Contributors

As Patrick Head changes direction to concentrate on Williams’ expanding hybrid technology business, we bid farewell to our star columnist, but look forward to a Williams special in the next issue. We’ve also asked him back later in the year to report on progress in his new job. So it’s au revoir rather than goodbye.

Loud cars and a groovy paint scheme – it was obvious that Richard Heseltine was the man to talk to Ford prep hero Alan Mann about his colourful racing days. It gave him a chance to put a few more miles on his Fiat Barchetta, currently bidding to become the longest-lasting example of the pretty little Italian, though Richard’s neighbours may have a view on this after the episode of the holed exhaust.

It’s been a milestone season for David Tremayne as he racked up his 400th Grand Prix as a reporter. He’s known Jenson Button since he was a rookie, so there was no need for introductions as they sat down for this month’s interview. David’s also a Land Speed Record expert who plans to experience extreme speeds from the cockpit himself when he drives his own jet car ‘Stay Gold’ next year.

Knowing he’d been to the past 16 Daytona 24 Hours in a row, it made sense to mark 50 years of the sports car classic by asking Gary Watkins to pick out his greatest races at the Florida speedway. The latest edition will also be the 50th 24-hour race Gary has covered, so he’s well used to propping his eyelids open in the small hours in case the leader spins out just when he’s having a snooze. He’s also had his own first taste of banked racing when the Golf GTi series he runs in visited Rockingham.