Whilst Grizzled Journo' Joe Saward idly ruminates
the wasted hours lost over attempting to get his yearly visa to Sochi from
35,000-feet. ARSE-Sumedly crammed into business class staring at the backside,
or bald spot of some annoying passenger? Coffee or Tea, Chicken or Beef Wee-Wee
Monsieur? Hya!
As Mr. Saward was presumably en route to the Shanghai
circuit on the MagLev' train Thursday morning, I awoke to the Daily Mail's
Formula One section's latest tidbits upon the forthcoming Chinese GP, prior to
the (Free Practice) FP2 session airing on Thy Telie' Stateside at 11PM Pacific.
And the story that caught my Attenzione the
most, besides the forecasted weekend's deluge 'O precipitation, overlooking the
Hamilton apprehensive over driving on new Wider's Better rain tyres rubbish!
Was the excellent picture montage of a long forgotten Asian F1 circuito.
As the opening paragraph noted the amount of
long distance flying occurring at the moment for the traveling F1 Circus,
dovetails nicely with my eclectic No Fenders long haul tome, eh?
As not sure what's worse? That it's 22yrs ago
since the second and final outing of the long forgotten Pacific Grand Prix at Aida,
Japan, or the fact that I watched both event's on the Telescreen, with DER
TERMINATOR', nee Michael Schumacher winning both the 1994 and 1995 races which
occupied both ends of the F1 season, with the inaugural race being held on April
17, 1994, just a Fortnight before Black Sunday, aka Imola, Italy's San Marino GP.
Alas, with the article's words Lost Circuits,
I found myself delving into Thy Wayback machine, and reminiscing 'bout Herr Skewmacher'
- Hobbo' vernacular, (David Hobbs) and thou "Professorial"
Steve Matchett, (ex-Benetton F1 mechanic) Whom
I haven't heard in a lather for nearly 99-days!
Hmm? What's that song 'bout 99 Balloons?
Making
me flashback to one of my favourite Benetton liveries, most specifically the
sponsor adorning the sidepods, prominently displaying the word Autopolis on a
dark shade of blue.
Hmm? Was that in deference to drawing Attenzione to
Aida? Nah, but the Autopolis circuit and it's overly extravagant owner's
another story for another day...
