What do you get when you combine and let loose the full creative forces of the F1, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and Melbourne, the city of chromatic dissolution?
Be still my beating heart.
You get Red Bull Racing drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen going head-to-head on the iconic Yarra River in tinnies. But wait, there’s more: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas took to the ice for an ice hockey skills session with marquee players from both Melbourne Ice and Melbourne Mustangs. (Stop it, John, I can’t take this much excitement!) Then the Australian Grand Prix Corporation together with Victoria Police, Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Ambulance Victoria and St John Ambulance Victoria showcased how all the agencies work collaboratively to make the 2017 Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix safe and secure.
Feeling giddy? Stiffen up because then the Sahara Force India drivers tried their hands at beach volleyball against Australian Olympic players. And finally, the piece de resistance, the item that had Charlie Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara, owner and organiser of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival, yelling down the phone to me from West Sussex: “Johnny call them off, these guys are making us look bad”.
But it was too late. Sauber F1 Team drivers Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein put the finishing touches on an F1 inspired sweet creation to help celebrate the team’s 25 years in Formula One racing. And before Charlie could say “why is Melbourne called the city of chromatic dissolution?” Marcus and Pascal discovered the tricks of the trade of how to make coffee, one of Melbourne’s cultural beverages.
Let’s move on before we have to pass around the vomit bags.
Mercedes is favourite by a flea’s ear going into this weekend but how will Lewis Hamilton adapt to his new partner, Finland’s Valtteri Bottas? Sebastian Vettel sandbagged in his Ferrari during testing so will be quick and Red Bull did third best and with Max Emilian Verstappen, who will become one of the world’s greatest drivers, the caffeine drink team have to be a big chance. McLaren have no show while they are running Honda engines. As Road & Track said, “McLaren has already used five Honda engines in the first days of F1 Testing, you’d think with Honda supplying your engines, they’d be reliable, but McLaren has gotten a lot of practice swapping them”. So, owners the Bahrain royal family’s Mumtalakat investment company, Ron Dennis and business partner Mansour Ojjeh would not be pleased.
You probably don’t know Mansour but he used to own Tag Heur watches, now owns a bit of the Michael Hill of London, Asprey and Garrard, had a double lung transplant and his daughter, Sara, is really good friends with Lew Hamilton.
Anyway, the Mansour Ojjeh of small but perfectly formed cars, Tim Brook, is gearing up for a run at winning the 2017 Toyota 86 Racing Series. Look, if you haven’t driven a Toyota 86 yet you should join Marcus and Pascal discovering how to make coffee, one of Melbourne’s cultural beverages. Anyway, the series has more than 40 cars, with a few serious drivers like Steven Johnson, Leanne Tander and Matt Brabham, a heap of young drivers you’ve never heard of and a few more experienced persons like 59-year-old Australian downhill ski champion, Garry Holt, Adelaide’s Porsche GT3 driver, 56-year-old John Goodacre and the similarly aged former mayor of the City of Casey, Graham Smith.
But we’re backing Tim Brook who nearly took out the series last year because sponsors Ultimate Karting, Cosmo Cranes, and McLaren Real Estate have all offered discounts to Weekend Australian readers. Ring Cosmo now for the 2004 FM GRU 125 crane with new paint, new hoist rope and air-conditioned cabin with the tinted windows for $165,000 plus GST. Seriously readers, if you’re in the doghouse at home, what better way to say “I love you” than parking a 2004 FM GRU 125 outside the car port?
This is a shortened version of the original article – read the rest at The Australian
