The F1 swipe card turnstiles are installed and will be operable Thursday. Unlike many other grands prix, the Australian races have always been a four-day event, although Thursday is a national-only schedule. The entire weekend is quite busy, as is usual in Oz. Unlike the European and American venues, which have two or three support races at the most, Australia makes sure fans have something to experience from practically dawn to dusk. The 2006 support races include V8 Supercars, Cleanevent V8 Utes, Dodo Formula 3 (don't ask),
BMW Celebrity Race, Carrera Cup, Repco Historic Demonstrations and Grand Prix Rally Parades, BMW Track Attack, corporate go-karts and the Ultimate Speed Comparison.
The F1 drivers and teams are starting to arrive in Australia and in Melbourne. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER and wife CORINNA watched the closing ceremonies on Sunday night in Melbourne and then slipped away for more time off together elsewhere.
PAUL STODDART is in town, visible and voluble. He admits he misses
F1, but said that he is "sad to see that the politics are worse than they have ever been at any time".
"I had hoped we would get to a point where we would see a new Concorde Agreement signed and unity between the independents and the manufacturers and BERNIE ECCLESTONE and the banks, but sadly, at this time, we have MAD MAX [MOSLEY] back in charge. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out. I don't think this Friday will be the end of it....It will probably be the beginning, not the end."
