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what a week
Pierre Vella
Pierre
Vella, Net TV's Formula 1 expert and financial controller of a daily
newspaper, tells Ramona Depares about the first Formula 1 week of
the season
Monday:
I love this quiet part of the day when I'm still in bed and I plan
the whole day's timetable: meetings, appointments, events…
It is so important to get the flow of what you are going to do even
before you start doing. Today's life is so rushed that twenty-four
hours are simply not enough and if you're not organised you end
up not accomplishing anything!
Dropped Roberta, my thirteen–year–old, to school as usual
and drove to the office. My main profession is that of financial
controller with Allied Newspapers and I use the time until I get
to the office to listen to the news on radio. Being Valletta, I
always manage to bump into someone during the short walk from my
car to the office: being on TV means that I am constantly stopped
by people who I have never met. I find it embarrassing when I can't
remember who someone is, I end up sheepishly asking where I know
them after some ten minutes of polite conversation – only to
finally discover that I do not know them at all and that they simply
enjoy watching me on telly! But I have to admit that I hate talking
about cars so early in the morning.
As soon as I got back home after work, barely giving me time to
park my car in the garage, I heard the phone ringing. Naturally
it was for me, people seem to have an antenna or something to sense
the exact minute I put my foot through the door. Luckily both my
son and daughter can tell from my eyes whether I'm ‘available'
or not. My wife expects me to have dinner as soon as I get back
from work, not spend ages replying to questions on the phone, and
I can't say I blame her.
Tuesday:
In the evening had my usual fifteen minute slot on Education 22,
related to Formula 1 of course. My slot happens in the evening,
between 6.30 and 7, and the main purpose is to get the youngsters.
I have an arrangement with schools to cover certain topics such
as discipline and teamwork and how they affect Formula 1 races.
Then I connect them to the class environment. Great fun…
One of my greatest passions is meeting people, in fact I always
say that the worst thing that could happen to me would be to be
stranded on a desert island on my own. Not that I do not like to
have some time for myself, but as a rule I love people and I always
try to learn something from friends and acquaintances.
A case in point is one of my colleagues: he is seventy-two years
old and he's so full of life! He usually spends some 15 minutes
in my office and in that short space of time he fills me in on everything.
A brilliant release valve.
Wednesday:
Met someone on my way to work (as usual) who told me he never used
to like Formula 1 before but now makes it a point to watch the races.
Now that's real satisfaction! I've been in love with motor-sports
since I was a kid, but I've made it a point never to get involved
with the local clubs.
The only exception to this is truck-racing: I'm actually part of
a team called EVS Racing Team and it's the only real racing commitment
I have. Can't wait until the weekend, when the first drag-racing
events will happen.
I don't watch much television, unless it is related to Formula 1.
Otherwise it is a waste of time I'm afraid. This doesn't apply to
books: I always make it a point to carry one with me, although this
does not mean that I'll read it from cover to cover. At present
it is The Official Grand Prix Guide 2001. Of course, it helps to
work at a newspaper because it is so much easier to get the books
I'm after. I also get loads of books with me back from abroad and
it's not the first time I end up getting duplicates of what I already
have at home but not yet managed to read…
Thursday:
The Thursday before a racing weekend, especially the first one,
is always pretty busy. My first Formula 1 show on Net TV for the
season is also on this weekend, to coincide with the first race
so basically it was a rush to get everything prepared. There's so
much to do, learning the teams by heart, revising last year's events
for comparitive purposes – and also to try and figure out what
will happen this year!
Tried to stay home as much as possible. The phone also rang non-stop.
People ask the strangest questions, some of them will ask who I
think is going to win and they expect an answer there and then.
Luckily, at home everyone is into Formula 1 although we all support
different teams. The ladies, that is my wife (who like my daughter
is also called Roberta) and my daughter root for Villeneuve, Daniel
supports Jordan while I myself am a Ferrari man. This means that
there is always someone celebrating in the house.
Friday:
Pretty normal day at work today – after working for twenty
years at the bank I am enjoying this job. Luckily there is not too
much routine stuff to do, the work is challenging and it is a refreshing
change.
Meeting at Net TV for upcoming programme. Again, straight home after
work to take care of last minute details. To bed early though, the
trials start at three in the morning which means early to bed and
early to rise. Still, the telephone managed to wake me up after
ten. Someone who had booked a tour to watch the Barcellona race
wanted to know which seats gave the best view of the track. My first
instinct was to hang up the phone on him, but politeness won. And
so I got out my map and painstakingly explained the best options.
I am involved in organising these tours together with Brittania
and so I couldn't very well refuse to help him. But ten at night
was pushing it a bit too much I thought.
Saturday:
Up even before the crack of dawn, 2.45 in the morning to be exact.
The sacrifice one must make for one's hobby… Few people believe
how I love Formula 1: my house is called Villeneuve – not after
Jacques but after his father, who was my favourite driver. I never
managed to see him race live, but I did manage to meet his wife
and have quite a long conversation with her. She was really touched
when I told her that my house was named after her husband!
I've met most of the F1 drivers and they are basically a nice lot.
When you talk to them you realise that like us, they are human:
they chat about their families, their sons… like all of us.
Naturally, some are nicer than other: Mika Hakkinen, for instance,
who is really sweet and sociable.
Trials went off well. In the morning I enjoyed my wife's company:
I make it a point to spend some real quality time with her every
Saturday, she is a constant pillar of support. Afternoon spent some
time tinkering with my car. I like fixing it, even when there's
actually nothing wrong with it. I just find it relaxing and it is
the best tranquilliser, especially if I've had a very long day at
the office.
Sunday:
Up before sunrise yet again, my programme is finally on today! Being
aired from the F1 shop in Bay Street, it meant driving through Paceville
at around 2.30 in the morning – but I was pleasantly surprised,
the traffic situation was not as bad as I had imagined.
I'm a practical joker by nature and so before the start of the show
I was fooling around and doing laps around the tables in the shop:
suddenly I realised that people were watching from outside and laughing.
Oh well…
The show went well, Ferrari won which meant that I was even more
in a good mood than usual. One thing I like about working in television
is that it gives me the opportunity to work with young people. They're
always full of ideas and most of them are extremely motivated and
will perform well given the right circumstances and timing.
Off to Hal-Far in the afternoon to watch the drag-racing event:
our truck was racing. I was very pleased to be told that our timing
was excellent: it's the fruits of weeks of testing and very late
nights to get the lady in shape. When the truck performs well, she's
a lady but when it doesn't it suddenly becomes a beast!
Also wanted to get initial feedback about programme and Hal-Far
is the excellent place to do it as all the motor-sports enthusiasts
were there. 4.30ish left Hal Far, after using several rolls of film
for the camera and the video recorder.
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