Thailand 101

Time for a step back to catch up on old adventures, not much reason in a travelouge if you don't get around to documenting the travelling done. If you read back a few billion words, I left off right before the big day in Macau, Sunday, Race day.

Bright and early we jumped a shuttlebus to the paddock area and got settled in at the BMW hospitality area, ready to take in as much as possible while expending as little energy as possible and staying out of the extreme heat.

As commented on in the previous Macau blog entry, it's an extreme track in every way, magnifying even the smallest mistake by a driver to a full on disaster, here's a few pretty good examples of why it is considered the most expensive race for any team to participate in. No simple rebuilds here, it's scrap metal with fancy liveries nothing more now.

On to the paddoc area which is claustrophic, busy, exciting and one of the best places in the world to be unless my couch is near ;) No photos of the GT class, but they were by far the most visually thrilling. Nothing beats race trimmed Ferraris, Lamborginis, Corvettes, Lotus'es (Loti?) and GT Porches for sheer spectacle when they are all lines up engines idling with deep notes and the occational high pitch roar when the warm up cycles begin. Even the WTCC cars in the main event are no match for the exquisite sesation of a Lambo firing on all cylinders 1½ metres from you.

 I had a great time seeing Marianne getting into character as the "tall, slim blonde with the sunglasses who might just be somebody so we getter get a photo" and seeing her rival the local advertising girls for photographer attention.  We had all area access and used the opportunity to get on the grid right before the start of the main race, always a special moment when you walk through the mixed throng of curious VIP's and hard working team mechanics.

Drivers already in the cars on the grid, shaded with umbrellas by grid girls and getting the final mental preperations done. Eyes that stare into oblivion seen through the visors, visualising the start and the first corner, visualising the lines to take and the what if, what if, what if of the 1000 things that can go right or wrong before even hitting 3rd gear off the line. I'm fascinated by the looks on these guys faces when they sit there, most don't react even if camaras are thrust in their face, but a few are seemingly more relaxed and interact with the camera crews and their friends, family or sponsors in the crow walking past their car.

The air is loaded with exitement and the noise of last second tweaks to the cars, mechanics yelling and pushing people aside to create room to work. Gotta love it.  I had really looked forward to sharing this part of work with Marianne and I think she took it pretty well. At least she didn't look bored ;)

The race itself is damn well documented on all major racing sites on the net, the French dude was crowned world champion, the Italian dude wasn't. SEAT won it with their unstoppable Turbo Diesel engines, BMW had to relinquish the throne after 3 consequtive years as world champions. Since we were guests of Team BMW we'd have preferred it otherwise, but SEAT taking it was already decided before this round, so it wasn't a big day of mourning.

While the support racing continued we ended up in the hospitality area again for a meal fit for kings, wow they don't hold back when they do catering.. all I was missing was creme brulee ;)  While relaxing in the airy and cool hospitality area we got treated to a little special appearence by Alex Zanardi and Andy Priaulx who did a spot of meet and greet with the sponsors and invited guests. Zanardi is an icon, the fastest man with no legs... double amputee after a nasty crash years ago, but still going as strong as ever and still as Italian and charming as ever. TV cameras love him and he is a fantastic ambassadeur for the sport. Priaulx is the dethroned 3 times world champion, The Schumacher of touringcar racing... and also a fun guy.

Enough with the racing... it was a grand event and I feel lucky to have had the chance to attend twice now, but I still hope to go there again.. and again.

A quick powernap, and a guided tour into Portuguese cuisine, later we were ready to party hard with the rich and famous. We scored a ticket for our main man in Macau, Jose, and in return he picked us up and figured out what way to go. Marianne was in her finest and I was trying to keep up once again with long pants and a shave and whatnot.

So.. Pool Party on the MGM Grand hotel/casino, the big bash to celebrate the end of the WTCC racing season, the place where all the drivers, mechanics, sponsors, owners, wifes, girlfriends, showgirls, racing hangarounds and the Macau semi-jetset. A party consisting 100% of rich, beautiful and famous people would be too much, but throw in the hard drinking and harder partying team mechanics and add a spectacular setting and then you are on to something. The lobby of the MGM took our breath away so we were pretty much dazzled even before getting to the massive pool area...  then running into Priaulx and Müller doing a little bump 'n' grind show in the elevator and we were pretty certain this was gonna get good.

The first few seconds were spent in awe over the location, the music and the crowd there.. but then reality took over and we hunted down Jan for drinks tickets. Everyone should have a few times a year when something makes them feel special, lucky and ever so much alive, this was one of those times for me... and for Marianne even though she was freezing something fierce until the first few drinks settled in and warmed her up.

Not much else to say, it was a party, it was fab and fun and something not to be forgotten anytime soon. Marianne again pulled off looking like she was born for the high life, class and style and not a single stumble on the high heels. But as the night wore on we decided to head on over to the official world champion celebration party hosted by SEAT (tickets provided by Jan again.. he is a nice guy you know ;)) and we descended into a hazy noisy nightclub crammed to the breaking point with seriously drunk and happy people. I still claim we saw 50 Cent down there, but it was dark and it's hard to see who is really under the cap and the massive gold on display so it may just have been a wannabe. 

The main attraction after we got ourselves a seat and yet another drink was the extremely hard partying Russians from the WTCC Team "Russian Bear", to this day I don't believe anyone parties more intensely than Russians when they feel like it. Don't even remember the guys anymore but the girls burned into my retinas.. for various reasons. You got your standard 1.90 tall platinum blonde bombshell, then something resembling a mountain troll with wild hair, then a heavily tattooed girl in a wifebeater top with slabs of muscle like an american wrestler, then a complete bimbo stereotype in miniskirt dancing gogo on the stage. They were an assorted bunch that for sure and they were great company.

For once we went home before it got *too* late, we had something lined up to end the night on a high. Burgers and cheesecake on roomservice, thats how to do it !

No hangovers the next day as we bid Macau a fond farewell and headed to Hong Kong for the next part of our little adventure. There are a ton more pictures from Macau on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14989538@N05/sets/72157610639217620/