Grapevine: News from the Paddock

Montoya Shows New Side to his Character

Juan Pablo Montoya displayed a new side of his character on Friday when, frustrated by failing to complete a competitive lap in practice for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix, he managed to control his temper. The Colombian said that a few years ago he would have been throwing his gloves across the garage in a tantrum. Montoya said he has mellowed after his experiences with the Toyota team in Indycar racing last year, where he finished only five out of 21 races.

"He was so exasperated, he was beyond cursing and swearing really," said Williams technical director Patrick Head. "I think he just gave himself a mental beta-blocker, so to speak, and just stood alongside the car and waited for the guys working on it."

Montoya's car had suffered a mechanical fuel pump problem on Friday morning and then an alternator failure in the afternoon, said Head. "It looks as if one is connected to the other... anyway, it will have to be investigated, but it certainly all comes under the heading, as you say, of character-building. Not really ideal for him, when you consider this is a new circuit for him," Head added

Barrichello Escapes the Lightning

Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello almost had a shocking start to his race weekend in Malaysia as he narrowly avoided being struck by lightning on Wednesday. Brazilian Barrichello arrived at the Sepang circuit in the middle of a tropical storm and the bolt of lightening struck nearby.

Barrichello is now hoping for a hair-raising experience in the race as he bids to secure his second career win.

Girls, Girls, Girls

McLaren driver David Coulthard and BAR's Jacques Villeneuve both received unwelcome publicity in a Kuala Lumpur publication on Friday. A double page spread on the glamour girls of F1 included photographs and special features on the departed girlfriends of both Coulthard and Villeneuve. In a piece entitled 'They love their women', the Kuala Lumpur Star used pictures of Dannii Minogue, who has recently split from Villeneuve, and Heidi Wichlinski, who was Coulthard's fiancÃ©e.

The article also included pictures of Sauber driver Kimi Raikkonen's girlfriend Hanna and his teammate Nick Heidfeld's girlfriend Patricia shortly before they were allegedly warned by their team to keep away from the two drivers because they distract them from their work. Meanwhile, in the article, Michael Schumacher said that his wife Corinna was the single most important influence on his life.

Sauber's Unsung Heroes

Two unsung members of the Sauber team have become stars. Kamarulzaman Ahmad and Amhad Izahan are both members of the Sauber team and got the star treatment from the local media. Kamarulzaman, 26, is an electronics engineer in charge of the Sauber gearbox and he joined the team from the Petronas Supertouring cars outfit in South Africa. Amhad, 28, writes software for the car.

"I did not in my wildest dreams expect to be part of F1 but I'm enjoying every minute of it," said Kamarulzaman. "I guess I am one of the lucky ones. Initially, I was thrilled. But after a few races I realised the heavy responsibility of my job as an electronics engineer." Both have been photographed and featured heavily in the local media.

Villeneuve Gets Cautious

British American Racing managing director Craig Pollock has explained the meticulous methods of his driver, and friend, Jacques Villeneuve. Pollock revealed the detailed preparation and attention that 1997 World Champion Villeneuve pays to his cockpit before he goes out on track. Pollock said Villeneuve takes time to check and re-check everything because he does not want anything to go wrong. "And of course he is absolutely right," said Pollock.

Pollock said Villeneuve never hurries because he knows it may be a wrongly fitted seat-belt or something else that could lead to tragedy. Pollock's comments come after Villeneuve's involvement in the crash that led to the death of a race marshal in Australia.

Panis and Prost Reunite

British American Racing's new driver Olivier Panis joined up with his old French friends from the Prost team on holiday in Bali, in Indonesia, en route to Kuala Lumpur from Melbourne. "It was like old times and great fun for everyone," said a Prost insider. "And it was fun to have Olivier around and to see the old 'dream team' together."

Steady Eddie

Jordan team chief Eddie Jordan arrived late for the Malaysian GP event, flying in on Friday and going straight into the paddock. After his driver Jarno Trulli posted the top time in Friday's practice he was delighted but jet lagged. A reporter asked him for a quote and he said: "It is always better to go fast than to go slow...."