Post-race drama unfolded in the Monaco Grand Prix paddock as Red Bull learned they were under protest from Ferrari while Christian Horner was speaking to the media including RaceFans’ Claire Cottingham.
Thursday
Arriving on Wednesday for my first ever Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix experience, I made my way to the track for media duties, assuming 11am wouldn’t be too much of a challenge to get into Monaco, having underestimated the impact of Ascension Day on local traffic. Staying in Nice, the journey into the track that looked simple, was chaotic. Trains were already overflowing, people were desperately trying to push themselves onto the carriages.
With the midday heat burning down on me and knowing I had a meeting at the track, I opted for a taxi instead, heading straight to the accreditation centre to collect my pass.
Walking down the hill towards the paddock was a sight to behold, though not an entirely unfamiliar one, as I visited the principality a few weeks earlier for Formula E’s Monaco round. Now the streets were lined with merchants selling Formula 1 gear and fans had already descended on the circuit.
Friday
Lesson learned from Thursday, I arrived early enough at the train station to grab a coffee and a croissant before a short, pleasant journey. The walk from the train station to the paddock is beautiful, the platform exit situated at the top of the hill overlooking the Marina.
That left plenty of time to spare as I arrived at the circuit over an hour before the first press conference. But on my way into the media centre I was halted by a security guard who told me I could not bring in my water bottle.
Assuming it was something to do with liquids, I quickly emptied the water and put my bottle back in my bag, but entry was still denied. It transpired the metal bottle was the concern, a baffling decision given the drive to reduce single-use plastics which F1 has supported. Happily, following conversations with the FIA, the decision was reversed and our…