Just got back from the 1st Turkish GP in Istanbul. Didn’t see much as to busy working, but the driving round Istanbul is scary. However the Turkish people were great and we were fast tracked through customs and visa fees were waived. We also seemed to have most of the Turkish forces providing security at the circuit.
Most teams opted to transport all the trucks on a ferry from Pendik in Turkey to Trieste in Italy. The voyage is about three days and the Truck drivers flew to Trieste to pick-up the trucks so they can drive them to Monza. As we double man our truck I just went to the docks and then flew back home via 12 hours in Budapest, which meant I could see it in day light, if you call low cloud and rain day light it was 40 degrees here three weeks ago.
nice pictures, and the ferry you put your truck on is well used by many turkish firms ,and as for the fast track with thepaper work and ever thing that goes with it, means some one some where got a nice back hander to ensure that there was no problems,
and budapest shame that the weather was not great as the town does have some nice spots to visit, when do we get to seee some more pictures as the ones posted were great,
COOL!!! Nice photos and hope you take more pics, mostly Turkish lorries going to European via Ferry - Trieste or Bari or Ancona (leave Greece first) better way than throu balkans country with problem customs or hijack and road condition bad, have a good time there!
The ferry was used by most teams to get the truck out to Turkey even though it would have been quicker to through Serbia and Bulgeria from Budapest. Only Toyota used that route for thier hospitality trucks, but they had a arranged Police escorts and customs clearance all the way.
You’re right the ferry is used by alot of Turkish Trucks and they sometimes fly the drivers home, so they get a break. But as there are probally several hundred trucks at an F1 meeting I doubt there’d be much room for anything else.
Don’t know about back handers for getting visa’s and customs clearence, I think it was sorted to avoid embaressment for Turkey, but prices seem to go up everywhere when the GP hits town, and at Budapest only one taxi firm is allowed to operate from the circuit, which is why it cost 50 euro to get into town.
good show muckles how pic’s from every grand prix i went to silverstone 3 years ago and spent most of the time looking at the trucks and the other half of the time was spent following the fosters girls!!!
i think you should change your user name to jammygit.
MAD28:
Great pics Muckles. That must be a excellent job
I really like the Redbull Scania’s love there colours.
Keep them coming
It’s is a good job, when we’re away all our expenses are paid, including food and drink and we always stay in hotels, never had to sleep in the cab.
But it is the most physically demanding jobs I’ve done, in Hungry we spent a week working in temperatures of 40 plus, I was drinking about 5 litres of water a day and during the race we wear fireproof overalls and crash helmets and have very little shelter from the sun in the pit lane, although Williams will let us into their garage, we always need to be ready for a car coming in.
Brit Pete:
You forgot the names and phone numbers,
And it’s not all partying with grid girls, only been to one party that was run by the porsche teams at Magny Cours. Although a load of lads from one of the other teams got invited to party on a boat in Monaco, because they were in team kit.
Kept those pics quiet, will show Mrs Snax, dont expect a quiet life
About time you grafted for a living my heart bleeds, free food free beer and loads of eye candy
oops forgot pics
muckles:
Ah! talking of grid girls. Couple of my pics from Barcelona,
Kept those pics quiet, will show Mrs Snax, dont expect a quiet life
About time you grafted for a living my heart bleeds, free food free beer and loads of eye candy
Pat Hasler:
I take it the Minardi team you photgraphed were last on the ferry
I reckon the cars didn’t finish the race as they beat Jordon, Ferrari, Williams etc, infact the only F1 team to beat them to the ferry was Toyota, That must have something to do with them being German and wanting to get the best seats on the plane.
eddie snax:
Kept those pics quiet, will show Mrs Snax, dont expect a quiet life
About time you grafted for a living my heart bleeds, free food free beer and loads of eye candy
Lets not forget the free hats, t shirts, Sunglasses, Kit Bags, Shoes and anything else that get liberated from the sponsors.
[/quote]
WoW Blimey When I first looked at this piccy and saw that bloke my false teeth almost shot straight into the monitor.
You know when people say that somewhere in the world there is a double of you, well I just saw mine The resemblance is so uncanny it’s scary. The only difference is he seems to have a bit of a bald patch up top whereas I shave mine voluntarily on a weekly basis as it still grows of its own free will. hehe
I’m not kidding you, it looks so much like me that I spent a good five minutes with my eyes right upto the monitor in an almost confused state thinking somebody was playing a trick.
I’ve just shown the pic to the missus without saying anything and the first thing she said was
What’ve you been getting upto then What you doin’ there
it was 40 degrees here three weeks ago.
Blimey 
What you doin’ there