CAdani's rocking day in Rotterdam

By CAdani
August 22 2006

I left in the morning with my brother from Amsterdam by train to Rotterdam. The created street circuit was about 500 meters from the Central Station so it wasn't a long walk. When we came near the track there was still plenty room to find a nice spot for the day.

Spoke some folks that met Albers in the morning and where telling that he was going to drive mutiple cars besides his MF1 car, his plan was to burn down (not literally) all the cars to ashes.

We walked to the Paddock Tribune spots to see what was happening, most of the teams where prepairing there cars and they already showed that there was a good atmosphere already and where ready to rock the show. There was one thing which could infect the show and that where the big dark heavy clouds above Rotterdam.

Within a couple minutes later the first rain drops where already falling down. There where parts of the track that where very narrow and some wider parts for some donut action, at the end of the track you had the a big traffic rotary (roundabout) where the cars could turn and drive back to the beginning where the tribune's were.

We had chosen to watch the action at the narrow part of the track because at the wider spots you had alot of trees and boards that where spoiling the view. But when the heavy rain came down we searched a building to hide, there was still 1 hour to go but many people where standing on the first row to the fences and the rain didn't harm them, there where already concentrated on the track if there already cars where passing by, didn't want to give up there good spot, you can call it diehards or maybe idiots, but they made a good choice.

We waited a little bit to long so other spot was on second row, not a good spot for taking some good pictures. More and more fans hitted the track in spite of the heavy wheather, that should have motivated the drivers to give them a good effort from there side. At twelve o'clock there where sounds of a F1 car entering the track, Albers did a short shakedown with the M16. Half past one the show began, a old Bugatti Grandprix car from the early 1900 past the crowd with the prime minister on board, the city master/major and the organizer of the event. Then there where all sort of cars on to the track, From GT cars to Touring cars, Sports cars, Ferrari street cars, Corvette V8 etc, Christijan drove the DTM AMG car and Tiago was behind the wheel of a very beautiful blue Corvette. Heavy sounds from a BMW M3 and a V8 car where passing by.

Olav Mol was presenting the event through speakers and Jack Plooij did the interviews, first serious thing to come was the Demo of Tiago Monteiro.

I was very excited to see Tiago in his Midland so I used my elbows carefully to get some better view. The track was very wet so it would be a tricky ride for Tiago being the first driver on track.

The people who already have seen the MF1 car in real must agree with me that the colors and the design of the car are such a must to see. Tiago was carefully testing the abilties of the car in these track conditions, burnouts were not a option for Tiago to do cause it would not bring any smoke, so he was sliding the car around the track with a hand waving out of the cockpit. After two laps he tried a donut at the Hofplein but he stalled his engine, funny thing was that the pitcrew where on the beginning of the track and Tiago was standing still on the end. As always Tiago used his charms in this situation coming out of the car and waving to the crowd helding his arms up with a sign that he could do nothing about it.

10 minutes later the team arrived, in the 10 minutes the crowd did gave Tiago a warm welcome to Holland and showed their support. They started the engine and Tiago was on the way back with one arm outside the car swaying to the public. After Tiago's demo CA entered the track with the DTM car to drive some people around the circuit, time to make his words true.

After donuts and burnouts the AMG Mercedes stopped on the Hofplein, engine was overheated. After some minutes he made the car started again so he drove back to the starting point, car one was trashed.

Time for some F3 action, three Formula 3 cars entered the track. Still periods of rain, it was pulling umbrella's up and down but the end of the track was getting dryer so the F3 cars could make some good action over there. After the F3 demo it was time for Crazy JosTheboss to make the track unsafe. The organisators and municipality had set a limit of 120 km to guarantee the safty, most of the drivers did accepted that limit but not Jos. In a short time he was above the 200 km on the smallest part on the track, great to see, I looked at my brother and said,"Thats the Jos we know, always ignoring the limits and going his own way".

Jan Lammers (big name in Holland, one of owher best drivers from the past and team holder from the A1 GP netherlands team) also drove a black A1GP car, it was his first time in this car so it was a good effort turning the car around the track in these conditions. Jos gave a very good show away with donuts and burnouts at every street corner, and still have alot of fans in Holland. We walked a bit to get the blood flowing threw our legs and underway we saw suprisly more and more Midland Caps, Midland was really repesenting Rotterdam.

Also alot of Albers caps, I think the most popular cap in Holland, sold 40.000 of that cap in the last two years.

It was time for a Formula Renault Twoseater with a lucky winner onboard who was given the ride, also the Formula 1 saftycar of last year was entering the track, Behind the wheel Christijan Albers with the prime minister onboard. Our prime minister is known as a fan of cars and motorsport so he was at the right place sitting next to CA. Again CA showed his driving skills will all kind of tricks with the Saftycar, the prime minister was stunned how Christijan handled the car and had the drive of his life.

Where I was standing most of the time the cars where getting with a average speed (which is exciting when they drive above 200 like Jos did), but the public wanted to see Burnouts and starts on that point of track, CA answered that with a big smoky burnout. Now it was time for the talents for the future, the young bugs with the 125 cc karts getting there chance to bring up a show infront of 500.000 people.
That was going to be fun because of the fact that those young guys never had driven infront of such amount of people and the chance was big that there where going to be some funny mistakes in a young mind of pressure trying to show the best they can.

And indeed a guy parked his Kart into the wall after a too risky donut. The guy was mad at his self, why oh why must that happend but picked up his Kart and rejoined his partners, I think 8 Karts where on track, a big spectacle because they where doing some awesome **** with their Karts, one guy pulled a burnout without his two hands on the steering wheel. Another one hitted the wall at the hofplein, his ride was over.

CA was also on track with the saftycar leading the Karts and doing some last work on the car getting the car trashed up, and indeed there was not much left on the tires at the end and also the engine may not be in the same condition.

Our blond haired friend Nico Rosberg was making himself ready to give a show, sadly it would be the most poor show of the day (sorry Nico). He already said before the event that he'd rather be on the beach than in Rotterdam, after 2.5 laps of driving around with 1 single donut at the end the Williams show was over, the Cosworth engine did not a good job and outside the car Nico had alot of attention on his hair locks (your hair must always be joke) saying the casual things that it was nice but a little bit too risky.

Not long to go and Christijan would end the event with the promissed spectacle Midland demo. But first there where some historic Grandprix cars (really famous old classics) who gave a nice track view.

16.30 it was time for Christijan, before his demo the team told him that he was allowed to destroy the engine, you should not say that to CA!

Like a cowboy he entered the track searching for the track limits, we where still standing at the long narrow part. Again he understanded what we wanted to see on that part of the circuit, a really nice burnout with alot of smoke. He made some donuts on different parts on the track and he also speeded a very high speed on the straight part. Through the speaker a Midland engineer had told that Christijan had a suprise at the end on the HofPlein. That must be his helmet like he did last year. So we walked to the Hofplein (traffic rotary) to see what was going to happen. He entered the Plein and started a donut, not a single donut, not a double donut, but 9 times he spun his car around. The rubber was really flying of the tires. After 9 times the engine stopped and Christijan was climbing out of the car.

We where on the wrong side to be able to catch something. Public was going mad by enthusiasm and CA threw his helmet into the public, it was like throwing a peace of meat infront of some wild lions, in the evening I spoke somebody who catched the helmet but some people ripped it out of his hand and getting above him on the ground, the guy poorly injured some fingers. Back to the track, shortly after the Midland team arrived at the scene with a security track car. They enjoyed the party and they showed really enthusiasm, throwing caps into the public (Midland caps, CA caps) and where having a lot of fun, they where getting alot of cheering from the fans, the best repesentation that they could deliver, amazing!

They put a rope on to the M16 and drove backwards the circuit with Christijan sitting on the engine cover of the car. Men that was a good dessert for the day.
Beside the rain it was a awesome day with truly a big effort from the public, the drivers and the teams that where repesented.I am not nationalist, but a day like yesterday made me proud to be Dutch. A good family event, Father son trip (or as me brother and brother) and F1 and car racing is getting more and more populair by Women!

Also on the Albers forum and fanclub there a lot of girls being a fan, that's nice to see!

I would like to specially thank the Midland team, Christijan and Tiago and the organisators. Next year I will be there again, maybe with still Tiago and Christijan onboard.