For me he’s an idiot who should be penalised

For me he’s an idiot who should be penalised.” The German had to settle for 10th place, just ahead of his team-mate, Felipe Massa.It won’t have helped Heidfeld’s demeanour to see his former partner Kimi Raikkonen coming out on top of the McLaren team battle, the dour Finn tigering his way round to the fifth fastest time of 1:20.133 to edge out the former British Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, who had held the upper hand for much of the weekend. “The third row is what we expected,” said the philosophical Scot. “So far this year our race performance has been better than qualifying, so I’m looking forward to racing in front of my home crowd.” Unlike the N?rgring, where Ferrari undid the BMW Williams cars’ qualifying form within half a lap of the race. It is more difficult to overtake at Silverstone, which places a premium on solid race strategy. It’s tough to see Ferrari losing, but by the same token the red cars looked a shoe-in for pole until Montoya found the Big One.. MondayIn Piccadilly, Audi host the evening launch of Flat Out, Flat Broke (Haynes, £17.99) by Perry McCarthy, whose F1 debut with the hapless and hopeless Andrea Moda team in 1992 was a cross between the Keystone Cops and Don Quixote. Every now and then a racing book breaks the mould and appeals to a wider audience This is one, irreverent and hysterically funny.

The colourful McCarthy does for F1 what Bill Bryson did for travel writing. But beneath the black humour and wisecracks lies an inspiring and at times poignant story of that rarest racer: one who never gave up and was prepared to die trying. Monday
In Piccadilly, Audi host the evening launch of Flat Out, Flat Broke (Haynes, £17.99) by Perry McCarthy, whose F1 debut with the hapless and hopeless Andrea Moda team in 1992 was a cross between the Keystone Cops and Don Quixote. Reacting to suggestions that he required great bravery to allow photos to be taken, he laughs “Huh, was a press conference. A journalist asks: ‘Lauda, what does you wife do now?’ I ask him what does he mean? ‘Does she still want to sleep with you now you are ugly?’ In Brazil the following season this guy is interviewing me I have won an award for something. So I say to him, ‘Weren’t you the guy at the press conference last year?’ He says yes. I tell him, ‘In that case you can have this trophy and shove it up your ass.’”WednesdayAs Cosworth allow journalists the unusual luxury of close inspection of their latest F1 engine hardware, Arrows, their customers, are in the High Court, where Mr Justice Lightman is hearing an action by Morgan Grenfell and Deutsche Bank against Arrows Grand Prix International, Arrows Autosports, TWR Group, Tom Walkinshaw and others to prevent Walkinshaw selling the debt-ridden team to new investors without paying them compensation.

Ironically, the Arrows drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi are part of the Cosworth visit; Arrows must pay Cosworth Racing $4.7m before the British GP, or they won’t receive the electronic engine-control units without which the engines will not function.ThursdayThe Arrows cars arrive at the Silverstone track late in the afternoon in a plain white transporter, as copies of Justice Lightman’s corruscating decision filter through the paddock. The 17-page judgment attacks Arrows’ business management methods and ethics, describing the defendants as “underhand and improper, indeed downright dishonest”, and asserting that “AGPI is prepared to say or do anything which it thinks best suits its interests”. The judge concludes that AGPI has long been insolvent, and adds: “I think that if the management of Arrows is placed in competent and honest hands something of real value may be salvaged for Morgan Grenfell Private Equity and other creditors I am concerned for all the creditors of Arrows. The management of Arrows, however, are responsible for the prolonged insolvent trading and if Arrows goes into liquidation, administration or receivership (as appears practically inevitable) creditors may have to seek relief against the directors in proceedings for wrongful and fraudulent trading.”On a lighter note, there’s a children’s party in McLaren Mercedes’ opulent headquarters, where Lisa Dennis, wife of the team principal, Ron, launches her new range of children’s books (Pocket Books, £6.99). Each is set at a different circuit on the F1 calendar and revolves around the adventures of cartoon racing cars – headstrong Mac and cool Lauren. Silverstone’s book is called Rainy Races…FridayAs rain sweeps Silverstone, the two Arrows cars of Frentzen and Bernoldi sit in the garage as the rest of the field powerboat their way around the sodden track.In the evening, F1’s beautiful people repair to nearby Stowe School for the British Grand Prix Ball.SaturdayAs Prince Andrew is escorted around by Sir Jackie Stewart, whose sterling efforts on behalf of the British Racing Drivers’ Club have done so much to safeguard Silverstone’s future, Tom Walkinshaw’s cars fire up down the pit lane.

The Scot admits that he has paid Cosworth Racing from his own pocket to make this race, and that he is now considering three offers to buy all or part of his troubled team. “I would be optimistic that the future of Arrows is secure,” he says. “The basis of doing something is in place, and I don’t see a doomsday scenario is looming.” Frentzen qualifies in 16th place on the grid and Bernoldi 18th. Silverstone track facts Lap length: 3.194 miles (5.141km).Race distance: 191.604 miles (308.356km) (60 laps).Lap record: Mika Hakkinen (Finland) 1min 23.405sec (McLaren, 2001), average speed 137.882 mph.Last year: Pole position: Michael Schumacher Fastest lap: Mika Hakkinen. Result: 1 Hakkinen, 2 Michael Schumacher, 3 Rubens Barrichello.Other recent winners: 1992: Nigel Mansell ‘93: Alain Prost ‘94: Damon Hill ‘95: Johnny Herbert ‘96 and ‘97: Jacques Villeneuve ‘98: Michael Schumacher.