Thursday, March 22, 2007
Boy did people turn up to hear those V8 engines roar!
Watching a Grand Prix was quite unlike what I'd imagined it would be (in a good was obviously). For one, I was very disappointed on reaching Albert Park and finding the entire circuit to be surrounded by a tall mesh and then realizing that there for every race. I was just too ignorant to notice it on TV! Even though that dimmed my spirits initially, the day as a whole more than made up for it. What with 3 air shows, a dozen other smaller races, stunt bikers, race cars on display and loads of other things, why wouldn't it? I didn't expect to see nearly as many people turn up for the race but I'm glad they did.
But all of this was put behind once those 22 cars got in their grids and the engines were turned on. The sound these cars make is probably 100 times louder than what you hear in a television broadcast of an F1 race and it is freakin awesome! The high of the day however was at the end of the race when all of us poured onto the race track and ran up to the starting point to witness the winners go up the podium and open their champaign bottles. Hope the pic below gives you a feel of the excitement and craze that was in the air when Ferrari won the season opener.
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sourima said..
wowowowoow!!! nice!!!! damn !! but did u shout at all!! i mean i havent heard u ever so cant picture!! but u'd rather be dead shouting than be dead not! man u lucky!!
3:10am, 22nd Mar'07
Aditya said..
I know for a fact that I cannot attend the Bahrain GP this year or probably the next year too (finances and the lack of interest to go through visa procedures). You were right about Bahrain GP being the only one in the gulf; but apparently F1 GP is starting in Abu Dhabi too in some years from now.
8:04am, 22nd Mar'07
Rungta said..
@Sourima: Ofcourse I shouted, nay screamed!
@Aditya: Oh I didn't know about that. Well hope it starts in Abu Dhabi soon. I also heard that they're considering doing one in India.
varenya said..
I can bet this is nothing as compared to the turn out of people at feroz-shah-kotla grounds during a cricket match!
Akshit, we hope that one day you are not in the crowd but standing there opening a CHAMPAGNE!
Nag said..
i can completely understand all their enthu to go sit in that heat and watch the GP....
12:29am, 23rd Mar'07
Rungta said..
Dude Varenya, no offence but get your facts right before betting. The capacity of the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in Delhi is 50,000 (although it was restricted to 30,000 last I know). The number of people who turned up to watch the Australian Grand Prix on race day was 105,000! Fans were scattered all around the circuit and not just at one place.
3:22am, 23rd Mar'07
akanksha said..
yes...v sure get d idea of d level of euphoria and adrenaline in d atmosphere dat day!!!!!...just wonderin abt ur contribution to it...boye...did i hear YOU....... ROAR too??????? :)
4:14am, 23rd Mar'07
Rashmi said..
Whoa... the pic below just captures it best!! That's a sight to witness am sure (among other things of course)! Hopefully one day we'll all be present in the crowd screaming together!
7:02am, 23rd Mar'07
Rungta said..
Right on Veeru bhai!
That's right Akanksha, I roar too!
Yup Rashmi, hopefully that day comes soon.
souvik said..
kya baat hai, I have come to your blog after a loooong time and this is what you give me!! Oh yaar, you saw a F1 grand prix LIVE!! lucky you... what was the price of the tickets?? :-p
6:31pm, 27th Mar'07
Rungta said..
Yes Souvik, I saw an F1 race live!! :D
I bought a General Admission ticket which was $69 after student concession. The cheapest grandstand ticket was for ~$360!!
Akshit Rungta said..
See if you can find me in that croud. Just kidding.
11:08pm, 21st Mar'07But some day I will be one among them. And I hope that day is not far.