Head laments loss of F1's character

Austria will lose its place on the F1 calendar after this season's race in a fortnight's time, a victim to F1's expansion further afield, to places such as Bahrain and China.

Many in the F1 paddock remember the splendour of the old Osterreichring and Head said: "We are tending to see modern venues designed to a formula and while the facilities are often first class, inevitably you lose some of the character.

"I remember the first time that Frank (Williams) and I arrived in Austria by car and the little pension that we were staying at was all closed up. We threw stones up at the window and one of our guys staying there opened it up. He threw the carpet down and we climbed up into the room.

"My room, which was about three feet by two, had this horrific smell and I just couldn't find it. It turned out that it was the family's son's room and his working boots were in the cupboard. I reckon he must have used them every day for 10 years! He'd obviously been chucked out somewhere so that they could rent his room...

"We don't stay at the same place today, but it's a similar farmhouse type of pension. I don't find the current circuit quite so interesting but it's still in wonderful countryside with its own character. The more places that are similar, the more we will miss that."