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Postcard From Silverstone, Saturday: Do You Know Who We Are?
Posted by: redbullf1 June 20th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
So… if we thought they were quick yesterday, today Seb, Mark and the RB5 really did drive fast. Only a Finnish fly in the ointment prevented Mark from repeating his feat last year of securing a Silverstone front row. But pole and the second row will do nicely – the car does look good around the British track. Not so good looking is the access in and out of the track. Silverstone used to be known for its never ending traffic jams. You queued to get in, you queued when you were in the circuit, you queued to get out then you queued to get away from the circuit. It was tortuous and probably the reason the helipad always sees so much action. The organisers’ ingenious solution? Make all roads incoming in the morning and outgoing in the afternoon. Simples. And effective too… unless you want to go the other way.
Which you might need to do.
This afternoon David Coulthard was due to make an appearance at Whittlebury Hall campsite, a good 300 yards down the road from the Media car park entrance/exit. So off he went, on his scooter, to meet the fans, sign autographs and spread a bit of Red Bull well-being among the fans. First he had to make sure he was going to get out and return. He stopped at the gate and politely asked the darkglassesandfluorescenttabard security guard if he could return through this entrance.
Security shook his head.
“I’m doing an appearance for the fans I’ll be 40 minutes and then I need to get back to do my work, is that OK?” asked DC. Politely, too.
Security shook his head.
“I just need to ensure I can do my job and get back in, surely you can see that?” asks DC. Again, in a nice, calm, pleasant tone of voice.
Security shook his head.
“Look, I hate doing this. But do you know who I am?” asks DC.
Security just looks blank.
“I’m David Coulthard, I’ve raced here 15 times and won it twice. I need to go meet the fans and then come back through this entrance. Is that OK?”
Security says (and this did actually happened) “Can I see your pass?”
So David Coulthard was allowed out and did get back to the circuit after meeting the very enthusiastic fans at Whittlebury Hall.
I wonder if the security at Donington will be as slick.
I saw DC having his little altercation with the security guy – I wondered what was going on! I was in there after winning a ticket to a drivers’ autograph signing session. Unfortunately not many of the drivers actually stayed around to do much signing. By the time I had got through the queue Jenson Button was manically signing away all by himself! I suppose he is the man of the moment as far as the Brtish fans are concerned. I was more than gutted to not meet the Red Bull boys though.
I wasn’t paricuarly enamoured with security myself. As soon as I had got my programme signed I was litterally frog marched back to the exit by a rather over-zealous security man. I obviously looked like I was going to do a runner in to the pit paddock. I was very unceremoniously shoved out of the exit gate. Oh well, I was still buzzing from watching Sebastian take pole. It was going to take more than a power crazed, beefy boy in a high viz jacket to dampen my mood!