Grapevine: News from the Paddock - Hungarian GP

Flying High

Young Brazilian racer Felipe Massa never seems to shirk a challenge, so when he was invited to get his feet off the ground by world aerobatic champion Peter Beseneyei he jumped at the chance. Massa, who gets his fix of adrenaline off the track through sports such as water skiing and wake boarding, took to the skies with Beseneyei over the Hungaroring on the Thursday before the event for an eagle-eyed view of Budapest and the racetrack itself. Massa, however, is not one to be fazed by airborne action and the trip is unlikely to have made his stomach churn after a similar experience in a fighter jet at the Malaysian Grand Prix failed to make much of an impression on him.

Grounded

While Massa was up in the air doing acrobatics, his German teammate Nick Heidfeld took life at a more sedate pace with a visit to town to meet children from the "Karolyi Istvan Gyermekkozpont" home. Heidfeld, who is less of an adrenaline freak than Massa, spent time at the ARKAD shopping centre meeting the visitors alongside the centre's manager Laszlo Lelkes, before heading to the Hungaroring to begin preparation for this weekend's race.

Mercedes' Force Majeur

While Arrows were left pleading 'force majeur' after they failed to turn up for the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, affluent Mercedes were left apologising for another 'act of God' that forced them to alter a long-held tradition in the East European capital. But although the car giant, who partner McLaren on the Grand Prix grid, would have had less resistance for their claims of 'force majeur' after central Europe's high floods looked like forcing their yearly Danube boat trip to be ditched, they managed to let the show go on and avoid a similar postponement by simply changing the starting point to a different location. If only things were that easy for Arrows.

If Only Everything was as Reliable as..

If Skoda were ever to think of making an appearance in Formula One, as has oft been rumoured in recent years, then they must ensure they do a better job on the track than they do on some of their road cars in Budapest. The Volkswagen-owned motor manufacturer have done well to shed the poor image that in the past left their cars the butt of pub jokes but now see them well respected in the World Rally Championship.

But one journalist was left pitying their drivers after mechanical problems hindered his progress to the Hungaroring on Thursday - when he was left to negotiate the traffic in downtown Budapest without first gear. But, despite the problems, some nimble driving ensured the said hack still shot through the melee and beat all his rivals to the track.