The start

There were a couple of minor issues with the car, but it was essentially ready to go as soon as it came out of the container. So the minutes before the race ewere pretty relaxed.





We wheeled the car out in preparation for getting it onto the starting grid.





Then everybody posed for a team photo:




...then it was out of pit lane onto the starting grid.





Then it was slotted into its starting position.




Colin, Paul, and Bill with their steed.





At this point, I raced up onto one of the better viewing places, but then the heavens released a few bolts of lightning followed by a torrent of rain. The start of the race was delayed for about 90 or so minutes until it settled down. I, and my camera, ended up drenched.



Many took this opportunity to change the tyres on the grid to wet weather tyres. As it turns out, this was a bad move, as the rain stopped and track dried out pretty quickly.