16.03 Melbourne Grand Prix is GO!

Sunday: Race Day! The previous three days had been absolute scorchers, and there was going to be no let up on this day either, with another high close to 40°C! from our grandstand seats we watched the support races and then the build up to the race itself.

An important part to the race is the Drivers Photo! The offical one was taken from Crash.net, as I wasn't allowed to take my own!

Lewis Hamilton on Pole, as the engineers ensure that the car is ready for the race ahead!

The Grid Girls line up at the front of the Grid!

It wouldn't be a complete Australian Grand Prix without the Qantas fly-past!

The 2008 Australian Grand Prix is GO! Animated picture of the start as Lewis Hamilton leads the way.

Another animated picture! Nick Heidfeld leaves the pits, but watch the big screen as you see Timo Glock a have a bit of a moment, and park his slightly lightened Toyota at the side of the circuit! Definitely time for the Safety Car to come out!

Lewis Hamilton crosses the line to win the 2008 Australian Grand Prix!

Podium celebrations as Hamilton, Heidfeld and Rosberg spray the Champagne!

Oh, who's that with the classic farmers tan?!

Thumbs up to a great race and weekend, and possibly a 'thank goodness that's over, we can now get back to the packing'! Now just two full days left in Melbourne...

15.03 Melbourne Grand Prix Qualifying

Saturday: Time to see what the pecking order is after a winter of development and testing! No surprises really, as McLaren, Ferrari & BMW fight it out between them!

Joanna trackside at Turn 15 watching the action!

BMW, Mclaren & Honda! A bit of camera trickery happening here, as the panoramic mode is used to take three seperate photos that are stitched together to make one!

14.03 Melbourne Grand Prix Practise

Friday Practise: The first proper run for the Formula 1 cars around the Albert Park circuit. There is also a good chance of bumping into drivers and collecting autograhs, if you're into that kind of thing!?

Come race day this would be the view we'd get of the build up, the start and the race!

The day I became a bit of an autograph tart! After seeing only a couple of V8 Supercar races during the year I had a fair idea who was who. So my first autograph was from Craig Lowndes, from Team Vodafone. The V8 Supercar drivers are very approachable, in fact Jamie Whincup (Craig's team mate) nearly ran me over while doing wheelies on a mountain bike in the V8 Supercar Paddock!

The V8 Supercars on the starting Grid for Race 1 of the Manufacturer's Challenge - Ford versus Holden!

This was the closest I got to getting an autograph from Kimi. All the other drivers had been on stage for 20 minutes or so, but McLaren & Ferrari felt that 10 minutes would be enough to satisfy everyone! It's at times like this that you realise that they're not really here for the fans! However, I got a few signatures from the drivers of BMW Sauber, Williams, & Renualt (no show for Alonso - I would have booed him though!).

My GP survival kit included: a hat, sun-cream, a radio, ear plugs, my ticket, a circuit map, a flag & the signed programme!

You can see from the photos that it's pretty difficult to take decent photos without having the fencing feature!

If, like me, you leave the circuit alone there is a good chance that one of these cards may be thrust into your hand as you fight your way to the tram back to the City! Unfortunately Joanna had cooked a lovely meal and I couldn't go out that night!

12.03 Melbourne Grand Prix 'Behind the Scenes Tour'

Having already received my tickets a number of weeks beforehand for the GP, I had entered a lottery to be win a pair of tickets (out of 2000 apparently!) to go 'Behind the Scenes' at Melbourne Grand Prix. I had managed to 'win', so Joanna & I had a little bit of a tour down pitlane, a walk along the top of the garage complex and watched some interviews with the drivers - Peter Windsor is much better live than through the Network 10 coverage!

18.02 Transformation of Albert Park

The start of the main straight. All the safety fencing has been erected around the entire circuit!

The start/finish line now has most of the grandstand seating in place, with the commentators boxes still to be placed on top!

The Bridgestone Bridge on the way down to the first corner!

View through the safety fencing to Turns 1 & 2!

The sun setting over Melbourne City acroos Albert Park Lake.

24.01 Transformation of Albert Park

A quick drive to Albert Park revealed that preparations are already under way to transform the park into the Grand Prix circuit!

The setting sun shines on the Eureka Tower, sending gold rays of light into the cloud above.

View across Albert Park Lake, looking back towards the City.

This will be the Pit Complex, currently used as a sports hall for a range of different sporting activites.

This is where our Grandstand seats will be for the 2008 Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, the same spot as we had last year!

Driving up the Starting Grid the wrong way! Can't wait to see, hear and feel 20,000 horsepower at 15.30! I think that means that it starts at 04.30 in the UK!

More to come on the transformation of Albert Park as it happens...