We came and saw him conquer - eventually

The following eyewitness report and photos of Johnny's victory at the Nürburgring are by Carole-Aisthorpe-Buckley. She enjoyed it even more than we did!

We had intended to make the trip to Germany part of our holiday and to take in the European Grand Prix. We decided to camp and after last years experience at Spa with a 2 man tent we took the trailer tent that had been gathering dust in the garage for the last couple of years.  

We arrived at Camping Nürburgring in Mullenbach on Monday. It is right next to the track and in a forest. The instructions we got after booking in was to park where we wanted. After a while we choose what we thought would be a quiet spot by a stream. :-) That night the noise of 100000000000000 plus plus plus watt amplifiers broke the tranquility of the camp site. The music was mainly heavy rock but now and again the sound of the Smurfs and The Final Countdown rang out. The German National anthem was heard a few times as well. Also Ibiza Anthems were quite popular. Peter slept through most of it with the help of ear plugs and a few beers. Actually, the amount of beer drunk out of cans that week is in direct proportion to the National Debt. Bloody millions. Having set the tent up we erected our flag poles at each corner of the tent.  Go Johnny Go and a Ferrari emblem (Pete's).

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent sight seeing and playing golf but Wednesday night following a day of increasing number of campers/F1 fans heralded an even more noisy and spectacular night. The fireworks which were continually being set off was ear splitting. As Thursday dawned it was apparent that space in the site was virtually non existent and caravans/campers were parking up on the road. Don't under estimate the Germans. We left a small space in front of the tent and a hedge to get in and out and next thing we knew, a German was negotiating parking his camper there!!! He won.

Thursday was spent around the track and in the evening a party was going on in the top arena with even more beer being drunk.

Friday saw the first of the Practice rounds. We had purchased a general ticket over the 3 days. It was in a selected area unlike Belgium where you were allowed to roam the circuit circumference. The good thing was though that the area didn't become overcrowded like Spa. Johnny was running quite smoothly and didn't have any problems that we were aware of. Friday night saw another party but by this time the hellraisers were getting tired by 2am and by 3 it was pretty quiet. During the early morning my 'Go Johnny Go' flag was stolen. Flag pole and all. As you can imagine I was inconsolable. We had a quick look for it thinking that the person was after the flag pole not the flag but to no avail. Still I had my 'Go Johnny Go' banner that Pete had sprayed that week (in genuine British Racing Green green). 

We went to the Saturday practice and qualifying. I couldn't believe it when his car packed in on the first lap out for qualifying. What else could go wrong? As it ended up all was well. When Johnny finally emerged in the 'T' car he immediately set the 2nd fastest time. They didn't mention that on the telly did they? The track was fast drying now and the times were tumbling. Johnny's times were very competitive but the track dried out quickly and with the end approaching fast he finally put in a time that just pipped Rubens. 14th fastest is about average this year so we weren't to disappointed.

On the way back to the camp site we stopped off and tried to purchase a replacement flag. All I could get was a St George's Cross. I could have had a Damon Hill flag by the bucket load.

We actually overslept on the race morning. At Spa if you weren't on the track side by 06h00 then you didn't get a good place. We got up at 6 and were out of the tent by ten past. We walked quickly to the circuit and hardly met a soul on the way. We turned the corner to our entrance and there were millions of Germans waiting to get in. They were just stood there, QUIETLY QUEUING!!! We couldn't believe it. Very orderly. At 7 the gates opened and in we got. We ran up to the enclosure and got a spot by the fencing at the top of the spectator banking. We clipped our banner to the fence and put up the flags and settled down to wait.

There was a steady flow of people arriving all morning. At about 11 a group of late comers dressed for anywhere but a race track stood behind us on the other side of the enclosure fencing presumably so as not to get their shoes dirty on the grass. He started to unclip the banner and I thought Peter was going to star the 3rd war. However we took the rest of the banner down as there was not much else we could do. We watched the drivers parade and Johnny was stood with Alex.

Well the race started eventually and after the first corner accident, which thankfully left Pedro with no more than bruises and Johnny still in the race, we settled down to the first 30 laps of steady racing. Pete was getting quite excited with the duel between Eddie and Fisichella.

The race progressed and it was beginning to look like a possibility but dare I think of it. Fisichella fell by the way side, the fiasco of a Ferrari pit stop and Ralf's unfortunate puncture. Suddenly Johnny was in the lead. On and on and in for another unscheduled pit stop. 6.2 seconds and out again. With 10 laps or so to go and 22 seconds ahead of Trulli and Peter now cheering on Johnny we were yelling to Johnny to take it easy. No need to thrash the car just drive smoothly and don't push your luck. 

At long last he was on his last lap and then there was the chequered flag. I went berserk. Jumping up and down like a demented kangaroo. Pete got the banner out and we held it high. It read Go Johnny Go, Hi Bob & Jane, Dorset U.K. It was on the Silver Screen but when we got home ITV hadn't shown it. Neither, more importantly, had they shown the interview. Absolutely unforgivable.

Well, after the race it was a bit of an anti-climax. Fans kept coming over and congratulating me for his win. It was fantastic. We wandered over to the pit straight later and again it was a bit of an anti-climax. The pits were being stripped down with fervour and all the glitz which surrounds a Grand Prix weekend had suddenly vanished.

The following day we returned to the now quiet and fan deserted circuit and walked round the empty pit area. The hospitality suites were being stripped down.  There were masses of flowers cast aside which, 48 hours ago, were in bloom. Hundreds of empty wine bottles awaiting collection. We walked over to the podium area and without hesitation walked in, up 2 flights of stairs and through a door marked "Rostrum". We were there. Standing on the same podium as Johnny had done less than 12 hours ago. I swam in the same bit of damp carpet as Rubens had done and I took a small flower from the arrangement for pressing later. Peter popped down to the track to take my picture. Unfortunately the back poster had gone but, apart from Johnny, Rubens, Trulli and Jackie, it was as it was. 

Back down stairs we found a printout of the start line up with the drivers names along with their respective Marshall's stuck to a glass pane. No one seemed to bother as we took it down. During our walk about the previous evening we passed a lot of race fans who were scouring the track for mementoes. As we passed the barriers at the end of the pit lane in between them was a tear-off visor. What a find! Maybe, just maybe it could have come from Johnny's helmet.  Well there is a 22 to 1 chance wasn't there?

Eventually we tore ourselves away and drove off to Belgium where we wanted to spend a few days around Spa. Whilst we were there at the L'Eau Rouge camp site, Stavelot, the owners told us the good news that Spa is to be included in next year's calendar. Hands off Bernie, Spa will be around long after you've gone.

Congratulations Johnny and thanks for giving all your adoring fans who remained faithful to you your best win to date.