Paddock Encounters

Ever met a driver? Have you come across a Formula One person of note?

 

Spill your guts here and share your stories.

 

This was prompted by a separate thread's discussion on Nelson Piquet which reminded me of both my own rare encounter with David Brabham, and my grandfather's airport tarmac argument with Stirling Moss. So, if you have anything interesting to share go ahead.

I got shoved out the way by Ralf Schumachers body guard. I hadn't even noticed him. Lewis Hamilton got out a car at Brands Hatch and I could've kissed him he was that close. Plenty drivers at Rockingham too. All were very pleasant except Max Papis who was a bit of a dick tbh. Not that I cared.

I've been fortunate to have met a few over the years.

Most memorable are Damon Hill, DC, Mansell, Patrick Head and Herbert back in the mid 90s. All were exceptionally warm, kind and had all the time in the world even to a kid.

00s I met Kubica, Massa, Jenson, Vettel, Murray Walker & Mario Thiessen who all again were very interactive to chatting fans.

Side memory I got the tips of my toes run over by Mika Hakkinen driving Norbert Haug at Spa 95 as he screeched into the paddock. My dad pulling me back probably saved a lawsuit lol.

My mum and sister just met Bottas and Zhou this morning. My sister is a huge Zhou fan, so she's over the moon.

Have run into many drivers in Montreal during the GP weekend over the years. The most memorable by far was in about 2010… I’ve attended that race with my mom for 20+ years and we were having dinner in a very nice restaurant in the oldest part of the city. My mom has been following the sport since the 60s and idolized Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart growing up.

I’m facing the restaurant entrance and noticed a small man with a tartan hat come in to join a table across the room. It was Jackie Stewart having dinner with his son and a couple others. We debated whether we should do anything since approaching a celebrity in public is usually an annoyance. We decided to call over their waiter and send them another bottle of whatever wine they’d ordered. Luckily it wasn’t too expensive!

Anyway, when their waiter told Jackie and co, Jackie stood up and gestured for us to come over. He was super gracious and thanked us for the gesture and asked about our weekend. My mom was giddy and mentioned how he and Jimmy were her heroes when she was younger, he said something about feeling the same way about Jimmy. She gave him her card, we all shook hands, and left the restaurant.

A couple weeks later, my mom received an envelope from Scotland. In it was a letter on his own letterhead thanking her for the wine, and a signed 8x10 print of Jackie sliding a Tyrell around Monaco in ‘73 addressed to my mom. It’s now framed and hangs on my wall. Really a special moment and a class act by Jackie.

Have run into many drivers in Montreal during the GP weekend over the years. The most memorable by far was in about 2010… I’ve attended that race with my mom for 20+ years and we were having dinner in a very nice restaurant in the oldest part of the city. My mom has been following the sport since the 60s and idolized Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart growing up.

I’m facing the restaurant entrance and noticed a small man with a tartan hat come in to join a table across the room. It was Jackie Stewart having dinner with his son and a couple others. We debated whether we should do anything since approaching a celebrity in public is usually an annoyance. We decided to call over their waiter and send them another bottle of whatever wine they’d ordered. Luckily it wasn’t too expensive!

Anyway, when their waiter told Jackie and co, Jackie stood up and gestured for us to come over. He was super gracious and thanked us for the gesture and asked about our weekend. My mom was giddy and mentioned how he and Jimmy were her heroes when she was younger, he said something about feeling the same way about Jimmy. She gave him her card, we all shook hands, and left the restaurant.

A couple weeks later, my mom received an envelope from Scotland. In it was a letter on his own letterhead thanking her for the wine, and a signed 8x10 print of Jackie sliding a Tyrell around Monaco in ‘73 addressed to my mom. It’s now framed and hangs on my wall. Really a special moment and a class act by Jackie.

How cool! Can we see it?

Have run into many drivers in Montreal during the GP weekend over the years. The most memorable by far was in about 2010… I’ve attended that race with my mom for 20+ years and we were having dinner in a very nice restaurant in the oldest part of the city. My mom has been following the sport since the 60s and idolized Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart growing up.

I’m facing the restaurant entrance and noticed a small man with a tartan hat come in to join a table across the room. It was Jackie Stewart having dinner with his son and a couple others. We debated whether we should do anything since approaching a celebrity in public is usually an annoyance. We decided to call over their waiter and send them another bottle of whatever wine they’d ordered. Luckily it wasn’t too expensive!

Anyway, when their waiter told Jackie and co, Jackie stood up and gestured for us to come over. He was super gracious and thanked us for the gesture and asked about our weekend. My mom was giddy and mentioned how he and Jimmy were her heroes when she was younger, he said something about feeling the same way about Jimmy. She gave him her card, we all shook hands, and left the restaurant.

A couple weeks later, my mom received an envelope from Scotland. In it was a letter on his own letterhead thanking her for the wine, and a signed 8x10 print of Jackie sliding a Tyrell around Monaco in ‘73 addressed to my mom. It’s now framed and hangs on my wall. Really a special moment and a class act by Jackie.

What a lovely story. The thrill for your mom, your gracious consideration of Jackies personal space, and Jackie’s grand gift to your mother.

 

Thank-you so much for sharing.

 

It gives me the warm fuzzies to go with my coffee.

Of the drivers I have met, I found JYS to be the most suprisingly nice, if that isn't damning with faint praise. I kind of expected the likes of Tony Brooks and Dario Franchitti to be nice (and indeed they were), but I met JYS in a crowded situation with everybody vying for his attention and he was more considerate with every individual than he needed to be.

Expounding on my own little stories:

 

I once did work where there was a requirement to sometimes be out of the office giving customers a ride to various places. One morning I was checking the daily activities and noticed the name 'David Brabham' on the daily schedule and so gave the number a call to organize things. Lo and behold, it was the man himself and we spent a good 30 minutes driving through the Berkshire countryside chewing the fat about all and sundry in the motorsport world. Down to earth guy, and when I told him about what I believed was the first Formula One race I watched, he called his wife and told her about this and that he had finished 6th in that race (among other things, which included a shopping list from Morrisons. Told you he was down to earth...).

 

A different second hand story involves my grandfather. Back in the 50's and 60's he was an engineering manager with BEA and BOAC before going on to look after operations in various cities around the world for BA. He always enjoyed telling me of the time he was in Lisbon, sometime around the late 50's I think. An aircraft was being loaded for departure back to London and he got a call about a piece of cargo and a rather irate owner. The owner was Stirling Moss, and the offending cargo was his car which had been placed in what I'll call section A of the hold. Stirling wanted the car to be placed in section B, except section B was directly over the emergency hatch for the landing gear (don't quote me on the inner workings of Viscounts and DeHavillands - I'm not an expert). This request was both dangerous and illegal.

 

Along comes Mr. Everett, grand overseer of BOAC's engineering in Lisbon, who explains to Moss why the car can't be placed in a position which would potentially endanger the flight. As he puts it, Moss was "calling me every name under the sun, explaining to me how incompetent I was". My grandfather wasn't really the type to get flustered or lash out, rather he would calmly listen and then do what he wanted anyway. And it was ever thus. The car was placed exactly where the airline decided it was going to be placed, and from that day forth whenever Moss appeared on TV my grandad would chuckle and call him an absolute fool.

I was in the paddock, Barcelona 2020 pre season tests.

It'd be easier to list who I didn't meet

Met Dario, Karun and Pestrana last weekend

00s I met Kubica, Massa, Jenson, Vettel, Murray Walker & Mario Thiessen who all again were very interactive to chatting fans.

Mario Theissen has fans?

Edited by PlatenGlass, 02 July 2022 - 12:35.

Once met Mark Webber in Istanbul airport walking directly against me. Since I hate to encroach I just winked very obviously and he winked back. And that's my closests encounter that I remember/know of. But since I was karting in the early eighties and there were quite a lot of Nordic races, I must have crossed path with some of the F1 Finnish drivers. Which is why I exclude Jan Magnussen, TomK and Jason Watt as they were a constant fixture and had plenty to do with them. Not least after I graduated to official.....

I did a tour of the Renault factory pre-season in 2009 when I was part of an F1 in Schools team. Had a really nice time having a look around, getting to hold bits of car, chatting to the mechanics. Even got to nose around Flavio's office! Everyone there was very accomodating. We were having a look at the new 2009 cars (before they were launched, which was exciting!) when a certain Nelson Piquet Jr. came down to the shop floor. He wandered over to within earshot and then said "why are these kids here?" to someone. The tour guide asked Nelson to come over and speak to us briefly... and he rather emphatically said "no" before wandering off on his phone. None of us were particularly displeased when he got the axe later that season.

 

Speaking of Brazilians, I (literally) bumped into Emerson Fittipaldi at Brands Hatch during the A1GP race one year. He apologised (even though I'm pretty sure it was my fault) and we chatted briefly. I was with my father, who was at Penske when Emerson was there, and recognised him. Told me that he'd met me before as a baby - obviously I couldn't remember, but it was nice to see Emmo recognised my father after 15 years or so. (I'd also supposedly met Paul Tracy and Mr. Penske himself, but again - too young to remember!)

 

Met Heikki Kovalainen at Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands when he was at McLaren. Nice guy as well, but 15-year-old me was slightly disappointed that he wasn't Lewis Hamilton.

 

Raced against a couple of F1 drivers whilst sim racing, but not sure that really counts!

Met Jackie Stewart at FOS- my wife and then only son were in a backstage area before an interview, so had a bit of time with him. We watched the hill climb on the tv, and he played with my boy, who was only one at the time. Lovely chap!

I supplied a tractor to the Goodwood members meeting for an interview between Ed Foster and DC- met DC there, he seemed like a nice guy but was having to cram lunch down so I didn’t disturb him too much.

Spannered on a classic racing car a few times, the drivers of which were Nicolas Minassian and Anthony Reid. Anthony Reid is a proper laugh, drinks like a fish and just loves cars, really good fun to talk to. Nicolas was lovely, and mental in the rain.

Jackie Stewart and family were in the row in front of us at Twickenham for a Genesis concert in 07.

 

Before it started two random blokes came and sat in the two seats to the right of Jackie....Then Paul Stewart and other half turned up and asked them to move as they were in their  seats.

 

Words were exchanged and Jackie then got up and actually said the whole cringe "dont you know who I am" thing to them whilst pointing and jabbing his finger at them.. At this point Paul returned with some security who got the people in the wrong seats to move. Jackie was crimson in the face at this point and visibly shaking with anger and then went off somewhere (presumably to some celeb lounge) - not to return until halfway through the show

 

Also briefly met Jenson Button at his book signing in a Waterstones in 2010. 

I've been to a bunch of IndyCar races and a handful of sports car races, so I have met dozens of F1 drivers in various paddocks over the years. My best story involved Cristiano da Matta. He won the 2005 Champ Car race at Portland, giving Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser's team their first victory. After the race, a friend and I wandered down to the hospitality area, where we saw a happy Kalkhoven perched on a chair at the entrance to the team's hospitality unit. We congratulated him on the victory, and since he was part-owner of the struggling series, I let him know that I flew across the country from North Carolina to Portland specifically for the race. After expressing his shock that I did that, he turned around, asked a team member to "get my friends some beer," and invited us in to celebrate with the team. We got to listen to the speeches, meet the drivers and drink the champagne!

I’ve never met another driver…
I would have wanted to meet Schumacher and Senna.

I’m fortunate to have worked with a couple outside of ‘the paddock’, JYS being a highlight, however on my first visit to a GP (Silverstone) I was allowed to cross the road with my father by Ross Brawn (in a Ferrari 550? Can’t remember) and on the same day, standing behind Murray Walker and Martin Brundle as they did a piece to camera, very surreal hearing THAT voice right next to you. Good times.

Edited by IrvTheSwerve, 03 July 2022 - 07:08.

I’ve never met another driver…
I would have wanted to meet Schumacher and Senna.

Hook yourself up with Mick and Bruno.

Hook yourself up with Mick and Bruno.

Haha touché.

Back when we had mid season testing, I would get good access courtesy of various contacts within teams.

Thinking about it, the last time was probably 2013 with Force India at Silverstone. Spent a while talking to their reserve at the time, Conor Daly, about his recent Indy500 debut that I also spectated at. Flicked through all the pictures he took on his phone during the month, it was a pretty cool insight. 

 

What about Hulkenberg on the sofa that time Peat? Or have I just doxxed you lol

When I was young (11 or 12 years old perhaps), I met a German boy named Sebastian on a summer holiday in a Dutch place. He was my age, maybe a year younger or older than me. We hung out a lot (football, beach, bikes, midget golf, Playstation,...) for one or two weeks, until he and his family returned to Germany. We didn't exchange numbers, probably because it wasn't common for kids to have mobile phones back then. Years later, I saw Vettel being successful at Red Bull. I was so certain Vettel was the boy I had met that summer that I called my cousin who at the time had seen Sebastian as well. He didn't remember. Also, I couldn't recall Sebastian telling me about a karting passion - Sebastian Vettel surely would have, I reckon.

 

Years later, though, I stumbled upon an interview with Vettel in which he mentioned having been on holidays in that very same place. Now I'm a believer

Many many years ago, I somehow got chatting to James Hunt at in the paddock at Brands Hatch.  Then Ronnie Peterson turned up and we all had a long chat, although for the life of me, I cannot remember anything that any of us said.  All very natural, just three young blokes having a gossip.

 

At the Silverstone F1 tyre test that they used to have, I was in the pit-lane with a friend who had brought a new golf club for Derek Warwick (who was an investor in his golf company).  But Nigel Mansell noticed us, or rather he noticed the club, and before we knew it, he had whisked it off to the back of the paddock 'to have a try'.  We never saw it again.

 

At the Birmingham Super Prix, I had accompanied the same friend who had an 'in' through his Derek Warwick connection.  There weren't enough passes for us, but Derek gave me his wife's pass as she hadn't come to the race.  So I spent the day wearing a badge saying that I was Mrs Rhonda Warwick.  Nobody ever noticed. 

If Piquet ever said that Warwick's wife looked like a man we could maybe cut him some slack for that one then.

 

He looked at me!

 

2010.

 

Let's see:

 

Niki Lauda in Germany.

MSC and ROS

Laps with Robert Wickens

Partied with DC.  Absolute party animal.

Norbert Haug.  Absolute party animal and will take his turns on the wheels of steel.

Paul DiResta

Patrick Tambay.  Lovely gentleman.

Zak Brown

Ross Brawn, nee, Ross Brown

 

Still have MSCs autograph on my living room coffee table.

As a kid I was lucky enough to be around in the years prior to the official Tasman series. My father had been one of the founders of the Christchurch based Motor Racing Club - which ran the Wigram meeting. We always worked at that meeting so it was an annual highlight. Over the years i met Brabham, Moss, Clark both Hills - G and P, Surtees, Innes Ireland and many more. Years later when I was involved in racing old motorcycles, Surtees came out here and rode. I had a long chat with him about the old Wigram days, a very nice man indeed.

When I was 11, at the Hungaroring in 2001, we were at this McLaren fan thing and lol, I was never a McLaren fan. Especially then.

So I told David Coulthard to his face that I can't support his endeavors as I dislike Ron Dennis and how the vibe of the team was. David did not really enjoy that but Mika sure did and cracked some jokes at David's and Ron's expense. Laughter was had. Mika is cool. David, not that much. 

Met quite a few at Thruxton during the much missed Easter Monday F2 meetings.

 

Ones I can remember:  Vittorio Brambilla, Larry Perkins, Rad Dougal, Rene Arnoux, Patrick Tambay, Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Maurizio Flammini, Alex Ribeiro, Eddie Cheever, Brian Henton, Derek Warwick, Mike Thackwell, Manfred Winkelhock, Marc Surer, Bruno Giacomelli. The only 2 of those who didn't drive in a Grand Prix were Dougal and Flammini but both won their races at Thruxton. Of those Flammini was the nicest and very happy to speak to a kid whilst Cheever was a bit up his own arse.

Edited by LittleChris, 02 July 2022 - 20:51.

Met Mario Andretti at some impromptu signing thing in a bar on crescent street back in 2008? It looked like it was just randomly decided to do a signing and someone was advertising it through a bullhorn in the street, I heard her, went in, no one was there. Mario was at the far end. After a few minutes of just standing he waved at me to come over, we had a nice chat, talked about racing, how my dad introduced me to the sport, that he was a mechanic that could have gone on to have a job in Motorsports (he was offered numerous jobs as head mechanic for formula Atlantic teams back in the 80-90’s) and how our household where always supporters of Andretti’s family. A very warm, kind, sweet man, it never occurred to ask for anything signed, we just chatted, and as I was about to leave he said, hold on, let me sign some stuff for your dad, so he proceeded to pull out some pictures that he then wrote a nice note adressed to my dad thanking him for his support throughout the years. A gentleman.

Down to earth guy, and when I told him about what I believed was the first Formula One race I watched, he called his wife and told her about this and that he had finished 6th in that race (among other things, which included a shopping list from Morrisons. Told you he was down to earth...).

 

I guess he should call his wife about a shopping list. Considering he remembers scoring points he never scored! 

A friend of a friend was (might still be) a cameraman in the F1 paddock. I got into the paddock at the 2012 Australian GP. Took a few snaps, didn't speak to anyone but saw plenty of drivers and staff etc. Almost took a perfect photo of Jenson

 

 

 

 

 

I tried to charm him into letting me go again at other races I've been to but sadly it was a 1 time deal.

I grew up in the North East, but my family were from the South so every single holiday - summer, half term, Christmas, we went straight back down to a village called Shipton Bellinger, which just happens to be across the fields from Thruxton. So especially over those summers, my cousin and I (with the help of some older kids) used to constantly sneak in and just wander around whenever there was a race meeting. Thing is, I don’t remember much about encountering drivers because we tried to keep a fairly low profile. And to be honest, I’m not sure I’d recognise who was a driver and who wasn’t, particularly in the British F3, club meetings etc. But we used to be able to get right up to the cars to the point (in the club meetings anyway) where you could literally open the door and sit in the drivers seat - on plenty of occasions I’m sure I probably could have started the ignition and driven off if I’d a) known how, or b) fancied being arrested.

In 1998 though we managed to get in more ‘officially’ and I met a whole bunch of BTCC drivers and observe them all day. I remember Derek Warwick was lovely, couldn’t do enough for the fans, but his team-mate John Cleland had a face like thunder and looked really bad tempered with this air of “approach me and I’ll destroy you”. Jason Plato, constantly chain-smoking round the side of the garage, I remember being quite surprised that ‘elite sportsmen’ would do that but hey. The best though, easily, was Tim Harvey who just went out of his way to chat with people and must have knackered his facial muscles from smiling so much. That Peugeot 406 was a shitbox too so extra kudos for smiling through that. John Bintcliffe came across as a really nice guy too. I wish I’d met Will Hoy because I always really liked him and obviously he died only a couple of years later.

Ultimately, as a 12 year old or so, it didn’t put me off at all and reinforced my idea that racing drivers were heroic.

Another wee story. At Rockingham when the Champ Car race was on we went to speak to Dario but it was absolutely mobbed so stood at the side. We saw Marino at the back of the garage so shouted to get his attention. A mechanic said to us "thats not Dario" and he laughed and said "they know". He came over and chatted for a while and when we asked for his autograph he opened his jacket to use his gold pen. He said he'd been waiting for the opportunity to use it. So down to earth and funny.

I've been in the paddock a couple times at test sessions and most people behave with respect, Then you get guys like this. No wonder the drivers keep to themselves or run.
 

Back in the day when I was nicknamed 'badger' (sewn on badges on a jacket!) by the guy that worked on the gate at Brands Hatch, I was able to sneak into the main Paddock for the August F2 race.  Seeing Ronnie Peterson chatting with Niki Lauda under the old 'cow shed' paddock covers, I took a picture with my Kodak Instant camera and was amazed that they both posed for it!  Whilst the photo came out the front, then shaking it waiting for it to develop, they both took interest.  Once it was dry I asked if they would sign the back of it. Ronnie asked which of the teams I supported (on my jacket). I said all of them and they both had a laugh.  I still have the pic somewhere.

I guess he should call his wife about a shopping list. Considering he remembers scoring points he never scored! 

I was going to say that in hindsight he might've been taking the piss - he was definitely taking the piss!

Where is sith when ya need him ?
Jp

How cool! Can we see it?

 

Missed this but yes! 

 

Edited by Dan333SP, 05 July 2022 - 12:55.

Also just remembered another one... in 2011 I was just getting into cycling, and I signed up for a Gran Fondo event in Miami where I'm from and lived at the time. Turns out Jenson Button was a guest of honor and I ended up riding with him for a bit and catching a photo at the finish, I've tastefully cropped myself out since at the time I was a newbie and looked like an idiot with my helmet and glasses on. Was especially cool because I'd seen him win the Canadian GP in thrilling fashion a few months before, and got to chat with him about that. 

 

Missed this but yes! 

 

This is wonderful! What a treasure and thanks so much for sharing!

Had conversations with:

 

Gordon Shedden

Matt Neal

 

Paul di Resta

Otmar Sznafeur

 

David Coulthard

 

Dario Franchitti

 

Jenson Button

Kevin Magnussen

Mika Hakkinen

Lewis Hamilton

 

Sir Jackie Stewart

Wasn’t in the paddock, but I feel I should wax lyrical about the time I bumped into Lewis in London



He didn’t complain once, even though hundreds of folk were taking photos with him. Top bloke. Doesn’t talk a lot though.

What about Hulkenberg on the sofa that time Peat? Or have I just doxxed you lol

 

Ah, but the thread is about encounters in the Paddock. 

F1 drivers in the wild..... well that's for another thread.

Edited by Peat, 05 July 2022 - 13:25.

Missed this but yes! 

 

Love his choice of pic. It couldn't be more Monaco and 70's unless you wrote "THIS IS MONACO IN THE 70'S" in bold letters on it.

Let's see:

 

Niki Lauda in Germany.

MSC and ROS

Laps with Robert Wickens

Partied with DC.  Absolute party animal.

Norbert Haug.  Absolute party animal and will take his turns on the wheels of steel.

Paul DiResta

Patrick Tambay.  Lovely gentleman.

Zak Brown

Ross Brawn, nee, Ross Brown

 

Still have MSCs autograph on my living room coffee table.

 

Jealous

Jealous

It was a good trip and 2 weeks in Europe.  

 

I almost forgot one:  Mattia Binotto and in this case when I mean meet it means I saw them entering the tunnel at CoTA after I walked back to my SUV having left my cellphone in the car.  I have a great picture of him turning his head and ignoring me because I was wearing Mercedes kit.

 

Forgot Susie Stoddard before she became Susie Wolff. 

Edited by MKSixer, 06 July 2022 - 02:41.

Peed next to DC in the VIP area of a festival some 15 years ago. 

Interviewed Keke , Christian Danner    and Ralf S.  .

 

But my personal highlight was a couple of words with Dan Gurney when he was in Spa in 2007.