News Briefs from Barcelona

When the Formula 1 circuit moves from track to track, there are always a few anecdotes and snippets associated with it. Here are the latest snippets from Barcelona.

A “grid boy” on the grid for Timo Glock

The German Toyota driver was surprised to see that, on the starting grid, it was not a woman but a man holding his sign with his number. “I had never seen that before,” Glock said with a smile. “However, it was a woman who carried the German flag,” he added.

Webber pays tribute

Mark Webber dedicated his podium to his father, who is currently hospitalized following a sudden illness that occurred shortly after the Chinese Grand Prix. “Dad is a little sick at the moment but we are crossing our fingers,” revealed the Red Bull driver.

His podium in Spain also came exactly 50 years after Sir Jack Brabham’s first victory, a three-time Formula 1 world champion. « He did a lot for Formula 1 » according to Webber.

Ross Brawn stands in solidarity with the economic crisis

Although his team and drivers dominate the world championship standings, Ross Brawn remains grounded and is more aware than ever that his team must also make savings. Gone are the private jets and pilots, as the Brawn GP director returned to England with the low-cost airline EasyJet.

Nico Rosberg takes the victory

In the north of Italy, in Aosta, Nico Rosberg won a poker tournament the week before the Spanish Grand Prix. Among his opponents were Michael Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella, Vitantonio Liuzzi, and Eddie Irvine. All the winnings were then donated to a humanitarian association.

Lewis Hamilton honored in Spain…

It’s the Friday before the race that the organizers of the Spanish Grand Prix officially inducted the McLaren driver into the “Avenue of Champions,” which notably includes Senna, Piquet, Mansell, Schumacher, and Alonso. The ceremony, attended by Bernie Ecclestone, saw Hamilton unveil a plaque bearing his signature and the words “Thank you for your passion and support.”

…But also a victim of racism

Some racist behavior was once again highlighted in Spain during this race weekend. It is known that the tense relationship between Alonso and Hamilton in 2007 caused a significant dislike from the Spanish public towards the English driver, and these behaviors had already been observed during winter testing in Spain. The FIA described the situation as “serious” and stated that they would investigate the issue, potentially leading to reprimands for the Catalan circuit.