| A.Albon | 112 (1%) |
| C.Sainz,jr. | 74 (1%) |
| Ch.Leclerc | 83 (1%) |
| D.Ricciardo | 77 (1%) |
| E.Ocon | 84 (1%) |
| F.Alonso | 40 (0%) |
| G.Russell | 66 (1%) |
| K.Cunuda | 87 (1%) |
| K.Magnussen | 33 (0%) |
| Kuan-jü Č. | 28 (0%) |
| L.Hamilton | 10839 (90%) |
| L.Norris | 51 (0%) |
| L.Sergeant | 33 (0%) |
| L.Stroll | 74 (1%) |
| M.Verstappen | 87 (1%) |
| N.Hulkenberg | 23 (0%) |
| O.Piastri | 26 (0%) |
| P.Gasly | 84 (1%) |
| S.Pérez | 98 (1%) |
| V.Bottas | 73 (1%) |
Our trip started on Thursday at 4.15am setting off from Unhost, we had about 680 km to go, the weather was nice and we went via Rozvadov to Nurburgring where we would pick up our passes. The plan was to be at the circuit at 2pm, however we found ourselves at the main information desk as soon as 1pm.
One phone call later we were collected by Billy, who took care of us all the time. We got some refreshments at Williams F1 Team motorhome, where I also met Sophie, who I was communicating with while I was preparing this meeting.
Our pass have the same number of VIP 13!
Our guide Billy took us on tour through the team's garage, where we couldn't take any photos but where we saw everything - Renault engines, complete technology of the team and their brain, as well as Pirelli specialists doing their analysis. I had the chance to feel the weight of Pastor Maldonado's seat (my guess is about half a kilogram). I took a detailed look at the rear wing, where I was surprised by the width. I assumed it would be just a thin shell, but it is, on the contrary, almost 5cm thick robust part. I could see that the wing is controlled by a wire cord.
Then we took our pictures in front of the garage.
I have never taken close up photos of the front wing. The Canon G11 camera was very reliable. I have to say, we don't get any support from CANON CZ (we had some back in 2006, but as it's usual in the CR, not even an international project gets any support)
Billy was great and gave us a perfect tour, he's the right man for his job and his team can be proud of him. I mainly asked about the construction details as we're reconstructing our www.constructorsf1.com, where the Climber of the Year in F1 was opened for the first time.
In front of the garage Billy explained to us how the tires are prepared and exchanged, he showed us the tools that can lift the car up. I told him my bench press is 118 kg so this would be a piece of cake for me. The engineers were practicing, making marks directly on the ground with a sellotape.
Because we had some time to kill, Billy let us wonder through the paddock, which was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious as Merry Poppins says, there's no other word to describe that!!!!
So I kept saying to myself:"I want to meet Kai Ebel ( RTL commentator) just like in Hungary." I had his photo with me and what happened was that he was so surprised that he signed it and we took our photo together, perhaps it might become a ritual.
I saw J.Button hurrying away. I heard my wife:"Mirek, Mirek," just in a moment when Fernando Alonso was passing me. We shook our hands and I reminded him of our meeting in the CR - as he was walking into the Ferrari motorhome, he turned around and called The Czech Republic, ok.
Then something happened which I will never forget till the end of my days. Again in a hurry, Ross Brawn dashing, my request for a photo, with my hands together for a prayer it was so intensive that he stopped for a while, my wife pushed the shutter of the G11, I just had the time to say thank you. Ross may not have been in the best mood but he was nice and I have a photo with him. What all I'd like to tell him about the times I used to work as a human resources manager of the local Ferrari dealer, we used to go to Maranello and visited the Ferrari factory. Thank you Ross.
At 4pm the meeting with Pastor Maldonado should start, arranged by Sophie and Billy. We were waiting ready at 3.50 in the motorhome, sipping a cold beverage. The team took an excellent care of us.
At 4pm precisely we presented the cup Climber of the Year in F1 2012 to Pastor Maldonado
and then Claire Williams, the team's manager took the trophy for the team. The atmosphere was pleasant and friendly. Thank you.
As I had the photos ready, Sophie with Billy had them signed.
We're going to organize a contest for the readers of our websites where they can win one of them. Then we said good bye and Billy saw us out of the paddock.
I took a photo of the ADAC helicopter on the way.
On the way to the parking lot we had even German sausages. I have to say that sausages from Wenceslas Square are really better.
We left the circuit on Thursday at 5.15pm and arrived home at 0.55am on Friday night. We got stuck in traffic jams three times, luckily the German radio station Bayern 1 always gave us heads up in advance.
Honda CIVIC 1.4 5D, petrol engine, 6 years old, made ready for the trip by Autoservis SAKU from Unhost (filled oil, general check) went really smooth. We did the total of 1383.5 km, with average consumption 6.6 litre/100 km (A/C all the way) and average speed 96 kph. We spent 7 hours on the way there, almost 8 hours back, we had more breaks coming home. We also had some German smoked meat products, but I have to admit that the sausages from the Wenceslas square are really better.
The last 400 km was tough on me. I had 3 cans of Red Bull with sugar and as somebody with diabetes I shouldn't have drunk that. The next day after the trip I was really tired, the age 53 could be felt, but it was worth it. We would like to thank to Williams F1 team for a warm welcome.
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