Ah, the glamour of Formula One... travelling home from Mercedes F1 in Brackley this week and my car conked out on the M40. I had to stand in the snow for an hour or so waiting for the AA chap, who was unable to get me going again and had to tow me off the… continue...
Currently sitting in my hotel room at the Novotel, Milan Linate, having waited all day for a flight back to London, only to be defeated by the snow. Now booked on to the 7.30am flight in the morning. With luck Heathrow will have got its act together by then.… continue...
First official assignment of the New Year done and dusted... Sergio Perez's first day at McLaren (apart from a seat-fitting towards the end of last year). The Mexican was a little late arriving, having flown in from Mexico, but once in situ wasted little… continue...
Waiting in a departure lounge at JFK for my final flight of a mammoth F1 season. Just got off an overnighter from Sao Paulo. Someone worked out a couple of weeks ago that we will have been in the air for 200hrs by the end of this year covering the 20 races… continue...
Another day of intense frustration in the travel department - it's taking us hours to get in and out - but no such problems for Sebastian Vettel. The German topped FP3 and then all three rounds of qualifying to claim pole from McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, his… continue...
The Circuit of the Americas is an exciting new development; great-looking track, plenty of interesting corners etc But they don't half make it tricky for you to get in and get out. After a couple of practice sessions dominated by Sebastian Vettel, we tried… continue...
Up predictably early - my body clock is somewhere between India and Abu Dhabi I believe - and into the circuit by 9am. With the six-hour time difference to the UK everything out here happens early. The main FIA press conference took place at 11am and featured… continue...
Just arrived at my hotel in downtown Austin after a marathon journey out here. There's no international terminal in Austin so I connected in Dallas with half the F1 paddock. Allied to America's famously stringent immigration control, it meant the whole journey… continue...
An increasing problem of late has been the length of time it has taken stewards to reach decisions which can have a major bearing on qualifying/race. I'm thinking of Singapore in September when we didn't know for three hours whether Sebastian Vettel - the… continue...
Wedding party on way back from Buddh International circuit this evening. The roads in Delhi are always mental but this hold-up made quite a nice change from hair-raising lane changing and blatant disregard for traffic lights. Not a great race today but good… continue...
Another week, another race. As I pack my bags and head out the door for Heathrow, and thence to Delhi/Abu Dhabi, it really feels as if we’re in the home straight now. Thank God. I love my job but the end to this season is brutal. Six races in eight weeks,… continue...
The Korean Grand Prix is not too popular with the F1 fraternity. Travelling for days to deepest, darkest South Korea to stay in 'love motels' and spend four days at a deserted track on the shores of the Yellow Sea does not hold much appeal. That said, I do… continue...
Here we go again. Another week of Lewis Hamilton intrigue. Will he stay or will he go? In many respects it's a shame that what is developing into a brilliant title race is being overshadowed by all the kerfuffle over Hamilton's future. Then again, it should… continue...
The major talking point at Spa this weekend has not been the extraordinary qualifying session which saw Jenson Button take his first pole for McLaren on his 50th race for the team. It has not been about the speed of the Saubers or Pastor Maldonado's brilliant… continue...
Was interviewing Ben Ainslie this morning on a boat on the Thames when suddenly he produced from a nearby suitcase the five Olympic medals he has won during his career. London certainly the biggest. I quite like the look of the silver from Atlanta 1996. continue...
It wasn't in the script but it's certainly made the first week down in Weymouth and Portland that bit more dramatic. Six races into the Finn class in the Olympic regatta and three-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie, considered by many to be nailed on for gold,… continue...
My midseason F1 break has begun early. I'll be missing the grand prix in Hungary this weekend - the only race I'm missing this year - to cover Olympic sailing down in Weymouth. Arrived today for a press conference featuring a few of the Team GB athletes including… continue...
A 3D model of a possible London Grand Prix route on display at the Royal Automobile Club on Thursday night. continue...
Every so often a great little story crosses your path and the surprise F1 bid for the Olympic Stadium this week was just such a story. While there is virtually no chance of it happening - Bernie Ecclestone told me he hasn't put his name to it and West Ham… continue...
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh smiles but his drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton look far more circumspect a couple of hours after qualifying. Button qualified 9th and his championship hopes are receding with each passing race. Hamilton put… continue...
The group track run around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last night was graced by the presence of McLaren's Jenson Button and his girlfriend Jessica Michibata. They ran together at a sedate pace for a lap before Button tore off on his own to do a second lap,… continue...
