Grapevine: Final News from the Paddock

Silly Season Latest

As the driver roundabout continues to spin, the latest rumours claim Formula One's latest hot property Anthony Davidson (who was an ever present member of the Grand Prix scene before being plunged into the limelight with Minardi) is now the target of Eddie Jordan.

It is understood that the young Briton could swap his test role with BAR for one with Jordan for next year and that current Jordan driver Takuma Sato will get a testing seat with the Brackley-based team. Eddie Irvine, backed by Benson and Hedges, would take Sato's race seat at Jordan and the Japanese driver would be lined up by BAR to replace Jacques Villeneuve at the team in 2004. The roundabout, however, will keep on spinning for some time yet.

Been Around the World...

Formula One regular Lisa Stansfield appeared again at Spa this weekend, about seven years since her 'Grand Prix debut'. The popstar, made famous for her song 'Been Around The World' has certainly made a point of travelling around the globe with the F1 circus as much as she can - trying to ensure she gets at least one race invite per season. "I first got into it because of Eddie Irvine," she said. "Now I have got the buzz." She has been the guest of all the top teams in the past, with Ferrari, McLaren, Williams, and Jordan all having the pleasure of her company. This time, in Spa with her husband, she was a guest of Renault, and watched the race from a vantage point above Eau Rouge.

Fast Guests

Renault had plenty of guests on their VIP list at Spa this year, and two of their visitors could not have been more at home. At a circuit that is often drenched with rain and can end up notoriously slippery, the team invited a pair of high-speed stars from ice and water. Close to the border between Belgium and the Netherlands, Spa always attracts Dutch stars, and this time Renault's visitors were ice skating star Jochem Uytdehaage and swimmer Pieter van den Hoogenband. Both, however, remained elusive as they stayed in the swanky paddock club, away from the crowds.

Bikini Show

As Michael Schumacher stepped out of the press conference room onto a rooftop television interview area, the throbbing crowd below let out a mighty roar. But the cheers turned out not to be for the dominant five-time World Champion - the scarlet-clad male-dominated group were instead applauding a well-shaped Brazilianesque girl who was in the process of stripping down to a tiny red Ferrari-badged thong and bra. With a little wiggle she signalled that the show was over and the crowd returned their eyes to the race winner Schumacher - but it just proved the German may have the biggest following, but Brazilian Barrichello, perhaps, has the prettiest.