Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix 2008

As some of you may know, I went to the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. It was my first time ever being at a Grand Prix and I was pretty excited to get the chance to experience first-hand what I’ve always seen on TV.

First, let me just say that the Grand Prix is LOUD. VERY LOUD. I had to buy earplugs because the engine noise from the cars were just that insane. I’m not even exaggerating. IT IS LOUD. I don’t know how else to put it. You see people on TV at these races with earplugs in their ears and you think “Oh hey, they’re all sissies and it’s probably not that loud”, but it is! It is louder than any concert I’ve ever been to, and the pain that you feel if you DON’T put your earplugs in is just excruciating. So, if you’re going to a Grand Prix in the future, make sure you bring/buy earplugs! It’ll help you enjoy the day more. TRUST ME.

Second, the Australian Grand Prix just happened to take place on THE HOTTEST DAY EVER. There is very little shade on the field where we were watching the race and it was pretty much guaranteed that we would be dripping in sweat for the remainder of the day. The whole day was just…wet and muggy and hot. Didn’t want to move. About 100+ minutes in the Australian heat…

Anyway, check inside if you want to see some photos from the event.

The entrance to the Grand Prix course

Before the races started for the day, there was an airshow featuring some stunt planes and military aircraft.

This Australian military jet did really crazy maneuvers in the sky. It even “floated” in the air a bit and then shot straight up (close enough to 90-degrees) into the sky until it was just a speck in the air. And then it fell straight down in a sort of free-fall. Totally cool!

The airshow also featured a jumbo 747 jet flyby from Qantas Airlines. The 747 did this thing where it flew by the audience as low as it could go and at the slowest speed possible. It was surreal watching this HUGE jet go so slow in the air. It looked fake, but I assure you, it was all real.

Here’s one of the turns on the track. The red part are the special pebbles/rocks that stop the F1 cars from crashing into the fence if they go off the track.

The cars go so fast past the camera that it’s just about impossible for an amateur photographer like me to capture them in a frame clearly. Of all of the shots that day, this is probably the only one where the car is completely in focus and crisp. But hey, I’ve got plenty of other photos of the cars where they look like smudges in the frame.

After the races were over, we climbed the fences with everybody else and walked the length of the track. Pretty cool to touch the ground where these well-known races happen.

So that’s all for now. Just remember: EARPLUGS ARE A NECESSITY.