The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the 300th F1 race in the paddock for RaceFans’ special contributor @DieterRencken. Here’s the first of his Paddock Diaries from Baku.
Thursday 27th April 7am
I awake in my AirBnb apartment to my first 2018 glance of Azerbaijan having arrived late via Istanbul the previous evening. My trepidation that I would be “dumped” due to an overfull aircraft proved needless but not unfounded: When attempting online check-in on Tuesday, the message “Overfull aircraft, no seats can be allocated” flashed up. Given Turkish Airlines’ history of dumping folk, it was cause for concern. In the event my Brussels-Istanbul flight was half-empty and Turkish had swapped aircraft from a Boeing 737 to Airbus A330 for the Baku leg – obviously without telling its computer – so all was well.
Passport formalities, via a dedicated ‘F1 Personnel’ queue, were dispatched without a hitch, while a colleague whose publication had booked him a car to the city offered me a ride downtown, so no need to wait for the shuttle. From his hotel it was a 650m walk to the apartment, where the owner speedily sorted keys and formalities and off to bed I went.
Although I had not before reported on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – as its previous June date either clashed with Le Mans or the annual FIA Sport Conference – I visited the country in January 2017 on a media visit, so had a good idea what to expect.
However, as I mentioned in a tweet, “Serendipity is waking up to discover a race track runs past your apartment” – as I walked to the block the previous evening I realised the subway took me under a portion of the track, but due to the high barriers I could not see what lay beyond. Now I have a birds-eye view to shade that from even a Gold grandstand.
Pity I’ll be watching the race on TV in a windowless media centre situated in the Hilton…
The apartment offers a great vantage point…
…the media centre less so9am
I arrive at the Media Centre, check in, select suitable desk and catch up with colleagues whom I had not seen since Shanghai. Wander through paddock, and smile at the Street F1ghters poster – Mexico had its play on F1 with F1esta, so now it’s Baku’s turn.
Word has spread that it’s my 300th grand prix weekend, so heaps of congratulations from F1 folk: thank you all, but when I consider that more than a few F1 lifers have notched up 500-plus and a handful hit over 600 – a massive achievement given that in early years there were fewer than 10 grands prix annually – it is a personal milestone, but no more. Still, the messages of goodwill are much appreciated.
12pm
A quick lunch before the media scrums start. One thing that can be said for the “showcase” races – Middle East, Baku, Sochi, etc…, – is that these are the most hospitable. Invariably they serve up local delicacies, and Baku is no exception: Try sliced bananas dunked in a honey/cream sauce covered with cinnamon, or a cucumber pickle sandwich with strawberry cream, grilled eggplant and Emmental cheese. Or paprika cookies…
1-6pm
Street F1ghters posterMedia sessions, all mostly predictable and relating mainly to Shanghai shenanigans or Azerbaijan aspirations (delete as applicable per team/driver). Have a bit of banter with Daniel Ricciardo during the FIA Press Conference when the Australian, always a lively participant, impersonates my intro.
7pm
Head for the 25th floor of the Hilton, where the race promoters have laid on a welcome party / feast in the 360-degree Bar – so called because it revolves to provide Baku’s full panorama across the city and Caspian Sea – where we are served local dishes. The kitchen is Turkish in taste: mainly coal-grilled meats and veggies, plus creamy sauces and desserts. Very, very tasty.
Although the thrash continues until 1am, I pack up early and head for the apartment at around 11, catch up on BBC World News and hit the pillow, feeling extremely satisfied after day one of my 300th.