Grapevine: Germans Win F1's Cup Final

In the biggest event of the Grand Prix year, Formula One journalists swapped laptops for studded boots on Thursday when they gave up work early to pile into the little Magny-Cours village for a five team seven-a-side football tournament.

Host country France, playing in traditional blue and labelled with the name 'Frogs' across their chests took on Germany ('Krauts'), Italy ('Spags'), England ('Rostbifs') and the 'United Nations' ('Fast Food') in a hotly-contested event which was eventually won by defeated World Cup country Germany - with the help of World Champion Michael Schumacher.

Local children were out in support, chanting 'Mick-eye-ell' from the goalmouth every time their hero touched the ball, and he ensured their long-lasting support all the way to the end by refusing to sign autographs until the final whistle of the final game. Instead, the signature-hungry kids turned to star players, including the England team's goalie, to fill their pages, even though the journalists were pleading 'I'm not famous, you don't want me!'

Scot David Coulthard made a brief but welcome appearance when he rushed in on his moped to cheer on the England team from the sidelines. The jeans-sporting racer explained: "It's too dangerous for me to play".

With some of the crunching tackles he was quite right. One sidelined journalist, critical of the early play from a team which rushed up to score only to let in a crucial goal at the other end, said: "I am not surprised you don't want to play if you have to play with this lot!"

Coulthard whizzed off after half a match, insisting that he had "a better evening" lined up and he donned his helmet and zoomed away on his scooter, waving to the England team as he sped off to his favoured destination.

On the pitch, Schumacher, was not the only driver on to pull on his boots as Austrian Alexander Wurz, currently McLaren test driver but looking hard for a race drive in 2003, played for the United Nations, and former Leyton House driver Ivan Capelli played for Italy. But the English were left without their star (Spanish) player when Renault test driver Fernando Alonso failed to turn up to bolster their ageing squad.

While the Germans played out professional victory after professional victory on their way to the tournament title, the English had to be content with a consolation victory against the 'French', made all the more special as the 'Frogs' consisted of mostly British players as the locals were all on deadlines for their work.

But the final 4-0 victory from the Germans left the English heading for the changing rooms heads bowed, despite a credible performance which even included a tussle between a television commentator and World Champion Schumacher!

The tournament, all played in the name of fun, was a great success, it left plenty of tired and aching journalists in the media centre the following day - and it added another trophy to the Schumacher mantle piece.