The Critical Mass

After every Grand Prix the drivers who finish from fourth on downwards leave the back of the FIA scrutineering bay after completing a personal weight check. There they face a barrage of TV cameras awaiting comments on the race. No one is obliged to stop, and if a driver has had a dire afternoon, he very often just pushes his way through the mob, the look of thunder on his face telling the hopeful interviewers that this is not the right time.

On Sunday at Hockenheim, Giancarlo Fisichella did just that, heading straight back to the sanctuary of the Renault motorhome. You could hardly blame him, considering the afternoon he had. But his teammate Fernando Alonso, ever the professional, faced up to his responsibilities. After running his hands though his hair, he stopped to give his verdict to the Spanish and Latin American TV crews, and after that, turned to the international broadcasters.