Grapevine: News from the Paddock

Karting Fix

Mercedes delighted journalists at their pre-German Grand Prix media event on Wednesday by providing them with exactly what they crave for - one bunch of high-powered carts and one empty track. The German motor manufacturer, which holds an event before each race in their home country, provided everything, including professional karters to teach the journalists how to drive, but they still wiped the floor with their rivers David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen were also on hand to offer tips and lead a news conference, but there was nothing that could help any of the journalist teams as the Mercedes team blitzed the field in the ultra-competitive race and came out victors over everybody.

Cheap Trips

Regular budget traveller Mark Webber, Minardi's Australian star, was surrounded by unexpected acquaintances as he queued to check in onto his Ryanair flight to Frankfurt Hahn early on Thursday morning. Complete with packed-up bike, ready to ride around the newly re-constructed Hockenheim circuit, Webber waited alongside members of not only his under-funded Minardi team, but also key personnel from Irish-owned Jordan. Team principal Eddie Jordan had secured an astonishing deal for his staff to fly to the race at minimal cost, and even packed technical director Gary Anderson off onto the low-cost airline. Needless to say, of course, EJ himself, and his sidekick Ian Phillips, the team's commercial director, did not appear - probably choosing to fly on his own personal private jet instead.

Arrows Race

Surprisingly, Arrows were the first team to take to the track in this weekend's event at the Hockenheimring - but it was not their cars that were doing the racing, it was four team mechanics. Obviously bored of the last two races, where they have been left waiting in the garages as team boss Tom Walkinshaw discussed their future, and with a bit of spare time on their hands after having little work to do on the cars after they ran just four laps at the French Grand Prix, they decided to set up a line at the end of the pitlane and sprint towards a tape a small distance further down. But that was the end of the fun as the serious business began the following day, and Arrows returned to competition on the track.

Ready Replacement

By the time Giancarlo Fisichella had arrived at Hockenheim on Thursday, Jordan had already selected a replacement. The team discussed three possible options early in the week but were desperately hoping the Italian would be passed fit despite his heavy crash in the French Grand Prix. With points becoming more crucial after Honda-powered rivals British American Racing claimed five at Silverstone to move within one point of Jordan's sixth position, the team, who do not have a regular reserve or test driver this year, had got so far through the process of choosing Fisichella's replacement before heading to Germany that the chosen candidate visited the Silverstone factory for a seat fitting earlier in the week.

Technical chief Gary Anderson said: "We had no real worries about it and it is just this silly thing that he had to pass the medical on the Thursday before the Grand Prix that forced us to take the precautionary steps. We thought Giancarlo was fine. He was fine on Saturday night in France really, but you never know what someone else will think so we made sure we were well prepared to replace him if necessary."