Thursday May 29th, 2003
Pink Jaguar
The Jaguar team are understood to have been trying to sell the space on their engine cover for years and they have finally managed to strike a deal - albeit a one-off sponsorship for this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix. The cat remains on the car's back but it has turned pink for this race and been given a diamond sparkle in its eye because of a link-up with the team's 'Diamond Glamour Programme'. The 'Pink Leaper', as it has been termed, has been created to celebrate the world debut of the 59.60 carat, internally flawless fancy pink diamond named the "Steinmetz Pink", which will be unveiled in Casino square on Thursday. Jaguar Cars chairman Bob Dover said: "Pink diamonds are very rare and beautiful, making them a top-end luxury product just like Jaguar's cars. The pink leaper on this year's Monaco F1 car reflects our relationship with them."
Jordan Sale
Monaco may traditionally be the place to strike a deal with prospective sponsors but with such opportunities thin on the ground this year, the enterprising Eddie Jordan has taken the opportunity of setting up shop in the streets of the busy principality instead, with the aim of halting the black market sale of the team's old race gear and getting a bit of that cash for the team instead. He started the ball rolling by selling the wreck of the car crashed by Takuma Sato at last year's Austrian Grand Prix for £15,000 and has now set a price tag of £3,500 for the signed overalls that Giancarlo Fisichella wore for his Brazilian Grand Prix victory this year. All the proceeds are going back into the team to fund the race and test programme.
Button Phone Fury
Briton Jenson Button admitted ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix that he struggles to hold onto mobile phones. Button, who joined the jet-set lifestyle of Formula One in 2000, dropped one phone in the harbour two years ago and had one stolen from his hotel in Australia - along with his race shirts and Formula One pass - this year. He also said he sometimes becomes so frustrated with them when they do not work that he smashes them on the floor and just goes to get another one. Ah, the life of a Formula One superstar...
BAR Cocktails
BAR-Honda team principal David Richards had his son in tow as he held a cocktail party for select members of the British press corps on Wednesday evening in David Coulthard's Columbus Hotel. The Brackley-based team have taken over some of the rooms in the hotel, which is mostly filled by McLaren-Mercedes employees - and Richards made the most of the pleasant evening with tales of his love for Aston Martins before heading off to a dinner with his team's engine suppliers Honda.
Irvine is Back
Formula One motormouth Eddie Irvine is set to make a return to the Grand Prix paddock this weekend to air his views to British television broadcasters ITV. Irvine is clearly not missing paddock life, however, because he was due to arrive on Wednesday but is having such a good time at his home in Milan he has now cancelled until at least Friday and, his manager has said, possibly even Saturday if there is a good party on in Italy. But rest assured, when he arrives he is more than likely to do so with a bang.
Published at 09:47:22 GMT
(03-11-2005): 
