Brazilian significantly shortens his Renault

Footage of Piquet’s nasty collision with barriers on both sides during last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. Of course, it was all a ploy to set team-mate Fernando Alonso up for victory!

Why do Kimi and co. love Spa so much?

Ask any F1 driver today what his favourite circuit is, and the majority will answer Spa. You can see why. It’s fast, long, scenic, challenging and uncontrived - in short, it’s a stone-cold classic track. Above all though, it has a whiff of danger that so few tracks possess these days - f**k up at Spa and the consequences can be serious. No F1 driver wants to risk his life in a car, but they all love the turbo boost of adrenaline that comes with taking a corner like Eau Rouge flat out.

With the Belgian GP just a few days away, here’s what the key players have to say about Spa. And it’s all good:

Thursday is walkin’ day

None of the F1 drivers has had a chance to actually drive a full lap of Valencia yet - that chance will come tomorrow. For now though, it’s time to don a pair of sensible shoes and walk around the circuit:

Fernando Alonso checks out his second “home” track of the season.

More photos below…

Lewis and co. preview Spain’s new street circuit

What do the drivers think about Valencia? Here’s what:

Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
“I know Valencia, because we’ve done several tests here last winter, but now we’re racing in the city on a new track: I’m sure it will be a great atmosphere. I’ve seen the new track only from the position of an on-board camera and it seems to be very fast for a street circuit. I always love to drive on new tracks and I am always very quick to know them. I can’t wait to race at Valencia.”

More selected driver quotes after the jump…

Three vids to make Felipe Massa feel better

1. 1982 Monaco Grand Prix
Poor Didier Pironi led on the final lap but his car broke down in the famous tunnel. Andrea de Cesaris then stopped on the approach to the casino complex, allowing Riccardo Patrese - who had already spun out - to trundle over the finishing line in his re-started Brabham.

More below:

Three classic vids from the British GP, hand-picked for you

1. The incomparably cool James Hunt, minutes after winning the 1976 British GP. You have to respect the man’s ability to bum a cigarette.

This way for two more great clips…

Who got lost in France?

Five winners:

1. Felipe Massa (1st) Won a race that he didn’t really deserve to win, though that’s no criticism of Ferrari’s No.2, who could yet win the world title - especially if Kimi continues to have zero luck.

2. Nelson Piquet Jnr (7th) Wouhou, at last! Junior brings his Renault home in a points-paying position. Now we could see a totally different Piquet. Or not.

Lewis, Jenson and mates “strut their stuff” for charity

Who needs a regular catwalk when you can walk around a luxury, open-air swimming pool in Monte Carlo?

And the “driver who should give up his day job and become a model” award goes to: Nelson Piquet Jnr, who looks like he’s walked straight out of a mail-order catalogue.

Meet Nelson Piquet Jr’s Brazilian model girlfriend

This is Gabriela Constantino, the new girlfriend of rookie F1 driver Nelson Piquet – yes, his dad is the original Nelson Piquet. What do we know about her? Well, she’s done a spot of modelling and she comes from a very rich Brazilian family. And she’s just 17 years old. Yowsa! Way too young for the likes of Grid Crasher (we’re very much in love anyway, so no amount of Brazilian girls can turn our head), but Nelson is only 22, so it’s an acceptable age gap.

Enjoy some of the ballsiest manoeuvres seen in Formula 1. Then tell us which ones we missed (or couldn’t find on YouTube)

1. Nigel Mansell on Nelson Piquet (Silverstone, 1987)

A classic dummy from Mansell, one of motorsport’s most fearless overtakers. Nige jinked left then powered through on Piquet’s right. The Silverstone crowd went wild.