DC fined, then told to “shut up” by Super Aguri backmarker
The broad-chinned Scot is having something of a season horribilis, so far at least. He has yet to score a single point in four grands prix for Red Bull, prompting many people to say “You’re a bit crap these days, hang up your racing gloves”, or words to that effect. He looks especially bad when team-mate Mark Webber is going round and round considerably faster than him.
On top of that, he has just been told to “shut up” by fellow Brit Anthony Davidson, who drives for Super Aguri. DC complained about the Honda-powered strugglers this week, calling them “Stupid Aguri” (clever, Dave, like your work).
John Force (pictured above, right) is a hot rod racing legend in the States. Maybe one day Hollywood will come a-knockin’ and make a shit TV movie about his life, perhaps starring Dennis Quaid. For now though, he’s best known as the man whose hot daughterAshley (pictured above, left) became the first woman ever to win an NHRA hot rod - or “Funny Car” - event, last week. Not only that, but she beat her dad in the process… when he was about to claim his 1,000th win. Plain selfish.
Bernie’s missus is tall and loaded. What else do you need to know?
The most amusing sight in F1 is wee Bernie Ecclestone (5ft 3in on a good day) walking around the paddock with his 6ft 2in ex-model wife, Slavica. Born in Croatia (then Yugoslavia) in 1958, Slavica is a giant of a woman. We also imagine she refers to everyone as “Dahhhling” in a heavy east-European accent.
We rank the hottest racers and riders in the world of motorsport
1. Kimi Raikkonen (F1)
Drove what he claimed was his best race to win in Spain last weekend, and could have gone faster if necessary. Leads the F1 drivers’ championship and now looks totally at ease in his Ferrari. A worthy No.1 in our inaugural rankings.
2. Troy Bayliss (World Superbikes)
Continued his relentless charge towards a third Superbikes world title with back-to-back wins at Assen. The 39-year-old Aussie is now 70 points ahead of his nearest rival, an uprecedented lead at this stage of the season.
Hollywood actresses in London for new Wachowksi brothers movie
The ever-delightful Christina Ricci turned up to the UK premiere of Speed Racer with the ever-delightful Susan Sarandon. Both actresses star in the blockbuster, which is a Hollywood adaptation of the Japanese anime Mach GoGoGo, a popular series about high-speed racing (duh). Sarandon admits she likes to drive at high speeds: “Thelma and Louisegot me, you know, into driving very fast and I continued to drive fast after that.”
Remember when Dutch F1 star caught fire in the pit lane?
At the 1994 German Grand Prix, Jos the Boss’s Benetton turned into a four-wheeled inferno. During his first scheduled pitstop during the race, fuel leaked onto the car after the fuel hose was disconnected, setting the car ablaze. He suffered no more than burns to the nose, thanks to the quick action of his pit crew.
Renault’s Spanish ace nearly crashed out on the parade lap
Imagine the scene if Fernando Alonso had spun off before the start of his home grand prix, in front of more than 100,000 adoring fans. We almost didn’t have to imagine it – Alonso very nearly did lose his car during the parade lap, whilst weaving from side to side to warm up his tyres. His Renault snaked onto the grass but he recovered in time, with a wall looming fast, and so managed to avoid what would have been one of the most embarrassing cock-ups in F1 history.
