Grapevine: Paddock Life - Nurburgring edition

Autosport.com has learnt that he will be getting married in June to girlfriend Johanna Martinez, and it is said a little Villeneuve could be on the way...

Midland has been forced to resort to using its DTM motorhome in the Nurburgring paddock this weekend after problems with its new Formula One version in Imola.

The structure stood out in Italy, but for all the wrong reasons. The team had struggled to prepare it on time and it looked unfinished, a stark contrast to the stunning BMW structure sitting beside it.

But the F1 team base will return at Barcelona next weekend following an "extensive renovation", according to the team.

BMW's presence outside the paddock has been given a boost by the launch of its F1 theme park opposite the circuit. Guests and the media were invited to its opening on Thursday evening, as Nick Heidfeld demonstrated the power of a BMW Sauber F1 car in a cramped Armco-lined arena.

The theme park, which also features F1 simulators, interactive technology exhibits and a BMW memorabilia shop, is open to the public over the weekend. Third driver Robert Kubica will carry out more F1 demos.

BMW plans to bring the F1 theme park to five other races this year, including Barcelona next week and Silverstone.

It might have been a quiet weekend for news in the Nurburging paddock, but a story of espionage between the Renault and Ferrari teams still failed to make an impact.

German tabloid Bild ran a story on Saturday saying that Renault had decrypted Ferrari's radio communications, much to the Italian team's chagrin. But when autosport.com asked Ferrari's Luca Colajanni what he thought about the story, he said: "I don't care what Bild says," and refused to comment further.

American Scott Speed lived up to his surname on Saturday and collected a $2,750 USD fine at the European Grand Prix for speeding in the pitlane. It was the second fine in three races for the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One driver.

In Australia last month, the 22-year-old Californian was fined $5,000 for swearing at David Coulthard, the Briton who drives for stablemates Red Bull, at a stewards' hearing that stripped the rookie of his first point in Formula One.