2011 Grand Prix Diary Part 3: China

Leppert
Grand Prix-Diary 2011 Part 3: China
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A uf the last minute she made herself auto motor und sport crew on their way from Malaysia to unloved China. When I arrived I had to think about my chaotic Formula 1 premiere last year. At that time we were stuck in Shanghai because the Eyjafjallajökull volcano wrapped us in ashes. This time only the smog wanted to restrict our view. It was ubiquitous even on the route outside of Shanghai.

Anglers in the paddock

That didn't exactly make the paddock more popular with journalists. Because it is so spacious, you may not even see some drivers at the weekend. For that we met an angler. The individual hospitality houses of the teams are surrounded by water and in the middle of it a Chinese man sailed around with his little boat. Whatever he might be looking for in the pool (lucky coins? Old socks? A treasure?), He made a bizarre picture with his life jacket. And TV chef Horst Lichter was not deterred either and attended the race in the Far East.

One of my personal China highlights was the first visit to the Paddock Club. Journalists are normally not allowed in there, but my colleague Benoit vom Schweizer Blick is now part of the Formula 1 inventory with more than 600 Grand Prix races and invited me to a short visit. Upper-class Formula 1 fans enjoyed themselves high above the racetrack. A ticket for the VIP area costs several thousand euros.

F1 drivers loot the Nike store

From a sporting point of view, Lewis Hamilton in particular attracted attention. The Brit won the China Grand Prix and thus temporarily ended Sebastian Vettel's dominance. The Heppenheimer stood out not only with his pole position, but also with his new shoes. Many drivers lived next to the Nike store in Shanghai. With the result that in addition to Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg also wandered around in the paddock with the trendy, colorful Nike Free.

I was able to get an idea of ​​the Nike shop on the Monday after the race. Because our plane didn't leave until late in the evening, I used the time for a short visit to the city center. A stroll along the Bund, the promenade of the Huangpu River, was a must.

Small world in Shanghai

But I also roamed the alleys and had to learn that a butcher in Shanghaiworks differently than in Germany. The meat is not sold there in glass counters, but simply hangs on the roadside and just dangles on it with various mosquitoes and other flying objects.

Mega cities work a little differently. How small the world is, on the other hand, became apparent during my visit to Starbucks in the middle of the 23 million inhabitant city, where I stumbled upon a colleague

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