of the greatest show on Earth?

Speaking of this show we agree - yes it's the Grand Prix, and a global event, but does it feel like it? No it doesn't..... It's rather odd, and maybe cos its early days, but it just feels like a uk bike meeting at the moment. none of the usual glitz and glamour on show, a good few people around though, but worthy of global attention? I think not...... suspect, however, that things may change tomorrow once qualifying proper starts. Either that or Bernie's not here yet, and they don't bother turning the show up to ninety until he rocks up?

Knob of the week has to go to Kimi 'Yes Yes I know what I'm doing, leave me alone' Raikonnen for his CLEAR hair care advert. The world has been saved from the most boring voice in the world via dubbing, but..... we nearly wet ourselves when we heard this odd squeaky voice apparently being attributed to the personality-free Finn. Why would an attention-shy type like him even consider doing something so ridiculous!?

After the disappointment of seeing Sir Chris Hoy land in the kitty litter in the obligatory Celebrity Challenge race, we sat down to two sessions of Formula One which saw one or two incidents and near misses right in front of us, and the Red Bulls looking like they are ready to clear up. Just as long as the local boy doesn't win, I'll not hear the last of it from Wayne.....she's a Webber fan, lord knows why. I swear you could get pickles out of a jar with his chin........

After a very nice meal and a beer in a very nice pub On Fitzroy Street we came back home to compare our respective rather odd suntan patterns. In my case it's bright red knees and little other evidence I've been anywhere near the sun. Others have varying combinations of bright red patches and brilliant white expanses, some vice versa but not a one of us with a decent tan after two days in the Melbourne sun....

So, tomorrow we are off to the beach for a couple of hours before we continue our assault on the GP and the qualifying proper. I'm hoping Mclaren and JB in particular are sandbagging; aside from newcomer Checo Perez who looks a very tidy little driver in his new team, they are looking the least promising of the big names thus far. But who knows what goes on and why in free practice.......

Hope all is good back there in the UK and the snow isn't causing more grief!