Where was your first race?

Bahrain, March 2006 . . . desert sandstorms, Alonso winning and a great battle beginning between him and Michael Schumacher, oh, and no booze!

How do you see your job?

I report from the pitlane and the paddock, do all the interviews with the drivers, team principals, engineers, before, during and after the race. During the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday morning, I patrol the pitlane from one end to the other spotting things, seeing what’s happening from ground level in the garages. You have to have ears and eyes everywhere and spies in each team (oops, shouldn’t use that word), friends in each team.

Do you find people are envious of what you do for a living?

Yes.

How’s your hearing?

Ha ha . . . my hearing isn’t perfect I must admit, but I think it started to deteriorate when I first worked in radio on music and entertainment shows. At the tracks I love the sound of the cars, but when they start up in the garages and you’re standing next to them, you must make sure your fingers are free to stuff them in your ears pretty sharpish, otherwise you can’t hear for the rest of the day.

What’s the scariest thing that’s happened to you in the pitlane?

The pits are a dangerous place so you have to have your wits about you. One of my scariest moments was when I was about midway down the pitlane talking with a photographer. Franck Montagny, who was driving for Super Aguri at the time, went past us, and, just as he did so, his steering snapped and he brushed the pitwall. My photographer friend and I looked at each other as we realised that if he’d gone the other way he could have crashed into us.

On that subject, does it amaze you, in this health and safety-obsessed era, that more people are not injured or even killed in the pitlane?

As long as everyone knows what they are doing there are no problems but you’ve got to be aware of where you are. Sometimes you do get an idiot guest or member of the media who is new to F1 and forgets there are cars driving inches away from you at 40mph, but the team mechanics usually shove them out of harm’s way. Most people have been picked up by a mechanic or two in the pitlane (and I don’t mean in the dating sense!) at some point in their careers.

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