On 30 days of Beyond the Grid, day 18, we're taking you on a trip down memory lane to hear the story of Menardi's miracle at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix. Home Hero Mark Weber secured a spectacular fifth place finish for the backmarker team against all odds.

It cued jubilant scenes in the paddock, in the pit lane, and even on the podium as fans exploded with euphoria.

Just a year earlier,

team boss Paul Stoddart had struggled to get two cars on the grid,

let alone qualify or finish a race.

So you can understand why Paul gets emotional as he

recalls one of the most poignant moments of his career.

We were the I suppose the heroes of Melbourne I mean Mark was definitely the hero of Melbourne and this is all the week before the Grand Prix so we're just expecting to have all the press and all the hype and all the good things that happen when you've got a hometown boy and me as a team owner

and a home country driver as in Mark Weber.

So we had a lot of fanfare and everything and we're worried about the cast, you know,

we're knowing that we're going to struggle to get Alex Young a second driver to qualify

because you still had the 107% rule then. So we have all the buildup, by the time we get to sort of

Saturday for the serious stuff with qualifying, it's pouring rain in Melbourne which

does happen from time to time. And I remember talking to the track commentator out

the front of the Manardie garages after we'd done our first run. And Mark was in 12th, and Alex was in, I think, 17th, but he was within 107% and the track commentator said to me,

Paul, I guess you want all these fans to get out there and pray for the sun to come out so

he can have another run.

I said, hell no, I want him to do a rain dance.

I want it to stay how it is because we're safely inside the 107% and I kid you not all those

fans in that stand opposite the main straight literally stood up and did their

version of a Mexican wave and the clouds opened up and it poured and that was it so we

qualified. So I thought right we've done our first bit so the next day the

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