Diary of a F1 weekend: Malaysia

So after an exciting Grand Prix weekend in Australia.
We hardly have time to blink before it's the turn of Malaysia and the start of another early morning race.

So expect blurred vision and tiredness throughout my weekend diary.

Thursday/Friday
2am

Hoorah. I am actually up ready for FP1 however it's fair to say I'm not feeling on top form.
I noticed that in the fly away races especially the back to back ones. My sleep patterns go completely awry.
Luckily I managed to stay awake for 45 minutes of FP1 before realising that I couldn't hang on.
So decided to go to bed and wake up instead for FP2.

Notes for FP1

• Karthikeyan gearbox decided to fail. 
• Hamilton should good pace to top the table
• Vettel showed that Red Bull didn't have the pace. 
• All the cars seemed to be close in terms of time. 
• #BOTTAS

Now instead of my alarm waking me up for FP2. It decided to let me sleep through.

So I missed all of FP2.
This is not the first time this has happened. Luckily I recorded FP2 for this very reason.

Notes for FP2

• More woe for Karthikeyan
• Vettel still struggling for pace in 10th
• Vergne and Ricciardo show their hand. Top ten placings for both. 
• Then Karthikeyan has some more woe thrown in. 
• Hamilton quickest again

Friday/Saturday

FP3.

Ahhh. So I missed all of FP3. 

This lately seems a F.F.F tradition. 

There is no excuse for this.

But of course I was up for Qualifying. (Because I'm good like that.)
And even though it was 5am and I had to go to Sheffield later in the day.
I managed to not sleep through it.
I think the pack of fig rolls I brought may of helped, along with the copious amounts of coffee.

Notes for Qualifying

• Bad starts for Heikki and Kimi with five place grid drops. 
• Massa still struggling for raw pace and dropping out in Q2
• Webber out qualifying Vettel again. 
• Schumacher qualifying in the top three.
• Hamilton and Button bagging a One-Two for Mclaren. 

Saturday/Sunday

Race day. 8am.

With my alarm clock actually waking me up. 

Even with the change of clocks. (Yes it gets lighter earlier but it meant a hour's less sleep. *Grumps*)

It was time to get my cup of coffee on the go, along with another pack of fig rolls. (I'm getting lardy because of this.)

Ready for another great race.

Now what I love about watching F1, is that comedy can come from nowhere.
Now I tweet has the race is on. So when 9 laps in the race the rain came down and the red flag came out.
So did best comedy moments.

All 50 minutes of non racing was filled with entertainment that consisted of Gazebo chat. 

Who had the best gazebo?

Who was doing the BBQ?

Why did HRT only have a Tesco carrier bag?

Then it turned into a scene from the Carry On films because we started perving on the wet drivers/team members. Ooo Matron. 

Then it came full circle back 2009 with a W.W.K.D.

Or the long version. 'What would Kimi do?'

We all secretly hoped he would get the ice cream back out. Sadly this was not to be. Even if Lotus did get the Ice Creams back out for him. 

Luckily the race did start back up again but under the safety car. 

When the safety car came back in. The fun could begin again.
And boy did it.
We had Button lose his front wing.
Then Vettel got a puncture. 

I may of had some micro naps between all of this going on.
But I managed to stay awake when the fight for the lead was between Ferrari and Sauber. (Words I didn't really expect to say this year.)

And even though Perez had a moment off track and couldn't catch Alonso back up.
It was worth me having Horner jiggly leg for.

It was pure racing at it's best.
F1 is definitely back and it has come back swinging. 

Notes for the race.

• Rain
• Red Flag
• Gazebo's are entertaining
• Grosjean failing in the race for the second week in a row. 
• Karthikeyan injuring several cars. 
• Pastor losing out on points on the last lap.
• Hamilton still not looking happy after another podium.
• Vettel coming up with a new insult system and raising a new finger. Twice.
• Button's brutal honesty
• The Perez and Alonso battle.

Today was a good day to be an F1 fan. 

Remember if you want to hear more of my F1 ramblings. You can also follow me on twitter @squiffany 

Diary of an F1 weekend: Australia.

Hey bloggers.

Hope you had a lovely weekend, especially because the F1 season was finally back :)

Here to share with you is my Female Formula Fun Diary of an F1 weekend.

Warning: I'm actually pretty dull....

25th March 2011

It's 12.38am and I am scribbling this on a piece of paper in pretty much pitch black conditions. It's only an hour till Free practice one and I'm pretty excited.

It's been nearly six long months since an F1 car turned a wheel and it seems like six months too long.

I have work at 11am today and for the past few days I have been suffering with fatigue. I just haven't been 100% in weeks. So coping with a different time zone race is going to be even harder then usual.

I'm expecting not to even get the chance to watch some of free practice, I will probably be getting some ZZZ's instead.

1.32am

Karun Chandhok has lost it and ended up in the barriers. We are less then 2 minutes into the start of practice.

It's gonna be one of those seasons.

3.05am

Managed to stay awake for the whole of FP1. I set my alarm for FP2 at 5am but know it's probably going to be too much for me to do. With work and being a bit poorly it's not looking good.

4.55am

Alarm goes off.
I turn it off. Refresh laptop page. Then fall back to sleep.

9am

Awake for work. I knew that I would miss FP2 but managed to read the standings and decide to watch it on Iplayer after work.

26th March 2011

12am

I'm in bed ready for work and GP in the morning. I'm in early 9 till 2, which means that I have to get up at 6.30am anyway so with qualifying starting at 6am it's not so hard to get up.

I decided to miss FP3 mainly so I don't oversleep for work and so I feel more refreshed for quali.

5.50am

I get up and make myself a strong cup of coffee and some toast and sneak downstairs to put on BBC One.

7.30am

I am getting dressed whilst watching the Qualifying, which I can reassure you is a skill.

Gutted that Heidfeld was out in Quali One.

As most of you know I am a fan of Occasionally Quick Nick.

Sadly not quick at the moment, down in a lowly 18th.

The HRT boys failed to qualify for the race at all, this surprised no-one... except for HRT.

9am

By the time I leave for work Qualifying has finished.

Barrichello (The most experienced driver no less) makes a rookie error and ends up down the tail end of the grid along with OQN.

Sutil use of DRS (Or drag reduction system for newbies: Basically it reduces drag and makes the cars faster) nearly costs him a car. He spins but luckily manages to keep the car on the track.

The rookies all pretty much end up in the midfield.

Petrov surprises everyone by being 6th on the grid...Then everyone started comparing how much better Kubica would of done if he was there and in the car. (A post on this coming up later in the week)

Then it was really between the Red Bulls and Mclarens for pole.

Vettel smashed it.

Getting pole by over 8 tenths over Lewis Hamilton.

It looks like Vettel really is going to be the one to beat this year.

27th March

It's 5.55am and I am off work meaning I can get up for the grand prix and I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day.

I get up, with my blanket for warmth. Plus a dog ( My dog always sits with me on grand prix day...mainly hogging the blanket) and make myself some coffee and some nutella on toast and sit down ready for the pre race build up.

Wearing my lucky Aussie T-shirt with no make up on.

I do love the race build up. Mainly for these top gear style moments like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoKD1yw3tn8

7.00am

The Australian race begins.

(Race report to follow)

9.00am

Race has finished and it's time to switch to the forum (The extra wind down for the BBC F1 coverage.)
It's time for me to go back to bed for a few more hours.

The race may not been the most exciting but it did produce the best comedy moment ever in Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard. After commenting on how curtains had been put up around the paddock to stop punters seeing the cars.

EJ- Look here's Red bull

There's no big banner up there, no cloak..

DC- There's also no cars there.

EJ- That's a good point

DC- I thought I would just point out that small detail

....Oh but hold on there is a small fold down chair.

Sometimes F1 is priceless even if ain't always an exciting affair.