Grapevine: More News from the Paddock - Austrian GP

Another Sauber Birthday Boy

Just two weeks and a day after Sauber's Brazilian youngster Felipe Massa celebrated his 21st birthday in style, with the team at the Spanish Grand Prix, there was another "family" celebration as their other driver, Nick Heidfeld, turned 25 and passed another landmark year. But there was not much celebration for the German driver because his practice session went terribly and he stopped out on the circuit with an electrical problem. "So far it has been a disappointing 25th birthday for me," he said.

But things became a little brighter once Heidfeld's work was over as the team held a private birthday dinner for him at their motorhome in the A1-Ring paddock. And the celebrations did not stop there because the following night team sponsors Credit Suisse invited him out for a restaurant dinner.

Paddock Titters

British American Racing's 'Lucky Tribe' event team delighted tired paddock members with a chilled-out film and food evening in their team motorhome on Friday night. The paddock buzzed with laughter as assembled Formula One personnel from media and sponsors to team boss David Richards himself chuckled along to the Peter Sellers classic 'The Party'. The film was a bit of light relief for the cigar-smoking Richards, who arrived fresh from a dinner meeting in a quiet room upstairs in the motorhome, just hours after a gruelling 3-hour meeting with other team principals to discuss re-shaping Formula One.

More Minardi Money Woes

For some teams a $1,000 fine may not be too painful, but for budget airline traveller Mark Webber, it is a significant amount of cash. Webber flew back from the Spanish Grand Prix on EasyJet to get away early after his rear wing failed and the team pulled out of the race, so the hefty fine slapped on the Australian Minardi driver after he was found to be speeding down the pitlane at 63.6 km/h in Saturday's second timed session was not at all welcome.

Have Your Cake and Eat It

Austrian Niki Lauda has something to celebrate this year, because it is the 30th year since his full season debut as a driver. He has, for his home race, been staying at the same hotel, located in a small village near the circuit, for some years. And the owner of his hotel took great delight in presenting the long-serving racer and now Jaguar team boss with a special cake to commemorate the anniversary - on top of which sat a model Jaguar.

A delighted Lauda hoped that it would be the first sweet thing that he would taste this weekend as the icing on the cake, so to speak, would be more points for his faltering Jaguar squad in this weekend's race.