Sunday was the Big Day!! The Final day of the Paddock Club Diaries for this Season! The last of the 4th and Final Paddock Club Experience for me.

Well, Lets relive it!

UAE is known for its fancy cars and I came across a couple on my way to Yas Island.

Enroute to Yas Island :

I reached the Paddock Club and the First event of the day was the GP2 Sprint Race :

Kimi Raikkonen joined us in the Suite to oblige the guests with autographs!!

Eric Boullier talking about the Team's Performance so far

Lunch!!!

A quick lunch and it was time to go down for the Final Pit Lane Walk of the weekend and the Final one for me to be at. I wanted to make the most of it.

Shots from the Pit-Lane Walk :

A Moment with Steve Robertson ( Kimi Raikkonen's Manager ). He is a very approachable man and very humble.

The Pit Lane Walk ended and preparations were in full swing for the race.

Cars doing installation laps :

Lotus Boys taking sighters of the Track :

The Grid Preparations :

The Etihad Airways Fly-Past :

The Cars rolled out for the Formation Lap and the Mechanics had to run back to the pits!

Video Link :

The Cars lined up on the Grid and Expectations were high. Kimi Raikkonen started at the back of the grid after the disqualification on Saturday and I was praying for a strong result.

Race Start Video Link :

The Race began and Kimi jumped the Marussia but ran a bit wide on the kerb. The Resulting imbalance caused contact with the Caterham and damaged the front suspension rod. It was a First Lap retirement for the Iceman and a good weekend that went from bad to worse for me :( A Rare Retirement for the Iceman...

There was still a race to be won and here are some shots from the Race :

McLaren Mercedes during their Pit-Stop

Video Link :



The Lotus F1 Team in the Race :


Lotus F1 Team Pit-Stop Video Link :



The Chequered Flag came out and it was Sebastien Vettel again who took victory! Mark Webber finished 2nd while Nico Rosberg held off a late charge by Romain Grosjean to hold onto 3rd place.

Kimi Raikkonen was the sole retirement in the race.


Video Link ( Chequered Flag ) :


Fireworks display :

Parc - Ferme :

It was time to say goodbye to my friends at Lotus F1 Team and as I headed out, I saw the Yas Marina Hotel shining in all its glory!!

Some more exotics on the way back :

It was a good weekend from a neutral point of view but very disappointing as a Kimi Fan.

I was sad to see it end like this. This was the last race in 2013 that I would be at and it turned out to be the last one for Kimi too as he decided to go in for Back Surgery.

Overall it was a satisfactory 2013 for me. It all started with an All Expenses Paid trip to the Malaysian GP thanks to Tourism Malaysia. Then the German GP, Italian GP, Indian GP and the Abu Dhabi GP to make it 5 races for the season. I was with the Lotus F1 Team in the Paddock for the 4 races and I must say it was a great experience. I shall cherish every moment.

A Special Thank you to Oliver Anderson, Anne-Charlotte Remy, Sophie Stapleton, Anna Pamin, Fleur Foster, Francois Puentes, James Robinson, Gaby Mills, Anita Nyers, Fred Garcia and Luca Mazzocco for all the Hospitality shown to me.

I made some really dear friends in this season and I am thankful to God that I got a chance to meet such wonderful people!!

A Big Thank you to YOU my followers and readers on various social platforms who have been patient enough and enjoyed reading everything that I have shared over the past year.

2014 will have its own experiences and I pray that I get a chance to be at a couple of races... Fingers Crossed.

God Bless You All!!

Saturdays normally start early for the teams but the Abu Dhabi GP being a twilight race meant that the teams could have a slightly later start to the day.

Saturdays would see the Teams do Qualifying Simulations in FP3 and prepare themselves for Qualifying.

Enroute to the Circuit :

The First Pit Lane Walk sees the team practice their Pit Stops.

Shots from the Pit Lane Walk :

Video Link of the Lotus F1 Team practising their Pit Stop :

The Paddock Club was open and I made it to the Terrace to indulge in some snacks prior to lunch

The GP2 Feature Race was the First Event of the Day and it was quite a start.

Video Link :



Lunch!!!!


FP3 was a very important session for many teams. The Lap times were close and this was a precursor to an awesome Qualifying Session

Shots from FP3 :

Lotus F1 Team in action in FP3 :

Sebastien Vettel was the Fastest in FP3. Romain Grosjean was 5th and Kimi Raikkonen 9th.


Alan Permane and Eric Boullier in a very engrossing conversation :

We were soon joined by Sir Jackie Stewart in the Suite and he shared about his career in F1 and his role in the team now.


The time for the Final Pit-Lane Walk of the day had come and it was time to see the Teams prepare for Qualifying up-close.

Shots from the Pit-Lane Walk :


A Moment with Mark Arnall - Kimi's Physical Instructor!


The Pit Lane was then vacated to make way for the start of the Qualifying Session!

Q1 saw the elimination of the slowest 6 drivers.

Shots from Q1 :


Lotus F1 Team in Q1 :

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in Q1. Kimi Raikkonen was 3rd fastest and Romain Grosjean 8th fastest.



The Lull before Q2 :


Q2 decided the final 10 drivers for the Final Shoot-out ( Q3 )

Shots from Q2 :

Lotus F1 Team in action in Q2 :

Nico Rosberg was the Fastest in Q2. Romain Grosjean was 8th Fastest while Kimi Raikkonen was 9th Fastest.

Fernando Alonso was shunted out of Q2 in 11th Place.


Q3 would be a closely fought session and once gain it was a duel between the Red Bulls and the Mercedes AMG Petronas teams.


Shots from Q3 :


Lotus F1 Team in Q3 :

A Red Bull was on pole and it was Mark Webber! The Australian pipped his team-mate to finish fastest in Q3.

Kimi Raikkonen did well to qualify 5th while Romain Grosjean qualified in 7th Place. It was a great session for Lotus F1 Team until a couple of hours later news emerged that Kimi Raikkonen was Excluded from the Qualifying Session!!!!

Kimi's car had floor damage and failed a floor deflection test. The Result was his 5th Position being snatched from him and the Finn had to start last. So much effort down the drain...


Post Qualifying, Romain Grosjean joined us in the Suite for a Quick Q&A and Autograph session

A Moment with Romain Grosjean :

His departure also signaled the closure of the Paddock Club for the day.

The Yas Marina Hotel at night :

The F1 Village at Night :

It would have been a great day had it not been for Kimi's Disqualification from Qualifying.

Nevertheless, I would like to thank the Lotus F1 Team for all the Hospitality shown to me.

A Big Thank you to Oliver Anderson, Anita Nyers, Francois Puentes, Anne-Charlotte Remy and Fleur Foster for taking such good care of me.

The Sunday too was very different. Experience coming soon...

The Abu Dhabi GP was one race I really wanted to attend. Kimi Raikkonen's Victory in 2012 meant that a 2013 race could not be missed.

The Abu Dhabi GP was my 5th and the Final Live Race in 2013. One must say that the track and the atmosphere is awe-inspiring.

Not everything went as planned but nevertheless let us relive those memories and as usual the Day 1 Experience First!!

I was staying in Dubai so travelling to the circuit meant that it would be a 2 hour journey ( approx ). However with a nice set of wheels, its a breeze!

Enroute to the Circuit :

The Drive to the Circuit entrance was smooth but it is highly recommended that you get the Parking Pass for all 3 days. Intra-Circuit shuttles do run but they drop you at odd locations and you still end up walking quite a distance. The Security Checks are Airport-grade which is nice.

However the Staff needs to be well informed about exits and routes to help visitors. Many were listless and offered poor advice which meant many were left going round and round in circles. A Big Let down for a circuit with such fantastic facilities.

The F1 Village Area :

The Yas Marina Hotel !

The Lotus F1 Team had their own suite at the race :

The View of the Track from the Suite :

It was soon time for FP1.

Shots from FP1 :

Chequered Flag for FP1 :

Lotus F1 Team in action during FP1 :

Romain Grosjean was the Fastest in FP1 !!! Kimi Raikkonen was 6th Fastest ! The Signs looked good for the team..

An Early Dinner!!

As always it was time for the Pit Lane Walk!

Shots from the Pit Lane Walk :

The Lotus F1 Team readying the Cars for FP2 !

Ciaron Pilbeam, Mark Slade, Rob Cherry and Jamie readying the Iceman's Car - SWEET!

We were soon joined by Davide Valsecchi in the Suite. As usual the Italian was all smiles and chirpy as ever. He Truly deserves to be driving for a F1 team.. Is anybody listening??

It was soon time for FP2 to start and the Twilight session looked absolutely beautiful!!

Team Pit Walls from FP2 :

Shots from FP2 :

Lotus F1 team in FP2 :

Sebastien Vettel was Fastest in FP2. Kimi Raikkonen was only 3 Tenths off the Pace in P4 which was a great sign. Romain Grosjean struggled in P12...

The Track under Lights - Beautiful!

Some More Stills from the Lotus F1 Team Suite :

Dessert Station!! Ice Cream, Chocolates, Cookies, Macaroons!! Control......

The Yas Hotel and the Yas Marina Area at night!

It was time to return to Dubai! A Fantastic Day 1 at the Yas Marina Circuit! Thank you Lotus F1 Team for all the Hospitality!

Day 2 and Day 3 Experiences to follow soon....

Sundays are always hectic be it any Grand Prix. Everyone waits expectantly as the tension mounts for the main event to get underway.

The Result on Sunday is what matters. All the mistakes made earlier in the weekend are forgiven.

So how was the Sunday at the 2013 Indian GP? Lets find out!

Enroute to the Circuit :

Waiting for the Paddock Club to open :

The Paddock on Sunday Morning :

The Circuit in all its glory!

Shots from the Lotus F1 Garage ( Pit - Lane Walk ) :

The Lotus E21 Firing Up :

More Shots from the Pit Lane Walk :

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Team firing up their Mercedes 2.4 L V8 Engine! Sweet Music :




The Pit Lane Walk ended and we were visited by Romain Grosjean in the Suite!!


Lunch!!


It was imperative to finish one's lunch quickly else you would miss standing in the best places and capturing all the activity happening below :


Raikkonen and Hulkenberg do reconnaissance :

Mechanics rush to prepare the Grid Slots :


Kimi being rolled into his grid-slot :


Preparations in full swing for the Race Start :


Media interviewing Bottas, Alonso and Lauda :

Moments before the Formation Lap :


The Formation Lap :



Mechanics rushing back to the Pits :



The Race Start :

Video Link :



Shots from the 1st Half of the Race :

Lotus F1 Team in action :


More Stills from the Race :

Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen moving up the grid :

I was taken downstairs for the final part of the race and had the privilege of witnessing the Podium Celebrations up close.

Sebastien Vettel won the race comfortably and was crowned champion for the 4th Time! Red Bull Racing secured the Constructors' Championship too! Congratulations to them for a fantastic season!

Sebastien Vettel's elaborate doughnut celebrations following the chequered flag earned himself a reprimand and Red Bull Racing were given a €25,000 fine, for failing to go straight to parc ferme.

Nico Rosberg finished 2nd for a very satisfying afternoon for Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.

Romain Grosjean produced a stellar drive to finish 3rd after starting 17th on the grid!

Kimi Raikkonen ran 2nd and then 3rd for a major part of the race but a disastrous decision to prolong his 2nd stint meant that his tyres went off the cliff and the Finn had to eventually pit from 7th Position on the Penultimate Lap and finish the race in 7th.

Alan Permane ( Lotus Trackside Operations Director ) came under fire for his controversial and abusive radio message ( we heard the uncensored version on the Team Radio ). Romain was already suffering from loss of air pressure in his engine ( in the last 15 laps ) and caught Kimi whose tyres had lost all life. Kimi didn't yield at the corner that the team expected him to and Alan shot off a harsh message to him. Kimi responded quite bluntly that it wasn't possible for him to let his Team-mate pass him at that corner. Permane had to bear the brunt on social media and some Kimi fans went over the top in their criticism. The matter is now doused though and everyone accepted that it was in the "Heat of the Moment"

Nevertheless it was good day for the Lotus F1 Team!!

The Mechanics are all smiles!


Sebastien Vettel, Triumphant once again!

Podium Celebrations and Trophy Presentations!

Video Link :




David Coulthard performing the Podium Interviews :

Video Link :



Celebrations in the Lotus F1 Team Garage :

Romain's Mechanics are all smiles!!


James Robinson mobbed by the crowd!!

A moment with the Trophy :

The teams frantically packing all up. The 2013 Abu Dhabi GP was in 7 days time!!

Debriefing :


What a Home Race this was. Its Sad that F1 doesn't return to India in 2014. The Fan Following is great out here and I shall always miss being at my home race.

3 Fantastic Days!!

A Big Thank you to the Lotus F1 Team for all the Hospitality! A Big Thank you to Anne-Charlotte Remy, Oliver Anderson, Fred Garcia and James Robinson for all the kindness shown to me.

Abu Dhabi GP Paddock Club Diaries coming soon!!

Thank you all for your patience! God Bless!

Saturday at the Grand Prix is always a busy affair. An early start to the day as teams perform Pit-Stop Practice followed by Third Practice and then the Qualifying to decide the grid on Sunday.

Lets see how it all unfolded on Saturday!!

Enroute to the Circuit :

The Paddock Club was yet to open so got some shots from above :

Shots from the First Pit-Lane Walk of the Day :

The Saturday Practice started with a slight delay due to poor visibility.

Shots from FP3 :

Lotus F1 Team in Action in FP3 :

Sebastien Vettel topped the Timesheets again! Romain Grosjean was 5th Fastest and Kimi Raikkonen was 11th.

A Sumptuous Lunch was served!

I finished my lunch hurriedly. It was time to go down for the 2nd Pit-Lane Walk of the day and meet the ICEMAN KIMI RAIKKONEN again!!!!!

KIMI RAIKKONEN!!

Shots from the 2nd Pit-Lane Walk :

We made our way back to the Pit Building and it was time for the Qualifying to start!

Shots from Q1 :

Lotus F1 Team in Q1 :

Jenson Button Topped Q1. Kimi Raikkonen was P6 and Romain Grosjean was eliminated in Q1 in 17th!!! Bad Strategic call by the Team not to run the Option Tyre!

Shots from Q2 :

Lotus F1 Team with Kimi in Q2 :

Sebastien Vettel was Fastest in Q2. Kimi Raikkonen was 4th Fastest!

It was now time for the Top 10 Shootout in Q3! The Top 10 Places would be decided for Sunday's Race!

Shots from Q3 :

Lotus F1 Team in Q3 :

Sebastien Vettel was on Pole again! Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton completed the Top 3!

Kimi Raikkonen could only manage P6 but a strong grid to start from nonetheless.

Post Qualifying I had the opportunity of going down to the Motorhome thanks to the graciousness of Oliver Anderson again!

With Eric Boullier and Romain Grosjean!

I couldn't get a moment with Kimi Raikkonen but got as close as possible to my Favourite Driver!

Kimi Photos!

Shots from the Motorhome :

Stills from the Paddock :

Returning from the Circuit :

It was a pleasant day 2 at the Indian GP but I never thought that a big drama would unfold the next day!! It will be revealed soon!

A Big Thank you to the Lotus F1 Team for all the Hospitality and Once Again a Big Thank you to Oliver Anderson for being so gracious in allowing me to roam through the Paddock on a Saturday evening!!


The Sunday experience coming soon. God Bless everyone!!

2013 has been an amazing year for me!! It would be criminal to not attend your Home Race after travelling all across the world for F1!

The Buddh International Circuit is the 2nd fastest circuit on the calender and boasts of some State-of-the-art Facilities!

It is a shame that F1 does not return to India next year. There have been some great races in the past couple of years and this year's event too wasn't a downer.

As usual Photos and Experiences from DAY 1!!

The Passes ( 3 day pass as usual :P )

Enroute to the circuit :

The View of the Paddock from above :

Jules Bianchi and Giedo van der Garde walking to the Garage :

The Hospitality Suite :

The First Friday Practice was already upon us!

Shots from FP1 :

The Lotus Boys Strutting their Stuff!

Sebastien Vettel was the Fastest in FP1. Romain Grosjean was 4th and Kimi Raikkonen 17th!

Oliver Anderson was gracious to take us downstairs post FP1 for a quick tour of the Garage!

The Time came for the Pit-Lane Walk and meeting Davide Valsecchi!

Shots from the Pit-Lane Walk :

Davide Valsecchi!!

Lunch as always was Sumptuous!!

After a filling lunch, it was time to engross yourself in FP2! Teams would be doing Race Simulations as well as some Low-Fuel Runs!

Shots from FP2 :

Lotus F1 Team in action during FP2!

The Cars Rolling back to the Garage :

Sebastien Vettel led the Timesheets again! Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen were 3rd and 8th respectively.

The Mechanics busy washing the Tyres Post the Practice Sessions!

The Paddock in the Evening!

Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean debriefing on Friday Evening!

Team Principals after the Friday Press Conference and Answering the media :

Returning Home!!

All in all a great Friday at the Indian Grand Prix. The Lotuses looked good on the Long-Run Settings!!

Couldn't wait for the Saturday and Sunday!!

More Coming from the Indian Grand Prix Weekend. So watch this Space!!

My Last Stop was the 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

It was a good year with another 5 races ticked off the calender. I am not sure if I can repeat this feat next year... so really Thank God for this  experience.

Last Year it was 4 - Malaysia, Silverstone, Singapore and India.

This Year I went one better - Malaysia, Germany, Italy, India and Abu Dhabi!



It wasn't such a great weekend in terms of results but a unique experience nevertheless.

The Gallery of Memories for this season reaches its finale! Hope you have enjoyed the journey. I thank you for being so patient with me as have been super busy!

So, here goes!

Davide Valsecchi, Lotus F1 Reserve Driver!

Sir Jackie Stewart!! The Legend!

Mark Arnall, The man who keeps Kimi Fit!! ( Kimi's Physical Instructor )

Romain Grosjean, Lotus F1 Driver!

Kimi Raikkonen the Iceman!!!!!

Eric Boullier, Lotus F1 Team Principal!!

Steve Robertson, Kimi's Manager!! A Very Humble Guy and extremely approachable. Such a Pleasant experience!

All in all 3 amazing days.  The Full Report shall be up shortly.

I would like to thank Oliver Anderson, Francois Puentes, Anne-Charlotte Remy, Fleur Foster, James Robinson for all the Hospitality and Help!

A Big Thank you to the Lotus F1 Team for entertaining me and being so hospitable!!

Patience everyone... More to come ;)

2013 has been an amazing year for me! A lot has been happening in my life so the Blog was neglected to some extent. For those who have been waiting patiently for my next post, THANK YOU for being such amazing fans!

The 2013 Indian GP was the 3rd Race of the Season for me and a truly memorable one! I attended back-to-back races in India and Abu Dhabi and the Lotus F1 Team celebrated a podium too in India.

The Buddh International Circuit has been an amazing track and its a shame that F1 won't return to India in 2014. I must say I was bowled over with the facilities and the marked improvement since the Inaugural GP in 2011.

As always, the First post of any GP experience is a "Gallery of Memories".  Voila!

Davide Valsecchi!! A Great Friend and Lotus F1 Reserve Driver!

KIMI RAIKKONEN!!! All over again!!

The Team were gracious enough to give me a paddock pass and I got access to the Team Motorhome!

Eric Boullier and Romain Grosjean!!

I got really close to getting a nice photo with Kimi...Unfortunately it still remains a dream.....

Romain Grosjean on Sunday :

The Race got over and we rushed down to see the Podium Celebrations!! Sebastien Vettel was crowned World Champion for the 4th time, so Congratulations to him and the Red Bull Racing Team for winning the 4th Constructors' Championship too!

Romain Grosjean bagged 3rd Place for the Team!!

Some More Stills from the Podium :

Celebrations in full swing in the Garage :

Romain's Mechanics all smiles for the Shutterbugs!

James Robinson, a hit with the Marshals :)

A Moment with the Trophy!!

3 fantastic days!! A Big Thank You to Oliver Anderson, James Robinson, Anne-Charlotte Remy, Federic Garcia for their Hospitality!

A Big Thank you to the Lotus F1 Team for a Memorable Weekend!!

Lots to come.... soon

The Big Day arrived.

Sundays are always Special, the Stands are filled, the atmosphere is awesome. The Tension slowly builds as how you fare on the Sunday is all that matters. Friday and Saturday Performances don't bring home any points.

An early start on Sunday morning ensured that I had a smooth run to Monza :

Brisk Travel :

A short walk to the Paddock :

We were ushered straight into the Pit Lane, most shutters were down with team personnel yet to arrive.

The Shutters coming up :

McLaren Mercedes celebrated 50 Years of Racing and all Team Personnel wore Vintage attire. RESPECT McLaren Mercedes!

It was them time to enter the Paddock Club and the gifts today were simply fantastic!!

Tea Time :

Shots from the GP2 Grid ( 2nd Race ) :

The Motorhomes on Sunday Morning :

The Helicopters having a busy Sunday Morning ferrying Drivers and Top Team Personnel :

It was time for Kimi Raikkonen to arrive!!!! The Line was huge and many people wanted a moment with the Iceman. I missed the opportunity but I still have a couple more chances!!

However I was able to gift Kimi the gift I had made for him and the Team was gracious enough to publish it on Twitter!!

THE GIFT :

The Photo on Twitter :

Lunch :

Shots from the Final Pit Lane Walk :

Some Entertainment on Track :

The Team Pit-Wall

Practice Makes Perfect :

Got an autograph from Dani Pedrosa who came down for the race. He raced at Misano one week later in MotoGP.

A Light Shower made everyone run helter-skelter while the Mechanics ensured all that was important was covered :

I hurriedly finished my Dessert to ensure that I don't lose a good place to shoot photos from.

The Activity on the Grid :

The Cars ready for the Formation Lap :

Video Link :

The Cars taking their Grid Slots :


The Race Start ( Video Link ) :




Vettel had a clean getaway while Kimi too had a fantastic start. However Perez cut across Kimi and missed his braking point. Kimi suffered a huge lockup and rammed into the back of the McLaren, damaging his Front wing pretty badly. This isn't the first time these 2 have crossed paths and it is clear that McLaren are running out of patience with Perez. The Ensuing Damage meant that Kimi had to pit for a front wing change and rejoined way back down the grid. Frustrating.....


Shots from the first few laps :  

Lotus F1 Team having to play catchup. Romain was in a better position though.


Some Close Battles being fought :



Some more Shots from the Race :


Lotus F1 Team in action :


The Lotus F1 Pit Wall discussing Strategic Changes :


Their Planning paid dividends as Romain Grosjean reeled in the McLarens and the Toro Rosso.


Kimi Raikkonen too passed the Force India with relative ease and was on the tail of the McLaren duo :


Adrian Sutil drove into Retirement on the Penultimate Lap with Brake Failure :


Kimi Raikkonen's and Mark Webber's Cars stopped just after the Chequered Flag to save fuel for later scrutiny.


Sebastien Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber were the Podium Finishers. Massa, Hulkenberg, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Hamilton and Button completed the Top 10. Hamilton's late pit stop allowed up to charge upto 9th. Raikkonen produced a spirited drive but just missed out on points in 11th.


The Tifosi running towards the Podium


Fans as far as the Eyes can see!! Amazing, Absolutely Amazing!!



Podium Celebrations. Adrian Newey, the Da Vinci of Aerodynamics in F1 represented Red Bull Racing for collecting the Constructors' trophy. The Podium Interviews were carried out by the Great Sir John Surtees and Jean Alesi!



Mark Webber saying Goodbye to Fans in Europe :( He will be missed. AussieGrit all the Way!!



Fernando Alonso obliging the Tifosi with some photos :


Podium Celebrations ( Video Link ) :



As the Fans slowly left the track, the trucks came in and it was time to packup!!


Quick Photos with Kimi Raikkonen's Helmet!!


The Suite now bearing a deserted look :


The Motorhomes of 2013, for one last time!!


Made New Friends!!

Thank you Lotus F1 for all the Hospitality and Thank you Guys and Gals!



The way back to the Hotel :


It was a nice Sunday. We didn't achieve good results but memorable 3 days nonetheless.

Once again, a Big Thank You to the Lotus F1 Team for all the hospitality. Thank you to Anne-Charlotte Remy and Oliver Anderson for all the logistical help.

Thank you to Anita Nyers, Fleur Foster,  Luca Mazzocco, Francois Puentes, Frederic Garcia & Veronica Sassella for hosting me over the 3 days. Really enjoyed the Experience.

Indian GP is my next stop, till then God Bless and stay safe!!

Saturday is always a busy day for Teams. Activity starts early in the morning with the Team Pit-Stop Practice. Setting up the Car for Qualifying is also very important. Any problems or niggles have to be ironed out so that the Drivers can have unhindered sessions.

I missed the Pit-Stop Practice in Germany so an early start allowed me to be in the thick of action.

En route to the Circuit :

The FIA Weigh-Bridge ( would see a lot of activity on Saturday ) :

Mercedes AMG - Petronas getting ready for their Pit-Stop Practice :

Francois and Oliver are all smiles as they welcome the Team Guests on Saturday :

The Car ready for Practice :

As the Boys were getting ready for practice, I grabbed the opportunity of sharing screen space with Alan Permane ( Lotus F1 Trackside Operations Director ), Ciaron Pilbeam ( Lotus F1 Chief Race Engineer ), Paul Seaby ( Lotus F1 Team Manager ) & Ayao Komatsu ( Romain Grosjean's Race Engineer ). 

Ciaron was fantastic and very welcoming. He was loving the challenge of pushing Lotus up the Grid, just like his stint at Red Bull Racing until last season.

The Mechanics busy practising :


Video Link :




More shots from the Garage :


Now that is a nice welcome ;)


The Paddock Area abuzz with Activity. Photographers waiting for Drivers to walk in :


Saturday Practice would see Teams run Race Simulations but the main agenda was to have Qualifying Simulations done.

Lotus F1 had run the Long Wheelbase Version for Kimi on Friday but as the difference was marginal, he switched back to the Standard Version for Saturday.

Some Shots from FP3 :



Lotus F1 Team in Action!!


Sebastien Vettel was the Fastest, Kimi and Romain 10th and 14th Respectively.


We were soon joined by Sir Jackie Stewart. The Triple World Champion talked about the Team's Performance so far this season. He talked about the changes brought into F1 down the years. He also stressed on the importance of Sponsorships for the teams.



Moments with the Legend himself !!


You cannot neglect nutrition in all this and I don't like missing lunch at the Paddock Club :)

A Quick Lunch and it was time to head down for the Pit-Lane Walk!

Oliver had a surprise for me. I had 20 minutes to scurry around the Paddock and meet whoever I could! Fantastic!


The Paddock - Ground Zero!!



The SKY PAD - Best tool for Analysis!!

The Man who mans the Sky Pad - Anthony Davidson. Great Guy. The Waistline Difference is appalling!


Uh, wrong place Ma'am :P

With Romain Grosjean's Car :


It was now time for Qualifying! The Sessions that would decide the Grid for Sunday!

Q1 saw the slowest 6 being eliminated.

Shots from Q1 :



Lotus F1 Team in Q1 :

Sebastien Vettel topped Q1, Kimi was 11th and Romain 8th.

Gutierrez ( Sauber-Ferrari ), Bottas ( Williams-Renault ), Van Der Garde ( Caterham-Renault ), Pic ( Caterham-Renault ), Bianchi ( Marussia-Cosworth ) and Chilton ( Marussia-Cosworth ) were eliminated.



Times were reset after Q1. The Slowest 6 drivers from the remaining 16 would be eliminated in Q2.


Shots from Q2 :

Lotus F1 Team in Q2 :


Monza was never a Great Track for Lotus F1 and the lack of pace from the Renault Engine meant that both the Lotuses were Eliminated in Q2.

Sebastien Vettel Topped Q2. Kimi missed Q3 by a tenth of a second ( whisker ) while Romain was about 3 tenths slower than the 10th place Vergne.

Lewis Hamilton too was eliminated but it was later revealed that Adrian Sutil impeded him on his flying lap. Sutil received a 3 place Grid Penalty.

Raikkonen ( Lotus-Renault ), Hamilton ( Mercedes ), Grosjean ( Lotus-Renault ), Sutil ( Force India-Mercedes ), Maldonado ( Williams-Renault ) and Di Resta ( Force India-Mercedes ) were eliminated from Q2.

A disappointing Qualifying Session but we were optimistic about the Race. The Lap Times were too close and the Lotus is confident in Race Trim, so all was not lost. A Free Tyre choice also meant that strategies could be different from the front runners.


The Times were Reset and it was time for the Top - 10 Shootout!! Q3 would see some really close battles!!

Shots from Q3 :


Sebastien Vettel dominated all three sessions and bagged Pole Position! Mark Webber ensured that the Red Bulls lock out the front row. Nico Hulkenberg sprung a surprise for Sauber-Ferrari and qualified 3rd on the Grid. The Team did well in 2012 too and now had a platform to score big on Sunday.


An Ecstatic Sauber Pit-Wall and Manisha Kaltenborn!


The Ferraris could only manage 4th and 5th for the Ferrari Faithful, Massa out-qualifying his more consistent team-mate Alonso.

Rosberg ( Mercedes ), Ricciardo ( STR-Ferrari ), Perez ( McLaren-Mercedes ), Button ( McLaren-Mercedes ) and Vergne ( STR-Ferrari ) completed the top 10.


Monza has always favoured cars with better powertrains and the presence of only two Renault-powered cars in the top 10 was testimony to this fact. Red Bull came out on top due to the cars' aerodynamic efficiency ( Thanks to Adrian Newey ) and still lacked the raw pace compared to their Ferrari and Mercedes Powered Competitors.

Only the Red-Bulls cracked the 1min 23 secs barrier and only half a sec separated 3rd from 9th. It would be an intriguing race on Sunday!!


Dessert to douse the disappointment :


Romain Grosjean visited the Suite an hour later and talked about his season so far. He was optimistic about Sunday and was sure about the team scoring points.


With the Frenchman : ( What did I make him sign? I shall reveal in due time )

It was now time to leave the Paddock Club. A Disappointing day in terms of the Result but an enjoyable day nonetheless!

I got to meet a host of people in the Paddock for which I am really really thankful to Oliver Anderson. Thank you Oli for your kindness!


The Journey Back :

Once again, a Big Thank You to the Lotus F1 Team for all the hospitality. Thank you to Anne-Charlotte Remy and Oliver Anderson for all the logistical help.

How can I forget Anita Nyers, Fleur Foster,  Luca Mazzocco, Francois Puentes, Frederic Garcia & Veronica Sassella for hosting me and ensuring that I enjoy the Saturday.

Day 3 not too long now.. Patience :)