Monday 18 July 2011

Nurburgring Here I Come

Well this is it guys, I leave for the Nurburgring on Wednesday. I'm unlikely to be blogging in that time due to making the necessary preparations (in other words, trying to stuff all my clothes into my suitcase), so I thought I'd give a quick round up of everything I'm going to be doing and seeing when I'm at the legendary German circuit.

When I last looked at the Nurburgring's official website, there were a load of dates listed for when people could take their own cars around the Nordschleife. Sadly, only Monday the 25th was listed, and by that time my Dad and I would be on our way back to Calais for the ferry. However, recently another date has been added, so on Friday we'll be taking the big blue Rangey around the 22.8km circuit! We won't be setting any records, but it's going to be great fun anyway.

The weather forecast for the weekend doesn't sound so bright and cheery as we'd hoped. In fact, looking at a 14 day forecast the weather was: rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. So, I'm going to have to acquire some wellington boots in a hurry. Frankly though, I couldn't care less what the weather does. I'm going to be seeing some of the most amazing cars and drivers over that weekend, so water isn't going to make it any less awesome.

Of course, any holiday requires the necessary holiday photographs with which to bore family members and this one is no different. Well, it may be a little different in that these photographs aren't going to be boring at all. I originally bought myself an 8gb memory card, which would let me take 1,500 photos (this is in addition to my other memory card which gives me 300 photos). Now, 1,800 photos seems like a lot, but this is only the case if you're not as F1 obsessed as I am. When I went to the Autosport International show in January I took well over 200 photos, and that was just one day. Not trusting myself to take fewer than 1,800 photos I've gone and bought a third memory card - 16gb. I can now take nearly 5,000 photographs, so god help any family members who ask to see the holiday pictures...

Recently on the F1 website it was announced that Nico Rosberg would be driving Juan Manuel Fangio's 1954 Mercedes around the Nordschleife. I've not managed to find out the exact day on which Rosberg will be driving this amazing car, but hopefully it will be when my Dad and I are at the circuit. If I do manage to see it, then of course you can expect to see photographs.

So, to the weekend plan in a nutshell. On Thursday, we're planning on doing the pit walks and hopefully the coach tours around the circuit (whether this is in English or German is another story, but it'll still be good to get driven around the GP circuit). Friday is when the action all starts, with GP2, GP3, Porsche Supercup and, obviously, F1 practice sessions. In the evening I believe that the campsites have entertainment and of course we're driving the Range Rover around the Nordschleife. Saturday brings the usual qualifying sessions, and the autograph session arranged by the circuit. Whether I'll manage to meet any drivers is another story, but I'm going to give it my best shot! Sunday is race day - I doubt whether there's anything more I need to say about this! Dad and I are standing at T12, the long straight before the chicane where I believe the DRS zone will be placed. Monday is where it all ends and we go home via Bruges.

That's that then. Next stop, Nurburgring! I'll try and upload the photos as soon as I come back. If you click here you'll be able to bookmark the album, ready for when the photos go up. There's nothing on there yet, but come next Tuesday you'll be overloaded with F1 glory!