This is my experience when hearing (you’re right, hearing, not watching) the Australian Grand Prix 2012 in Albert Park, Melbourne.
Yeah, due to the global crisis I can’t afford any kind of tickets stated in this link this link, so I prefer to hear the qualifying and follow real time qualifying tweet from @F1grid. So put my ears and eyes on! The F1 cars are there, behind those fences.
There are many spectators from rooftops from surrounding building. One information said that the F1 committee gave surrounding citizens/offices/local bureaucrats compensation ticket for the noise that was made during the event. The F1 committee also book certain rooftops in one of the surrounding building for regular people to see the F1, also for compensation.
I wish to have one T______T
Luckily it is sunny, rather than rainy in the Friday practice. When I was walking on the Queens Road (see map here, I can see people gathered in the Lome Street intersection, I don’t know why but seems it is the best spot to “hear” the F1 cars, because we are between turn 12 and 13. (See the circuit diagram here).
The qualifying also presented a jet fighter, flying around Albert Park and gave its soundwave :p
When the qualifying session began, the loudness is awesome! It reached maximum 102 db measured using Decibel 10 app from my iPhone and I’m standing 20 metres from the track!
Most of the listeners only hear for 10-15 minutes, but me? Haha, I’m waiting until the qualifying session ended.
While I’m listening, I saw some nasty viewers trying to climb the fence; at first it’s quite comfortable,
untill suddenly police car came! At first the police only warn those violators. The illegal spectators are leaving, the police left but a few stay...
And he met a friend.
No more police, lets watched it again....
But..., the police car came again! A person got busted! And one is having a loong conversation and the police officer hands out some papers to write. I dont know what actually happened, this image was taken candid.
And the qualifying was done! Hamilton, Button and Grosjean are the top three drivers.
Its a great experience to see the qualifying (from twitter) and heard the voice, live :)