Hill has become very good at this sort of event no doubt because he has had plenty of practice

Hill has become very good at this sort of event, no doubt because he has had plenty of practice. Looking relaxed, he talked the guests around a lap of the circuit before being interviewed by whoever was hosting that particular marquee.Each audience – three visits in 25 minutes – lapped up the patter. Televisions relaying the action from the track so you don’t have to interrupt your lunch just because Formula One practice is between one and two o’clock.
And what a lunch. Those lucky souls with the correct accreditation, entertainers and entertainees all, are in for a treat. This is life for the corporately hospitalised at Silverstone A nice big tent in a delicate shade of the palest mauve. Why the haste? Having finished the most important part of his job for the day, he was off to play his second most important role: keeping the sponsors happy. The Paddock Club is a little village of marquees just inside Bridge Corner, jealously guarded by slab-like, utterly humourless bouncers.

If You think Damon Hill gets around Silverstone pretty quickly in his Williams-Renault, you should see him on foot. Signing autographs on the move – a vital skill for the modern grand prix driver – he covered the quarter-mile between the Paddock and the Paddock Club in six and a half minutes, pretty nifty work surrounded by an adoring crowd. The last words broadcast on Radio Tyrrell yesterday were – like their speaker – short, vehement and Japanese.. But Katayama and Densham had found a successful balance, and held the 12th-fastest time.The little Japanese driver was determined to improve still further, and looked about to when on his last flying lap he came across Mika Hakkinen’s dawdling McLaren His lap was compromised; Katayama was irate. You’ve got less downforce.” Out he went, followed two minutes later by Katayama.Brown’s ploy of adjusting the rear wing failed to do the trick, and Salo’s best effort was good enough for only 16th place on the grid for today’s race. “I don’t think the track is going to change much in the final 10 minutes of the session,” he said “I’d think about going now.” “OK, Mika,” Brown said “This is your last two timed laps. “He came out of the pits right in front of me, screwed up the lap completely right at the start.”Brown and Salo discussed the car’s handling, and decided to reduce the downforce from the rear wing in pursuit of a little more straight-line speed.

“Wing four plus ten,” Brown commanded, and three mechanics instantly set to making the changes.From the pit wall, Nielsen urged his team on. This is too light.” Salo was told of his team-mate’s views about the track before he too blasted out of the pit.The Finn returned an unhappy man, not so much with his car as with Eddie Irvine, the Ferrari driver having got in his way right at the beginning of his first quick lap. Brown, his engineer, produced a computer comparison of the lap against his fastest lap from the morning session. “See, you have made a gain under braking into Copse, also at the Complex. But you have lost a little time at Beckett’s.” “That was Irvine,” Salo responded. As he passed the pit on his first “flying” lap, a Yamaha engineer called out the oil and water temperatures beamed from the car “97 110.” Satisfactory.Densham debriefed Katayama on his return. “The balance is better than this morning,” the Japanese driver reported, “but still slippery, yeah? And I want to change my helmet.

Nielsen watched the lap times of the first few cars out on the track, then alerted his team. “How much notice do you need, Tim?” “Three minutes.” “In that case I’d go now, then.” Densham primed Katayama “Two timed laps. Remember you’ve got new brakes.” The Tyrrell’s Yamaha engine boomed into life, and Katayama peeled on to the circuit. Will that affect us at all?” Apparently not: a bigger wing might help.The early runners rumbled past down the pit lane, the floor shook as a Minardi fired up next door.