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The start of Historic F1 was just I was watching from the cafe, directly in line with the front row. Cars all over the place and they just start the race anyway!

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

0:40, strolling out of Ferrari like a boss
http://www1.skysports.com/formula1/video/12602/7880557

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

I hope tomorrow the weather is better than today. I'm not in the mood to watch red flags and SC's the whole race.

Thundery showers between 10am and 4pm. Hit and miss. Oh joy...

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Alonso was lucky the red flag came out. true. But conditions were fair for a red flag. Also true. They waited too long to restart Q2: true. Most undeserved pole in a long time? Not true. Alonso did a fantastic job in Q3. True.

I'd like to see a completely dry race. Hardly any dry running so far this weekend and the difference between soft and hard tyre interests me.

and the fact most teams probably have a wet set-up...

I do quite understand the Red Bull tyre priveledge. Are they saying that if on lap 8 tomorrow, Webber doesn't think it's time for slicks, but Vettel does, Webber stops Vettel from pitting, or Vettel will still be able to pit if he wants.

What nonsense. The red flag was needed, did Alonso get fortunate with the timing? Yup but then so did Schumacher and a few others who no ones is crying about.

It's not the drivers fault that the session was delayed as long as it was and when it mattered most they went out there and delivered. Tracks getting wetter and raining again and the top four all go quicker than before. Great qualifying despite the delay.

I went in 08, took 2 hours to get out of the car park on Sunday, 09 was 3 hours, last year was better as we used park and ride. I guess it depends on where they send you to park, but the same horrible incompetence lingers every year.

On the other hand, today was excellent and we were able to sit in a variety of places and the atmosphere was great even during red flag. Just a shame 20k others werent able to enjoy that.

Just got back home and about to dive into my Chinese takeaway!

I will report my day with some photos later.

Flooding in Walsall as well then.

For real? *goes and charges up my phone to text my girlfriend*

Now I just have finished my takeway meal, it was ok as someone cocked up my order. Argh, the frustration after looking forward to a meal of crispy duck with pancakes followed by a meal of sweet and sour chicken.

Never mind, went on the train from Cheltenham at 7.15 and arrived at Woodcote around 10.45 via two trains, shuttlebus and a trek through some muddy car parks.

Decided that my brother and I go to the Becketts grandstand as I want to see the cars up close. Plus what I didn't know that I could see the Arena section with the Aintree Straight as well as the Hanger Straight with Stowe Corner in the distance. We were pleased we got a covered grandstand seat.

Saw out the last 15mins of FP3 and the qualifying of the Porsche Cup. Then to the F1 qualifying, did see Schumacher spinning off at Becketts and I just saw Alonso spinning off, I did thought he hit the barriers but he got away with it. Same for Massa.

But the red flag period was frustrating as it was cold and windy inside the Becketts grandstand but my brother and I decided to entertain ourselves/pass the time by writing a list of the years from 1950 to 2011 and work out who were the British Grand Prix winners. I just managed to beat him as my 1970s and 1980s knowledge was pretty decent.

Finally the qualifying restarted and it was entertaining to watch. I was hoping Schumacher would get it as he was leading at one point but for only Alonso to get it at the end.

Finally we watched the GP2 Feature race and it was rather uneventful from where we sat. The only time when we woke up from the race when Stefano Coletti got out of shape coming out of Becketts and only to lose it at the start of the Hanger Straight.

Left immediately after the GP2 race, we got on the shuttlebus and train and got back to Cheltenham around 8.50pm. It was a good day as we sat at Becketts all day. We will go out and explore more tomorrow as we got more time in our hands.

I think the red flag was necessary. The problem I have is that 15 drivers have wasted a set of full wets for nothing, because the situation on track was much better after the red flag. I think they have to look again to this rule when it rains. Maybe they can decide that when the qualifying is at 25% of the session-time, there will be no red flag for bad weather, or a red flag means the qualifying is over?

It was the phrase "I'm going to dive into my Chinese takeaway" bigears. Sorry if I unduly concerned you.

some heavy showers around for the grand prix, but I think they will miss the circuit ... just.

Is it fair that Ferrari made completely the wrong call, and then end up with pole and an extra set of tyres? Sauber/Perez did the best job in Q2, and start way down the field. I don't see how that's fair?

The red flag probably was needed (although I'd argue that they should have just sat in the pits and let the clock tick away). What's nonsensical is that the session was restarted when conditions were far better than any point that laps were previously set. At least credit the teams that made the right call with some extra sets of wets.

That's good news but any light rain then?

Well said.

I think a bit of changeable weather today will be good as it least we won't have to sit and watch a tyre endurance run.

Yeah, I'm not denying that Alonso did the best job in Q3. I just don't think it's fair that he made it that far when the team had made the wrong decision.