Grapevine: Paddock Life - Silverstone edition

Honda Racing pulled off a bit of a coup in getting Beckham and wife Victoria to Silverstone on race day, but everyone was surprised at the massive level of interest his attendance sparked.

A swarm of fans, photographers and interested onlookers crowded around the pair as they ventured out of Bernie Ecclestone's motorhome and then tried moving down the paddock. People fell over each other, arms and legs tangled and there was chaos as they edged their way down the paddock.

It all amused Renault's director of engineering Pat Symonds, who watched the scene unfold in front of his eyes as he chatted in front of one of his team's trucks.

Honda Racing boss Nick Fry, who joined the Beckhams for lunch, was pleased that his team had briefly taken away some of the limelight from Britain's world championship leader.

"Lunch with the Beckhams was good fun," said Fry. "I have to say that I probably spoke a bit more to David than Victoria, but he is a charming, normal chatty guy.

"And the best thing was both of them absolutely loved today and they really enjoyed it and it was nice. Many people have tried to get them to come to Grands Prix, and possibly we competed with Lewis Hamilton for publicity today."

Prodrive boss David Richards may be a busy man, as he continues preparations for his new Formula One team, but that was not going to stop him from holding his annual summer BBQ for his friends in the media.

Richards first held the event when he was team boss at BAR, and it was such a success that it has now become a regular fixture on F1's social calendar.

Last year's poor weather saw the event move inside a special marquee at his amazing house for a sit down meal, and it was such a success that the format was repeated again this time.

Richards would have loved to have been able to announce his F1 plans at the dinner, but instead had to settle on saying that everything was on course and that matters should be sorted within the next few weeks.

But judging by the laughs, table banging and constant trail of wine bottles being ferried to the tables, Richards could have announced that he had signed Lewis Hamilton for next year and most of the journalists present would not have remembered in the morning...

Alexander Wurz had a new look in the British Grand Prix as he wore a special helmet that had been part of a competition design.

Williams sponsors Hamleys ran a contest to design the Austrian driver's racing lid for Silverstone, and it was 12-year-old Suffolk fan Summer Finlay whose idea came out on top.

Wurz chose the red and white design, and he was presented with it just prior to the start of Sunday's race by Summer herself.

"Dad and I love Formula One and we always watch the races live, even if it is in the middle of the night," she said.

"I've always loved the sport, and the chance to design a helmet was too good to miss. I wanted to use Alex's national colours and his initials, and that was the basis of my idea."

The Silverstone weekend proved that Formula One is not just about take, take, take - as new charity initiatives were launched.

Red Bull Racing unveiled their 'Faces for Charity' car, which had helped raise half a million US dollars for the Wings for Life foundation.

The RB3s of David Coulthard and Mark Webber were covered in 30,000 pictures that had been supplied by fans eager to get their mug-shot on the cars.

But the money raised by that plan could be dwarfed if an auction for a special edition of the new Formula One Opus book achieves its ambition.

The first edition of the limited edition spectacular was signed by Lewis Hamilton, Damon Hill and Bernie Ecclestone in the paddock on Friday, and other stars are due to add their signatures at every Grand Prix for the next 12 months - while the book is put up for auction.

It is hoped that the money raised by the rolling auction, which will go to charity, will result in the book becoming the most expensive ever.

That honour currently rests with a copy of the American classic illustrated book Birds of America, which was sold by former racing driver Johnny Dumfries for £5.5 million GBP in 2000.