Grapevine: News from the Paddock - Spanish GP

Sauber's New Shoes

Sauber are bidding to become the height of fashion this season with the arrival of their new range of Ammann footwear - but it seems the team have something altogether different on the agenda. Swiss shoe company Ammann has teamed up with the Swiss team to create designs "inspired by the unique style of Sauber Petronas." However, according to Sauber the company is involved in dentistry, after a slight mistake on the press release suggested Ammann were releasing "toofwear" products. Still, that blip erased, the Sauber-logoed shoe collection, which includes three different pairs of team shoes and two pairs of shoes dedicated to drivers Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld, was presented in the garage on Thursday.

Half-Century Spoil Sport

For Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, the location of his 50th race could not have worked out any better. On his home circuit, in front of his home fans, the Jaguar star will rack up his half-century in Formula One and his team made sure they made the most of it by presenting him with a tasty cake. Not that de la Rosa seemed to care less that he had reached a significant landmark. "50, 51, it doesn't really matter," he said on the Thursday before the race. Perhaps, then, the team should have kept the cake for themselves.

Life's a Beach at BAR

British American Racing continued their season-long efforts at entertaining in the paddock when they held a fashion show on Thursday evening at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. With temperatures rocketing up to 30 degrees in the outskirts of the Spanish coastal town, it was no wonder the ware on display was fit for the beach. But the female members of the team were left disappointed when drivers Olivier Panis and Jacques Villeneuve did not partake in the pitlane display of team sponsor Brunotti's "racy" range of swimwear and left it to the professional models instead.

Felipe's 21st

Felipe Massa celebrated his 21st birthday in style on the Thursday before the Spanish Grand Prix with the help of his Sauber 'family'. With no track running on the day there was plenty of time for Massa to have fun, and he kicked off the day with a visit to the ATP tennis tournament, which is currently being played in Barcelona this week. Massa is, according to sources, quite an impressive player and he took to the practice courts to do battle with Brazilian number two Fernando Meligeni before meeting world number one Leyton Hewitt, of Australia.

The team then presented him with his first cake of the day - complete with candles - before heading to the circuit for the usual Thursday amble. There, he presented Sauber's new range of shoes and received another cake, with an icing replica of his shoe design but no candles because fire is not allowed in the pitlane.

Next stop on a busy day was a restaurant called La Masseria (as close as the team could get to the youngster's name!) and some champagne-less celebrations with all the Brazilian Formula 3000 drivers, including Williams test driver Antonio Pizzonia, as well as Brazilian television personalities and, most importantly, Massa's mother and father and his sister. Countryman Rubens Barrichello was due to make an appearance, but he was forced to send an apology note when his Ferrari team boss Jean Todt insisted he joined technical director Ross Brawn and teammate Michael Schumacher instead.

Massa was given plenty of presents throughout the day, but perhaps the most amusing gift was presented to him by his teammate Nick Heidfeld - a signed t-shirt and cap from the German's own range of merchandise!