500 and counting...

Manama : Formula One is a leading sports event broadcast by nearly every country around the world, attracting one of the largest global audiences. And with such a mammoth event comes the humongous  responsibility of giving it the ultimate coverage. 

DT News bumped into a journalist and photographer from Switzerland at Bahrain Grand Prix venue, who is doing just that, not just for professional requirements, but also for her passion and love for racing cars.

Marie-Claude Beaumont has covered over 500 Grand Prix and is looking to add many more numbers to it. “When I was 15 years old, my father took me to the Monaco Grand Prix. I instantly fell in love with the rush and speed of cars and knew this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life,” recalled Beaumont.

She then went ahead and worked as a press official for Renault for six years, during which, she met a journalist and decided she wanted to come to the side of reporting. Having covered every Grand Prix since then, she was at the inauguration of the 2004 Bahrain Grand Prix. 

“We were told it was in a desert but we weren’t really expecting much. However, to our surprise, it turned out to be quite interesting. The track, the race paddock and the ambience was very charged and ever since then, I make it a point not to miss out on the Bahrain Grand Prix,” she said.  

Beaumont considers Bahr-ain’s circuit as one of the best. “I can honestly say, Bahrain has really come forth as one of the best places to host Formula 1 and for me, it is the paddock of the year for F1. As a journalist, I am highly impressed by the arrangements and hosting techniques,” she added. 

Besides the roaring sound and breakneck speeds, Beaumont feels Formula 1 is heavily based on human spirit and dedication. 

“I love mixing the stories of the drivers to the technicalities of the sport, because at the end of the day, there’s a man behind the wheel and how he projects the situation and manoeuvres his vehicle should be communicated to the audience,” Beaumont said.   

Looking back, she said that the sport has definitely been upgraded to a more technological setting. 

While Beaumont misses those days when races were less strategical and rule-based, she is happy that she is still able to cover many of the Grand Prix events every year.