FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Stuck leaves hospital after head surgery

Hans-Joachim Stuck has left hospital after recovering from head surgery.

The German former grand prix driver and now Volkswagen's competition representative had a hematoma removed just over a week ago, caused by a heavy crash in an Audi R8 at the Nurburgring.

The 59-year-old was recovering in hospital in the German town Neuwied, but has now left the St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus, according to the news agency SID.

"Finally I can check out -- man, I'm glad about that," he is quoted as saying, thanking the staff for their "excellent care".

Stuck, who contested 81 races in the 70s, said he is returning home to rest, with his next race in the German endurance championship scheduled for September 25.

MIKA: Whilst Stuck may not be known to many, he is the son of legendary Hans Stuck.

IMO, he didn't really win many accolades, racing for teams like Brabham, Shadow ATS, March, he did win 2 podiums and was one of the very best wet weather racers F1 has ever seen hence his nickname "Regenmeister" or ("Rainmaster")

He is a perfect gentleman which is what I like about him. Glad to hear he's ok.

[MIKA27]

Ducati moves Rossi closer to F1 - father

Valentino Rossi's switch of MotoGP teams has moved him closer to formula one, according to his father.

The flamboyant motorcycle rider will move from Yamaha, his team for the past seven years, to the Italian marque Ducati for 2011 and 2012.

And his father Graziano, also a former motorcycle world championship rider, thinks the switch moves his son closer to F1.

"Valentino is not yet able to stop with the motorcycles," Rossi Snr told Italy's Sky Sport.

"But if in three or four years he will get into formula one, then what better road than with Ducati?" Graziano added. "This seems like a big step forward."

Ducati and Ferrari share a common sponsor in Marlboro, traditionally appearing together for the start-of-season Madonna di Campiglio media event.

Rossi has tested Ferrari's F1 cars on several occasions, and figures in the Maranello based team's push to contest grands prix with three cars.

[MIKA27]

Sutil: Force India aren't a winning team

While delighted with the progress that Force India have made, Adrian Sutil admits it's unlikely the team will ever challenge for titles.

From humble beginnings Force India have progressed into a competitive middle of the road team with the capability to pull off a shock or two.

Sutil concedes he had never intended to stay with the team for long having suffered through two full horror seasons with the team (one as Spyker), but as the team flourished under the ownership of Vijay Mallya, Sutil has taken advantage of the new lease on life that the team has been offered.

"It took a while, until I realized that this team has a future,"Sutil told Autosport.

"The Spyker time was a big mess and I did not know what would happen.

"My plan was to stay another year, maybe two, but then find a drive somewhere else.

""But when Vijay Mallya took over the team, I suddenly had a much better feel. Since then I am absolutely happy here and I believe in the team. But it has taken a bit to get this far, because a few years ago we were nowhere," he added.

Despite the massive improvements, Sutil remains realistic about what the team can achieve.

"I would not say that we can become a winning team," he admitted.

"People should be a bit careful, because in my opinion it is not possible to keep up with the top teams.

"Top five, top six, that's where we find ourselves, in the midfield. We will try to rise up, but that could be difficult. I honestly do not see that we will fight in the coming years for the World titles. That is unrealistic."

Force India currently find themselves in sixth spot on the Constructors' table, while Sutil sits in tenth spot in the Drivers' Championship.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Robert Kubica

He’s Polish; he’s driven for BMW Sauber and Renault; in five seasons on the Formula One grid he’s scored one win, 11 podiums, one pole position and 226 points; and many tip him to be a future world champion. These are just some of the things you probably do know about Robert Kubica. Now find out a few you don’t know:

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Robert Kubica: No, not really. I always hope that my original plan will work perfectly, or at least not end up in smoke. So no ‘Plan’B’ for me.

Q: Apart from driving a Formula One car, what is your favourite buzz?

RK: Rallying. Nothing more than that!

Q: Who do you most look forward to seeing when you arrive in the paddock on a Thursday?

RK: My engineer. He tells me about the phenomenal upgrades and how the car has improved.

Q: Who is your dream date?

RK: There are so many sports people that I have a huge respect for, so I would have to name so many, but to call them ‘dream dates’ would be a bit much. And I am not into that Hollywood thing about meeting stars.

Q: Which film last made you cry?

RK: I am not a film guy. I even cannot remember when I was last at the movies or watched a film from beginning to end on the TV.

Q: What are you afraid of?

RK: Deep water. In the middle of the sea I don’t feel comfortable. And helicopters as well. They are not my thing.

Q: What was the last book you read?

RK: Gomorrah, which is a book about the criminal clans in Naples and Campania.

Q: What is your favourite way to relax?

RK: Just chilling out at home - when I am at home. Doing very little and hanging out in front of the TV. I just chill out in a simple way.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

RK: Cars which are difficult to drive, traffic, milk, butter and people who are late.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

RK: No, and you can be sure that I will never consider it!

Q: What was the first CD you bought?

RK: Oh, I can’t remember. It must have been a tape though, as my parents had a company producing tapes.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

RK: No! You can refer to my answer about dying my hair.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school reports?

RK: The main topic was that I was nearly never there because I was travelling to kart races. I missed quite a lot of hours at school so I think the teachers hardly knew me. At the beginning I tried to catch up with learning at home but later, when my racing intensified even more, I had a parallel education.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

RK: When I was karting it was a kart driver by the name of Daniel Rossi. He was the guy I had posters of on the walls of my room.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

RK: No, not really. I loved to ski but as soon as I started racing in Formula Three and signed a contract with some companies, I had to stop. At the beginning that was quite painful. Now it is no longer a problem.

Q: Do you collect anything?

RK: No, I am not a real collector. I just have a small collection of scale models of rally cars - not many. I also have three normal scale rally cars, but I wouldn’t call that a collection.

Q: What do you miss most about home when you are on the road?

RK: The feeling of being at home. Even if we stay in great hotels and have nice rooms it is not home. It is anonymous. I simply miss my things, my stuff.

Q: What was your worst buy?

RK: Oh, I have not bought many things actually. Lately I bought a cell phone and used it for exactly half an hour and then I realized that it was a nuisance.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

RK: I don’t drink coffee.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

RK: The best would be to wake up quite early and do a run or use the bike. The air early in the morning is so fresh and clean. I often put on my alarm. It rings, my hand reaches out for the clock and still dozing I press the stop button and go back to sleep. So much for the early morning fresh air!

Q: What was your first vehicle?

RK: I got my first vehicle when I was four and a half years-old. My parents bought me a miniature version of a jeep in the scale of 1:4 or 1:5 with a three-horsepower engine and two gears. My motorsport career started that very day.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

RK: There’s nothing particular that I remember. And if there was then I’d try to learn from it and then it would stop being embarrassing. When I think back there have never been big negative moments in my life. I think I was always within the rules of society and my surroundings.

Q: What is the best thing you can cook?

RK: I frequently cooked for myself when I was in karting. Simple things, like barbecue, always taste much better than in a restaurant. It’s probably because you have invested so much time preparing it that you don’t dare to not like it.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

RK: Furious? That’s not me. I was upset in Silverstone and Budapest, but then things like that happen. I am probably a well-tempered person.

MIKA: Not much to learn from this one hey? Hey doesn't do this nor that...

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Mark Webber

The way Red Bull’s Mark Webber casually shook off his dramatic high-speed crash at the European Grand Prix probably told you all you need to know about the fearless Australian. But if you’re still hankering after more insight into ‘Webber, the man’ then look no further. We discover his love of motorbikes, his fear of dark oceans and his dream date in this latest post:

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Mark Webber: Absolutely, I can be very flexible. Go and ask my partner. She always says that I am pretty fast to switch to another option when one thing doesn’t deliver the expected.

Q: Apart from driving a Formula One car, what is your favourite buzz?

MW: Probably riding a motorbike.

Q: Who do you most look forward to seeing when you arrive in the paddock on a Thursday?

MW: It’s probably some of the mechanics. I only see them on race weekends and we have blokey talks about motorbikes and stuff.

Q: Who is your dream date?

MW: If it were a female date, I’d say Pink. If it was meeting someone I always wanted to know, it would be Muhammad Ali. For sure I would learn a lot that evening. What would I ask him? The secret to survival!

Q: Which film last made you cry?

MW: Marley and Me, that dog film. I was a little bit on the edge. I do love dogs very much.

Q: What are you afraid of?

MW: I am not a big fan of being in the ocean in the dark. Paddling in a kayak at night is not the thing for me.

Q: What was the last book you read?

MW: A biography about Barry Briggs, the New Zealand multiple speedway champion.

Q: What is your favourite way to relax?

MW: Spending time with my dogs.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

MW: People that lie, people that drive under the speed limit, people that snore loud on planes and people that are unreliable. That’s about it. I am not big hater.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

MW: No. And that is one of the last things on my future agenda of things to do!

Q: What was the first CD you bought?

MW: It was a tape. Madonna, probably Like a Virgin.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

MW: No, and I’m not planning to.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

MW: He’d be much better if he applied himself better.

Q: Who where your childhood heroes?

MW: Mick Doohan, the five-time motorbike champion and Ray Price, the rugby player.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

MW: Chocolate.

Q: Do you collect anything?

MW: No. I’ve never collected anything in my life. Not even as young kid.

Q: What do you miss most about home when you are on the road?

MW: The sofa, the TV and the chocolate. And, of course, my dogs.

Q: What was your worst buy?

MW: New cars are always a shocking investment - and always a loss of money. It starts from the moment you drive the car from the dealer - already the value has gone down.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

MW: I don’t drink coffee.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

MW: Watching sports on TV, have breakfast in bed and a little bit of training after that. That’s the ideal.

Q: What was your first car?

MW: My first road car was a 1996 Toyota Corona. I bought it off my sister’s friend for $500.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

MW: I have had so many of them. I crashed a Mercedes sports car in the pit entry in 1998 at the A1 Ring in practice - that was pretty embarrassing and highly unnecessary.

Q: What is the best thing you can cook?

MW: Pasta, very basic.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

MW: Recovering with my leg. I had some very furious days. It was the frustration of not being able to do normal things like putting on your pants by yourself.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Vitaly Petrov

Renault’s Vitaly Petrov is our latest target, the first Russian to compete in Formula 1 reveals a hatred of early starts, a penchant for playing cards and a passion for Spanish football…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Vitaly Petrov: Yes, of course! I’m always thinking of finding a good exit plan if ‘Plan-A’ does not work. For example at the start, you gain 20 positions and wow, you’re suddenly second! But at that very minute it dawns on you that you will probably not finish the race in P2, so you immediately have to roll out your ‘Plan-B’. You have to save your tyres, you must defend, and make it your goal to finish in the top ten!

Q: Apart from driving a Formula One car, what is your favourite buzz?

VP: To finish a weekend positively. To be able to walk out of the paddock in high spirits. It is not about winning but about feeling at ease with yourself.

Q: Who is your dream date?

VP: Before this season, it was obviously people in Formula One! But by now, I’ve met everybody so my interest has shifted a bit. Now I would say it would be Brad Pitt, or at least those kinds of people - film stars. It was fantastic in Melbourne to bump into John Travolta in the paddock! From other sports, maybe Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali.

Q: Which film makes you cry?

VP: A film called ‘Goal!’ by director Danny Cannon, which is about a youngster from Mexico and his overwhelming desire to be a football player.

Q: What are you afraid of?

VP: Losing my family.

Q: What was the last book you read?

VP: ’The Foreigner’ by Sergei Dovlatov. It’s about Russian immigration into the US.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

VP: When someone lies to me, waking up earlier than I have to, and when people ask you questions about racing and have no idea about motorsport. Nothing more really springs to my mind. That shows that I am a very balanced person!

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

VP: I did one time. A little lighter than my natural colour. It was not too impressive. It didn’t look all that great for all the time it took to do. But I guess, when you are young, you sometimes want to slip into another personality, which is of course an illusion, especially if you want to achieve it with a bit hair colour!

Q: What was the first CD that you bought?

VP: I don’t really remember! Usually I buy compilations, so it’s not about one artist or one song. I’m the compilation guy!

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

VP: No. And if I ever do, only my lady will know.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

VP: My mother is a teacher, so they always hoped that I wouldn’t mess about during lessons. And to be honest, I never did.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

VP: It was Bruce Lee, and Muhammad Ali because my father enjoyed boxing.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

VP: I prefer not to tell anybody. It is my life. On a small scale, it’s eating sweets.

Q: Do you collect anything?

VP: Playing cards. I try to buy them in every country I visit.

Q: What do you miss most about home when you’re travelling?

VP: Friends, Russian food, and of course my family.

Q: What was your worst buy?

VP: Nothing big - just the usual stuff. You go shopping, buy a pair of jeans - your 25th pair - you put them in the closet and take them out again after a few weeks and find out they are too small! It happens to me all the time! (laughs)

Q: How do you take your coffee?

VP: I don’t drink coffee.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

VP: To sleep as much possible, eat as much as possible and do nothing as much as possible. Oh and go to a good Russian sauna.

Q: What was your first car?

VP: A Volkswagen Golf 1.4. My dad gave it to me.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

VP: Mistakes happen to all of us, and that goes for me, too. I really cannot remember anything embarrassing, just those little things that go wrong every day.

Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?

VP: Pasta.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

VP: When Inter Milan defeated Barcelona! I’m a Barca fan and also a Real Madrid fan. How is that possible? I like the way they play. Aside from Russian football, I like Spanish football the best. I was with a friend in a sports bar watching the match and we both ended up being very upset.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Lewis Hamilton

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is reveals a fondness for eating sweets over a race weekend, a flair for Tex-Mex cuisine and a fear of our eight-legged friends…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Lewis Hamilton: Well, do I have a ‘Plan-B’? Generally in my private life I’d say that I have a ‘Plan-B’ because then either way you are happy. In a way it’s like you plan to do one thing, but you know that if we don’t do it let’s try to be positive and do something else. And have as much fun!

Q: What is your favourite way to relax?

LH: Spending time with my girlfriend.

Q: Who is your dream date?

LH: When you think in terms of a female person, as the question suggests, I’d say my girlfriend! In terms of sitting down with someone to pick their brain I would say Muhammad Ali. I would like to sit down with him and talk about his life and his experiences, and hear him talk the way he does.

Q: Which film makes you cry?

LH: Oh, there are many films that make you feel involved. At least I get involved, as I love movies and sometimes get really into them. Maybe a film like ‘Man on Fire’ with Denzel Washington. I didn’t literally cry, but I was emotionally very much involved.

Q: What are you afraid of?

LH: I’m not afraid of anything except spiders and snakes. I know that it’s a silly fear, but I simply don’t like them. The first one has too many legs and the second one is too sleek for my taste.

Q: What was the last book you read?

LH: Well,well, the last book I read… The last book I read was ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Afghan author Khaled Hosseini. It’s about life in Afghanistan. I’m not the kind of guy who surfs the bestseller lists for books. This one a friend gave to me. Personally I prefer to read more factual books, probably to learn something about an animal for example. It is great to have knowledge. The more knowledge, the more power!

Q: Name five things that you hate?

LH: Onions. I was just thinking the other day about something I really dislike, but I’ve forgotten. Wasting time, traffic, I dislike when everybody is in a rush but not me, when people are aggressive, and I hate dishonest people.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

LH: I’ve never done it and I don’t plan to.

Q: What was the first CD that you’ve bought?

LH: It was Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

LH: Not yet. But who knows…

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

LH: My teachers wrote that I talked too much. That I was a lovely lad, but I didn’t pay enough attention. My mind was always on racing.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

LH: I didn’t really have childhood heroes as such. Sure as soon as I saw Ayrton Senna racing he was kind of a…well, not a hero, because I don’t want to look at people as heroes, the same as I don’t like it if people look at me as a hero… an inspiration. But so were Linford Christie and Muhammad Ali. There have been quite a number of people who have been inspirational, but no heroes. If I was asked for a hero then it would be my dad, because he has done more (for me) than anyone.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

LH: No, I don’t feel guilty for any of my pleasures. I know what you mean but I don’t feel guilty for it. I love sweets but I don’t feel guilty. I eat sweets throughout a race weekend.

Q: Do you collect anything?

LH: I don’t really. But then I’m kind of collecting watches. To really collect them you have to buy them, but I haven’t purchased them. How big is the collection? It’s a good size for me!

Q: What do you miss most from home when you’re travelling?

LH: Food, homemade food. But in terms of not being at home, it’s just my bed.

Q: What was your worst buy?

LH: I’ve never had any worst buys. I always put so much thought into everything I buy. I never buy anything at the click of my fingers, and it takes a lot for me to convince myself to buy. Then when I buy it, it is because I really wanted it.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

LH: With milk and sugar.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

LH: Lying in bed with my girlfriend watching movies.

Q: What was your first car?

LH: My go-kart when I was eight.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

LH: I don’t know, there are so many, but I’ll tell you one. I walked into a lamp post, in front of cameras. I was trying to hide from photographers and tried to look where I was going, and then…bang! It was in the papers.

Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?

LH: Chicken fajitas and chicken rice.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

LH: When I was billed for something stupid, just because people think that you have money so they bill you - it’s ten Euro, but we’ll make him pay 100 Euro. I don’t like people to take advantage. You do an honest job and pay for honest work. It was just a couple of weeks ago and I was so angry. A short time ago, I did an interview with someone and that person assumed that say Monaco - the glitz and glamour, the hotels, cars and all that stuff - was something my family had. The fact is I come from a very small place, and after being very poor, I know the value of money. So when people are dishonest and try to rip you off, it really, really frustrates me, as I would never try to do it to them.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Jenson Button

Reigning world champion - and McLaren driver - Jenson Button is our latest target, as he reveals a hatred of greasy food, a youthful interest in British reggae band UB40 and a one-time penchant for see-through shoes…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Jenson Button: No, I never have a ‘Plan-B’. That’s one of my weaknesses, obviously.

Q: What is your favourite high?

JB: Winning gives me the best high. The adrenalin buzz of winning.

Q: Who is your dream date?

JB: I don’t have any dream dates. I have a girlfriend and I am a one-woman man!

Q: Which film makes you cry?

JB: Not many. Actually ‘The Notebook’ almost made me cry. And also ‘Days of Thunder’… no, not really, that was a joke.

Q: What are you afraid of?

JB: I don’t like sharks and losing, I suppose. It’s the abhorrent opposite of winning!

Q: What was the last book you read?

JB: ’Breaking Vegas’, which is about gambling.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

JB: When it’s raining and you don’t have an umbrella. Greasy food, I hate greasy food. I hate losing, the economy and people who are negative.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

JB: I did it when I was younger. I was around 14. I dyed the front very blond. It looked horrible.

Q: What was the first CD you bought?

JB: It was a band called UB40. It was a long time ago. The single was ‘Rat in the Kitchen’.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

JB: No piercings. I have three tattoos at the moment, but I’m getting a fourth when I’m in Japan. What two of them mean I cannot tell you, it’s private and in Japanese. One is a button… that’s obvious.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

JB: I tell you what, I wasn’t so bad in lessons but I was a bit poor at concentrating. My mind always used to be thinking of something else - I was always thinking about racing.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

JB: Someone I really admired was Alain Prost - his driving. I also admired Nigel (Mansell), who was always fun to watch. Outside of Formula One, there wasn’t really anybody.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

JB: Nice cars! I love banoffee pie, but I don’t eat it very often, so there’s no guilt involved.

Q: Do you collect anything?

JB: Cars and watches - the typical habits of a racing driver.

Q: What would you die for?

JB: Nothing, except my family.

Q: What was your worst buy?

JB: I bought some see-through shoes. For some reasons I thought that they would look really cool. They were plastic and completely see through. You put them on and could see your feet. That was pretty disgusting. I gave them to a friend.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

JB: I like a macchiato with one sugar.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

JB: Maybe doing a triathlon. I don’t do it very often, but I love pushing my body and myself to the maximum. Or spending time with friends and family, and my girlfriend. Relaxing, maybe on the beach or climbing up a mountain.

Q: What was your first car?

JB: It was a bike. A little Yamaha 50cc, when I was seven years-old. I was very lucky.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

JB: I don’t know. I am sure there are a lot and my friends could probably answer that one immediately. I try not to remember them!

Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?

JB: Pasta is easy. Everyone can cook pasta. And that’s about it for me. I can do the sauce from scratch.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

JB: I think I was furious with myself last year in Brazil in qualifying. I was pretty angry about choosing the tyres I did. That was when I was really angry. I thought that the championship might slip away. It was a pretty big day for me.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel, admits to being a far from model pupil at school, to having a loathing of squeaky shoes, and to sporting a distinctly gothic hair style in his youth…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Sebastian Vettel: No, not at all.

Q: What is your favourite high?

SV: Red Bull. What else?

Q: Who is your dream date?

SV: My girlfriend.

Q: Which film makes you cry?

SV: ‘La Vita e Bella’ (Life is Beautiful). If you know the film you understand.

Q: What are you afraid of?

SV: Mice! I don’t like them. Don’t ask me why.

Q: What was the last book you read?

SV: I can’t remember. I don’t really read books. I like movies more.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

SV: Squeaky shoes, traffic jams, rotten food, smoking areas at airports and you know those clubs where the air is so full of smoke that you could cut it with a knife, and having to wake up super early.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

SV: Yes, I have done it already. It was when I was younger, around 14 years-old. I went to a drugstore, bought a ‘do it yourself’ hair colour in black, went home and did it. It was an experiment, and oh boy, it didn’t look too good!

Q: What was the first CD you bought?

SV: I remember it very well. It was ‘Informer’ by Reggae artist Snow. I must still have it somewhere.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

SV: Not that I know of!

Q: What did teachers say about you in your school report?

SV: Probably that I wasn’t behaving, fussing all the time, and stirring things up. It would be in that range I assume.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

SV: The three Michaels - Michael Schumacher, Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson. I wanted to become Michael Jackson when I was young. It was painful to realise that I didn’t have the voice…

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

SV: Not really. I like deserts but I don’t have any problems with that.

Q: Do you collect anything?

SV: No, not really.

Q: What would you die for?

SV: Homemade food. My mum’s kitchen.

Q: What was your worst buy?

SV: It was in grammar school and I was in love with a girl. There were these chewing gum vending machines from which you could buy all sorts of stuff. I wanted a ring and wasted money on five chewing gums to finally get it out, but I never found the right moment to use it. It was a real waste of my pocket money.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

SV: I don’t drink coffee. I think am too young to understand coffee. I mainly drink water.

Q: What is your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

SV: To sleep in, have a big breakfast, and hopefully if it is a sunny day, do some sport in the outside air. Badminton or whatever. Mostly to be relaxed.

Q: What was your first car?

SV: It was a moped. A Kreidler Flory that ran at about 25 km/h. Naturally, I didn’t tamper with it to make it go faster! We all know that this is not allowed…

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

SV: One day I was hiding in the closet in the classroom and the teacher found out after half an hour - I had to come out and looked like an idiot.

Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?

SV: Pasta and tomato sauce.

Q: When was the last time you were really furious?

SV: In winter testing but I cannot tell you why. And on a lesser scale, I lost against my trainer in badminton last week. It was very close: he won 16:14. That rankled.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Rubens Barrichello

Williams’ Rubens Barrichello reveals a talent for cooking a mean Brazilian barbeque, his past as a teacher’s pet and a penchant for practical jokes…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Rubens Barrichello: I would say yes. It’s probably not a real Plan B, but let me give you an example. I am very open for changing lines after the start of a race. You can always start by saying to yourself that you’re going to be on the inside, but when you see that there is absolutely no space on the inside, well that’s the time to go on the outside. I am very open to these kinds of things.

Q: What is your favourite high?

RB: I am always so positive and smiley, but when I am at home doing nothing - and it’s probably something I shouldn’t do - is to drink a Coke. That gives me some sort of high.

Q: Who is your dream date?

RB: The way the question is put it obviously has to be a woman and you have plenty of faces that you would love to have opposite you at the table, even though my wife wouldn’t let me. But someone I really would love to have a chat with is Tiger Woods.

Q: Which film makes you cry?

RB: 'The Champ'. It was a long time ago and the first movie that I can remember that made me cry. But I cry a lot to be honest, especially after having the kids. I have a lot of passion for my father and when I see him in my kids sometimes you just cry for the love of it.

Q: What are you afraid of?

RB: Violence. Money is so critical in the world that sometimes people start to steal, and I am not talking about just Brazil. Brazil I know and I don’t go to places with a violent character, but nowadays you get to see more of this in areas where you don’t expect it.

Q: What was the last book you read?

RB: That’s quite funny. I saw this book about somebody who lost weight without going on a diet. It’s called the Gabriel Method. I read that one recently - it’s quite unique.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

RB: Traffic, late planes, waiting for people at meetings. I cannot say that I hate it, but I don’t like it if the food is not what you expected. I hate it if somebody is hurrying me when I have a shower. My showers are quite long!

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

RB: Dye my hair with colours? No, never. I’m just losing my hair so I’m not painting it!

Q: What was the first CD that you bought?

RB: I think it was a Fleetwood Mac CD.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

RB: I have a tattoo on my right arm. It’s a funny story. I always wanted to have a tattoo but I never told my dad because in the eighties a tattoo looked like an aggressive thing, so I never said anything. But at the end of 2005 my dad comes to me and shows me his new tattoo that he had just got! The next Monday I went to get my own one. My tattoo is two letters. It’s an F and an E. F for Fernando and E for Eduardo - my sons. Then I put a little accent and it becomes FÉ, which in Brazil means faith. That’s the story behind my long road to a tattoo.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

RB: I was a great schoolboy because my father always told me that the only way for me to find sponsors is to have a good record in school. And that was the only feedback that he wanted. Teachers loved me. I was not so fantastic at school but at home I was able to learn very quickly, which showed in my results.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

RB: Ayrton Senna, of course, and I followed Keke Rosberg a lot too. I was so much into racing that I was not really looking anywhere else for heroes.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

RB: I make fun of other people a lot. That sometimes makes me feel guilty. I’ll give you an example. When I was on my honeymoon the place was perfect - probably too perfect! The big yellow sun, the beautiful blue sea, all serene and quiet, so I put shampoo on the bathroom floor and my wife almost fell into the bathtub. That was very funny and made me feel guilty.

Q: Do you collect anything?

RB: I collect other people’s helmets. I have a lot of them and I also exchange them. I have around 40 helmets, from almost everyone in the paddock now.

Q: What do you miss most from home when you’re travelling?

RB: My kids’ smiles. I miss the kids. One of them is very quiet and the other one is a little bit of a devil, and that makes a great combination.

Q: What was your worst buy?

RB: Well, the most expensive one for sure was the plane, but that has now become the best buy. But when I bought it, and spent most of my money on it, it occasionally made me feel I’d made a wrong decision.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

RB: I don’t take coffee. I like to drink a cola as it has the caffeine in it, but I don’t drink coffee.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

RB: Playing golf.

Q: What was your first car?

RB: A VW Golf - and I treated it so carefully.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

RB: The one I remember most was when I asked a friend of ours how pregnant she was and she replied that she wasn’t pregnant at all, just fat. I was truly embarrassed

Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?

RB: I can cook a lot of things. I have improved over time and the best thing I would say is a Brazilian barbeque.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

RB: It is really hard to get me really furious. Traffic drives me mad, especially in Brazil, where I always hope to be at home, because after five it’s just madness!

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Nico Hulkenberg

Williams' Nico Hulkenberg reveals his hatred of air travel, a cache of unused gym equipment, and the oh-so-guilty pleasure of a full-fat cola…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Nico Hulkenberg: Yes and no. Yes in the respect that you have your plan and if that doesn’t work out in your favour, you have to have another plan in your back pocket. No when it comes to F1. It was either make or break. There was no ‘Plan-B’ in sight whatsoever!

Q: What is your favourite high?

NH: Well, that should be a secret, shouldn’t it? But probably it’s an occasional full-fat Coca Cola…

Q: Who is your dream date?

NH: I have never thought about something like that. I don’t know all the women in the world, so how should I know? I am definitely not into that Hollywood type.

Q: Which film makes you cry?

NH: ’Marley & Me’, I think.

Q: What are you afraid of?

NH: Losing my job in F1.

Q: What was the last book you read?

NH: I’m not really into reading to be honest. I just read the newspaper every morning.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

NH: Waiting for the plane to take off, people who are not on time, I hate not winning, my own mistakes and miscommunication within the team.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

NH: No, I am pretty happy with my natural colour.

Q: What was the first CD you bought?

NH: I can’t remember. Nowadays I am into dance music.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

NH: No.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

NH: He said that I am a great guy, always concentrating, and motivated… that kind of stuff. That is, of course, said with a wink!

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

NH: No real heroes. I looked up to Michael (Schumacher) winning races - and cheered for him. No movie stars. I was never that fully into one person or one band as a kid.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

NH: I like sweets and chocolate… and cakes.

Q: Do you collect anything?

NH: Not in the real sense. I try to collect money!

Q: What would you die for?

NH: Not for anything really. A race win or a world championship… but you have to work for those things to achieve them. It’s not about dying for it to happen.

Q: What was your worst buy?

NH: Let me think. You know you sometimes buy some sort of training equipment and you honestly think that you will use it and get fitter and fitter, and then it’s tucked away in the far corner of your closet.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

NH: With a little milk.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

NH: A big, huge breakfast, with any kind of food, together with family and talking over everyday stuff. Then I’d let the food settle and have a little run. Very basic stuff.

Q: What was your first car?

NH: I had a scooter but I cannot remember the brand. Then when I was 20 I had a VW Polo. Now I drive a VW Scirocco.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

NH: I really cannot remember, so it can’t have been a big lapse.

Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?

NH: Cooking with a wok. Vegetables, rice and so on.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

NH: Ha, that was not so long ago. The last two and a half months were a pain, with planes. First in February you couldn’t leave Germany because of the bad weather, and then there was the Lufthansa strike, then the French air-traffic controller strike. And all that took place during winter testing! Then with the volcano ash, it was like an odyssey to try to find your way back from Shanghai to Europe. I hate all that with a passion.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Pedro de la Rosa

He may have been a paddock fixture for 13 years, notched up 78 Grand Prix starts and 29 world championship points, but we bet there’s an awful lot you don’t know about BMW Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa, including his fear of flying, his youthful Smurf collection, and a worrying addiction to an Italian dessert.

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Pedro de la Rosa: No. I am not a lateral thinker. I am a straight-line thinker - if there is a rock in front of me I’ll try to go through it. I am like a bull in that respect. I am not that smart.

Q: Apart from driving a Formula One car, what is your favourite buzz?

PdlR: Being with the right people. I could be in a cave with no light, but if I am with my kids and my wife I am a happy man.

Q: Who is your dream date?

PdlR: There are so many people I would love to meet. One would have been Ayrton Senna, the other one would be Lance Armstrong. He is someone I admire massively because I cycle a lot and I know how tough cycling is. It is ten times tougher than racing a Formula One car from the physical side. I would like to get into his brain to see how he thinks and how much he can suffer.

Q: Which film last made you cry?

PdlR: I haven’t cried at a movie lately, as far as I can remember. I cried reading a book - The Bridges of Madison County - but that was some time ago, when I was younger and more sensitive. Now I am tough! (laughs).

Q: What are you afraid of?

PdlR: I am quite scared of planes because I sometimes dream that I die in a plane crash.

Q: What was the last book you read?

PdlR: I read Perfume, by Patrick Suskind. That was by far my favourite book lately.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

PdlR: Dishonest people, hypocrisy, lies, unpunctual people (like my wife!) and smelly people.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

PdlR: Yes, I have done it in the past. It was a little bit darker than my original colour. It was a mess and I am sure I will never do it again because sometimes you learn from bad experiences.

Q: What was the first CD you bought?

PdlR: It wasn’t a CD, that came later. The first tape was Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. It is still my favourite album. It was the first one, and the best.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

PdlR: No, I’d hate one on myself. But I like to see them on other people.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

PdlR: That he is very committed and he works very hard. He’s not that clever but he always gives his best.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

PdlR: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and of course my father - he has always been my top hero.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

PdlR: I like tiramisu. I would eat a tiramisu every night if I could, so I have to control myself and not get too carried away.

Q: Do you collect anything?

PdlR: Not any more. When I was younger I collected Smurfs. That was a long time ago. It was my first and last collection. Now I am not interested in collecting anything. But wait a minute… I’m lying. I have a collection of all my helmets. From every year I’ve raced I have at least one helmet. It must be around 30 helmets.

Q: What do you miss most about home when you’re travelling?

PdlR: I miss my family. Still, after all those years of travelling, I feel very weak when I am not with them. And I miss the Spanish news. When I go to a hotel room, the first thing I do is look for a Spanish channel! I leave it on all the time and then I feel like I’m home.

Q: What was your worst buy?

PdlR: I haven’t had any bad buys yet. Actually I’m very proud of that. I think before buying.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

PdlR: I always have an espresso macchiato.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

PdlR: Waking up in Majorca and going cycling.

Q: What was your first car or vehicle?

PdlR: I had a Montesa 50cc, when I was five or six years-old. I started with that little motorbike before starting with a kart.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

PdlR: It was in 1996 in Aida, Japan. Toyota had brought out a new supercar, completely white. It had just come out of the oven and I was told to do an installation lap, but the car never came back. I destroyed the car on the back straight. There was some snow on the track and I destroyed the car. I came back to the pits and told them that there was no more car and the mechanics thought I was joking. I really did not have the balls to take my helmet off! I could not look them in the eyes.

Q: What is the best thing you can cook?

PdlR: I can only cook Spaghetti. It’s very good though.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

PdlR: Very recently. That was after the Spanish Grand Prix. When I got back to my hotel room I banged every wall in there.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Nico Rosberg

He races for Mercedes GP, his best finish was second at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, he’s scored 149.5 points from 78 starts and he’s the 24 year-old son of a former world champion. These are just a few things we do know about Nico Rosberg. A driver, however, is more than his statistics, his team or even his famous father. We delve a little deeper to find out about Rosberg’s fear of heights, his love of backgammon and cycling, and his youthful obsession with The Lion King…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Nico Rosberg: Yes, sure. I’m very flexible so having a ‘Plan-B’ is the natural thing. If ‘Plan-A’ doesn’t work I don’t waste my time and move on to something else. (FIA president) Jean Todt once said that you have to be ahead of the problem and not behind it. I couldn’t agree more!

Q: Apart from driving a Formula One car, what is your favourite buzz?

NR: Playing soccer. And lately I’m into cycling. As for lazier things, it’s playing backgammon. I am a huge back backgammon fan - it’s our traditional family game.

Q: Who do you most look forward to seeing when you arrive in the paddock on a Thursday?

NR: I guess my engineers. We get along really well and it is always interesting to start the weekend together.

Q: Who is your dream date?

NR: My girlfriend would sound a bit boring, wouldn’t it? Someone I would like to meet is Lance Armstrong because I am into cycling myself at the moment. I would like to hear from him how to best enhance your performance.

Q: Which film last made you cry?

NR: It was The Lion King. I must have been seven years-old. A film that I’ve really enjoyed was Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s such a racy title! And Inside Man. Clive Owen is one of my favourite actors.

Q: What are you afraid of?

NR: Heights, and my nightmare would be to fall.

Q: What was the last book you read?

NR: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer about his 1996 ascent of Mount Everest that ended in catastrophe, with eight climbers killed. I read a lot and biographies are amongst my favourites.

Q: What is your favourite way to relax?

NR: Reading, doing sports, and chilling out with friends.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

NR: Being late - and I have the problem that I’m always late. I hate it. It has something to do with discipline. I’m working on it. What else? Arrogance, crookedness, crime.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

NR: I’ve never done that, but maybe one day. Who knows…

Q: What was the first CD that you bought?

NR: Either Michael Jackson’s Thriller or probably Elton John’s Lion King soundtrack? I think it was The Lion King CD. I’d been whingeing after I saw the film until my mum took pity on me and bought it.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

NR: No. And I don’t plan to.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school report?

NR: Competent, but impatient. Some sort of Fidgety Philip.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

NR: Mika Hakkinen. Mika was a real hero of mine.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

NR: That I’m sometimes a smart alec.

Q: Do you collect anything?

NR: No.

Q: What do you miss most about home when you’re travelling?

NR: The privacy, my family, my friends and a sort of mundane daily routine.

Q: What was your worst buy?

NR: I’ve never had one.

Q: How do you take your coffee?

NR: I don’t drink coffee. The only caffeine I have is in the gel that I use for cycling.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

NR: Get up very early, go cycling for three hours and then have brunch at the beach with family and friends.

Q: What was your first car?

NR: That was quite something. It was an Audi RS6. My dad gave it to me because safety was very important to him and he didn’t want to see me in one of these micro cars.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

NR: Ha, this morning it popped up in my mind again. I cannot tell because it is so embarrassing!

Q: What is the best thing that you can cook?

NR: Fried eggs on toast.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

NR: I don’t tend to get really furious. I’m a very balanced person. If it happens then it always has something to do with the family, but then it is over in the next minute.

[MIKA27]

The Secret Life of Sebastien Buemi

He races for Toro Rosso, he hails from Switzerland, his best finish was seventh at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and he has scored 13 points from 27 starts. These are just a few things we do know about Sebastien Buemi. A driver, however, is more than his statistics, his team or his country of birth. We delve a little deeper to find out about Buemi’s past as a school chatterbox, his youthful interest in Californian punk music and his hatred of Brussels sprouts…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’?

Sebastien Buemi: I always go for ‘Plan-A’! Period!

Q: Apart from driving a Formula One car, what is your favourite buzz?

SB: I like to ski - either on water or on mountains. I like to be with my family because in reality I don’t have the time to be with them very often.

Q: Who do you most look forward to seeing when you arrive in the paddock on a Thursday?

SB: I’m always looking forward to seeing the new parts for my car! The kind of updates that let you find half a second on the track.

Q: Who is your dream date?

SB: In the professional world I would like to talk to Roger Federer. He is also a Swiss guy, and boy has he been doing well for many years. There are also so many girls I would like to talk to…

Q: Which film last made you cry?

SB: It was not so long ago. It’s called ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ and stars Cameron Diaz as a woman who has two daughters. One of the daughters has leukaemia and the other was only conceived to be a sort of ‘spare part warehouse’ for her older sister. It was heart wrenching.

Q: What are you afraid of?

SB: I am afraid of not being able to show my real potential. In Formula One everything goes so quickly. If you don’t have a good car at the right moment you could maybe walk out of the paddock without ever having been able to show your true colours.

Q: What was the last book you read?

SB: To be honest I am not a big reader. I read a lot of magazines. So when I think about the last proper book I read, it was probably a Harry Potter.

Q: What is your favourite way to relax?

SB: I like to be back home in Switzerland - in the garden of my parents’ house - just doing normal stuff like having a BBQ with friends.

Q: Name five things that you hate?

SB: I hate losing and I hate being behind my team mate! You want me to name five things? Gee, that’s a lot… I hate to eat Brussels sprouts. My mum loves them so they are frequently found on our table at home, but I dearly hate them. I don’t like it when people tell me what to do and I hate to get beaten by my brother, when we are playing ping pong for example.

Q: Have you ever dyed your hair?

SB: I’ve never done it, and have never really wasted any time thinking about it. But maybe if something really important happens - who knows…

Q: What was the first CD you bought?

SB: It must have been something by Californian punk band ‘The Offspring’. I must have been around 12 years-old.

Q: Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

SB: No. And I don’t think I will get any in the near future. My girlfriend hates them, as does my mum, and I feel rather lukewarm about the thought of them.

Q: What did your teachers say about you in your school reports?

SB: I talked too much and was chatting during lessons.

Q: Who were your childhood heroes?

SB: Michael Schumacher. I read everything about him.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

SB: I like to eat a lot of sweets - but I don’t have any problem with it.

Q: Do you collect anything?

SB: I was collecting stickers for the Panini World Cup album. I only finished it last week.

Q: What do you miss most about home when you are on the road?

SB: My mum’s cooking. I sometimes feel so tired of all this airline and hotel food.

Q: What was your worst buy?

SB: In the past I didn’t buy so many things because I didn’t have much money, but lately I’ve realized that I have far too many clothes. My closet is pretty full of stuff that I haven’t even worn once!

Q: How do you take your coffee?

SB: I have an espresso with a bit of milk.

Q: Your ideal non-race Sunday morning?

SB: I wake up in Switzerland at 10, watch TV and then get ready for a nice family lunch. Nothing sensational but very comfy!

Q: What was your first vehicle?

SB: Oh yes, I remember. It was a Yamaha 50cc motorbike, which my father had bought for me when I was six months old! I still have it.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing mistake you’ve ever made?

SB: Oh yes. I can still remember. It was at a sponsorship event at the Paul Ricard track with DC (David Coulthard), Mark (Webber) and Kimi (Raikkonen). We were driving R8 cars and I destroyed mine! At Paul Ricard! Everybody will tell you that with the massive run-off zones at this track it is virtually impossible to destroy a car, but I did it! I came back to the pits very red faced!

Q: What is the best thing you can cook?

SB: I am not really into cooking. The best thing I can cook is meat with broccoli and potatoes.

Q: When was the last time you were really angry?

SB: It was in China when (Vitantonio) Liuzzi spun in his Force India and took me out too. I was so well prepared for that race with wet tyres and a perfect set-up. I had everything in place for a good result, and then the race was over in the fourth corner. I was really annoyed!

[MIKA27]

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS?

It was a reminder of the good ol' days when men were men and drivers were known to throw the occasional punch...

The two drivers in the picture are Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil. The race was the 2009 Brazilian GP at the Interlagos circuit.

It had been a while since F1 saw drivers quite literally at each others throats but that's exactly how Trulli and Sutil responded when they crashed in Brazil.

While the cameras focused on the race that continued after the duo crashed, it soon become apparant that Trulli and Sutil were not going through the usual 'you caused it', 'no you caused it'.

Instead, the two had a spectacular argument, which even included some wild arm waving, although the much-anticipated punch never came.

And not one to let it go, the argument continued through into the next race in Abu Dhabi, where Trulli arrived with photographic evidence of why Sutil was in the wrong, resulting in one of the best post-race press conferences of the season.

Boys will be boys.

[MIKA27]

'Mercedes GP won't replace Heidfeld'

Mercedes GP could spend the remainder of the season without a reserve driver after Nick Heidfeld left to test for Pirelli.

Earlier this week, Mercedes GP confirmed that test and reserve driver Heidfeld had parted ways with the team in order to take up a position as Pirelli's driver.

The 32-year-old began testing for Pirelli, F1's 2011 tyre supplier, at Mugello on Tuesday using last year's Toyota's F1 car, the TF109.

Heidfeld's move, though, has left Mercedes GP without a reserve driver, a decision that could cost them should either Michael Schumacher or Nico Rosberg be unable to race.

However, according to reports in Germany's Auto Moto und Sport, the team has no plans to replace Heidfeld even though there are still seven races remaining this season.

[MIKA27]

Piquet backs Ferrari's team orders

Nelson Piquet believes Felipe Massa will have to up his game if he wants to avoid playing second fiddle to Fernando Alonso at Ferrari.

Ferrari were slapped with a $100,000 fine by the German stewards after blatantly ordering Massa to move aside for Alonso, allowing the Spaniard to take the victory.

The fine, though, may not be Ferrari's only punishment for using team orders, which are banned from F1.

The Scuderia still have to face the World Motor Sport Council on 7 September, where they could be stripped of their German GP points or even handed a ban.

However, Piquet reckons Ferrari made the right call, adding that if Massa doesn't want to be a number two, he's going to have to improve.

"It's hard for Massa that Alonso came into the team after him but is faster," Piquet told Istoe magazine.

"Ferrari will not miss an opportunity to give a driver the chance to close the gap to the Championship leaders.

"If Massa doesn't want this to happen, then he has to find a way to be faster than Alonso. There's nothing else he can do.

"If he was in front of Alonso in the Championship, it would have been him going past."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli 'on target' after first test

Formula One's new tyre supplier Pirelli have completed their first test ahead of entering the sport next year.

Nick Heidfeld, recently recruited by Pirelli from his previous role as test and reserve driver with Mercedes, spent two days this week at the wheel of last year's Toyota F1 car at the Mugello circuit in Italy.

Heidfeld evaluated prototype versions of Pirelli's PZero Formula One tyre which will be used by all the F1 teams from next season under a three-year agreement with the FIA.

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said: "This was the first step of our return to Formula One and we are very satisfied with how the tyres performed and the information we were able to collect.

"We are on target and we came away from the test with lots of data to analyse, which is exactly the situation we hoped to be in."

Hembery is grateful to Toyota and Heidfeld for the assistance they are providing in helping Pirelli to ensure they hit the ground running next season.

"A lot of people have made a big commitment to get to where we are today in a very short period of time and the effort really has been incredible," added Hembery.

"The Toyota team has also been very professional and provided a good, reliable car.

"We are also all very happy to begin our relationship with Nick who gave us a lot of good feedback and suggestions."

[MIKA27]

Whitmarsh: McLaren need a new concept

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh admits his team needs to come up with a new development if they hope to regain the lead in the title race.

Despite not having the fastest car on the grid, McLaren were leading both Championships up until the Hungarian GP when they lost out to Red Bull and Mark Webber. The team, though, is by no means out of the running as Lewis Hamilton is just four points behind Webber while McLaren are eight adrift of Red Bull.

But while the gap in the standings may not be that big, the gap on the race-track has grown in recent weeks with Red Bull a full second quicker in Hungary. Ferrari have also overtaken McLaren in terms of pace.

Whitmarsh concedes McLaren need to find something new if they hope to challenge their rivals for the World titles in the remaining seven races.

"All the top teams have time to reform and invent something new," he told Autosprint magazine. "We have not suspended the blown-exhaust diffuser project but we hope to also find a new development."

One development that the team could look at is a flexible front wing, a concept that both Red Bull and Ferrari have allegedly developed to great success in recent weeks.

However, flexible wings are actually illegal, prompting the FIA to reveal that they will be introducing sterner testing when the teams return from the summer break at Spa.

"I am surprised that one element, which should be 85mm above the track, is actually much lower," Whitmarsh said of his rivals' wings. "The FIA needs to make things absolutely clear - or we are lagging behind.

"If clarification does not come, we too can suddenly become very inventive and creative."

But it's not just the technical side of F1 that is dominating headlines at present after team orders returned to the sport in Germany when Ferrari ordered Felipe Massa to move aside for Fernando Alonso.

Whitmarsh, though, is adamant that his team will not favour either Hamilton or Jenson Button, leaving it to the duo to fight it out on the track.

"McLaren's philosophy has won us titles," he insisted. However, he acknowledges that it has also cost them titles.

"If, for example, during the 2007 season we had favoured either driver the Championship would have been won by us and not gone to Kimi Raikkonen."

[MIKA27]

Lauda: FIA will give Ferrari 'a pasting’

Triple world champion Niki Lauda is convinced Ferrari will receive further punishment for its controversial position swap in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Maranello squad was fined $100,000 after Felipe Massa handed the lead to team-mate Fernando Alonso in Budapest following a coded radio message, but the matter will be given further consideration at a meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council next month.

Lauda believes Ferrari’s actions were in clear breach of the team orders ban and that the WMSC needs to do more to uphold the credibility of the regulations.

“What they did in Hockenheim was against all rules,” he said in an interview with the official F1 website.

“Either the rules are changed or everybody observes them.

“What they’ve done is wrong and they got an immediate punishment – and they will get a pasting from the World Council, that is for sure.”

Lauda, who won two of his three world titles with Ferrari, accused his former team of “mocking” F1 fans with a “collusive” result – and contrasted it with the approach taken by Red Bull Racing, which he believes is preferable for the sport.

“You have two models of how to race in Formula 1 as a team,” he said.

“If you approach it politically then you are in the Ferrari mould.

“Or you try to give both your drivers equal opportunities and the fans an exciting sport, as Red Bull are doing in letting their drivers compete with each other.

“That is what makes this sport a crowd puller because they see the best guys in the best cars racing each other with a ‘may the best man win’ philosophy – and not mocking the fans with a collusive result.

“But I am aware that this is a topic where opinions differ.”

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Kimi hints his days in F1 are over

Although Kimi Raikkonen is refusing to say for definite, the Finn reckons his time in Formula One is over for good.

Raikkonen left F1 at the end of the 2009 season after departing from Ferrari and failing to land a deal with McLaren. Instead, the Finn moved over to the World Rally Championship, competing with the Citroen Junior team.

However, his first season in the WRC has been dogged by rumours that he could be on his way back to F1 with Renault believed to be interested in securing the 30-year-old's services.

Raikkonen, though, reckons his days in F1 are a thing of the past.

"I would have the opportunity to go (back to F1) but I think I've seen off that career," he told MTV3 Germany.

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Button: McLaren have to catch up

Jenson Button has urged McLaren to up their game but admits the FIA's revised flexible wing tests could also help his team at the Belgian GP.

McLaren have falled behind Red Bull and Ferrari in recent weeks, losing the lead in both Championship races to the Bulls while Ferrari have closed the gap in third place.

However, Red Bull and Ferrari's improved form has come amidst of a wave of criticism directed at the two teams, who have been accused of running illegal wings that flex to allow the end-plates to reach closer to the ground than the allotted 85mm.

And although the FIA did test both teams' wings, fresh complaints have led to motorsport's governing body revealing that they will introduce more stringent testing at Spa.

Button is hoping those tests, coupled with McLaren's own improvements, will allow himself and team-mate Lewis Hamilton to close the gap to the leading duo.

"We come into the Belgian Grand Prix knowing that we have some catching up do to; we didn't have a particularly strong race in Hungary, and the whole team wants to get back to the front again as quickly as possible," said the reigning World Champ.

"While we're optimistic that the bodywork rules clarification will close the gap among the top teams, and that both Spa and Monza should suit our package better than the Hungaroring, it's still important that we regain the momentum we'd reached earlier this season.

"I love racing at Spa - it's one of the truly great circuits, and a grand prix that I'd love to win. I didn't have the best race here last year, when I was punted out at the top of the hill on the first lap, so that just gives me additional motivation to do well here.

"While I don't think these two European races will be pivotal to the title fight, it will nonetheless be harder to introduce bigger upgrades to the car at the end-of-season flyaways, so it's important for the whole team that we score well in both events."

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Hispania confirm Yamamoto for Spa GP

Sakon Yamamoto will team up with Bruno Senna in the Belgian GP as he takes part in his fourth successive race for Hispania Racing.

Although it was thought that Karun Chandhok would return to his race-seat following the summer break, Hispania confirmed on Friday that test driver Yamamoto would in fact remain as Senna's temporary team-mate.

Next Sunday's Belgian GP will mark Yamamoto's fourth race for Hispania, having already competed in Britain, Germany and Hungary,

"I am looking forward to be back in action after the break," said the Japanese driver.

"In 2007, I was already running in Spa-Francorchamps with Spyker F1.

"The track has a very famous corner, the 'Eau Rouge' and there are a lot of up and downs. The weather conditions are very unique and it may change very quickly.

"We will need a good speed in the fast corners and also a good downforce on the car. We expect that the track layout suits our car and we try to do our best again."

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Pirelli won't get help from Bridgestone

They may not be competitors on the track but that doesn't mean Bridgestone will be handing over any information to Pirelli.

Pirelli are set to take over from Bridgestone as F1's tyre supplier next season and have already conducted their first test.

The Italian tyre manufacturer spent two days at Mugello earlier this week with Nick Heidfeld using a 2009 Toyota chassis to test the tyres.

Pirelli already have further test scheduled and will need as much track-time as possible as they won't be getting any help from Bridgestone.

"I am sure as a supplier of GP3, Pirelli has already collected enough information for Formula One," a Bridgestone spokesman told motorsport-magazin.

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'Handicapped' Schumi: I'll try my best

Although Michael Schumacher admits his grid slot penalty will handicap him in Spa, he is determined to "make the best" of the weekend.

Schumacher is eagerly anticipating his return to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit next weekend, as not only is this the track where he made his F1 debut but he also claimed six Belgian GP victories.

However, any chance of a seventh was put to rest last time out in Hungary when the German was slapped with a ten grid-slot penalty for 'illegally impeding' Rubens Barrichello by almost putting him into the wall as the Williams driver overtook him.

"Spa has always been my favourite race track and so for that reason alone, I am really looking forward to going back and racing there. It has been ages since I have last been there," said Schumacher.

Our weekend will obviously be handicapped by my grid penalty and consequently it will be difficult to expect special things from the race.

"On the other hand, every racing kilometre is important and welcome because we can learn from it with regards to our car."

He added: "I will definitely try to make the best out of the weekend."

Meanwhile, team boss Ross Brawn admits the summer break has not helped Mercedes GP's cause in attempting to find a way back towards the sharp end of the grid.

"The summer shutdown has been a well-deserved opportunity for our staff to have a break in the middle of the season but we are all looking forward to the racing getting underway again with the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend.

"With the shutdown, we have had limited time to work on the car since Hungary, however we will do our best to have a good weekend in Spa to kick-off the final run of seven races to the end of the season."