AT&T Williams F1

The race weekend is barely underway, but Nico Rosberg has already pulled. On a visit to L’Oceanografic, Valencia’s world-renowned aquarium, the AT&T Williams star found a friend in one of two white whales. “They are the only white whales in Europe,” says Nico. “One of them – a female – came right up to the viewing glass to say hi and then followed me around. She was cute!”

While Nico was chatting to a whale, his team-mate Kazuki Nakajima was cycling the 5.440km (3.380-mile) Valencia street track with his trainer Nick Harris. He then did a track walk with his engineers. Our Japanese star’s preparations for this race have been nothing if not thorough.

Nico, though, did his fair share of cycling during the three-week summer break. He headed to St Morritz, where he cycled with his trainer through the mountains. “It was tough,” he says, “and not much of a holiday, but I feel great now that I’m back down on sea level.”

So pleased were our race team to be back on-track after the three-week break that they celebrated last night in the Holiday Inn. Dinner was followed by a little bit of drinking, at the end of which account manager Richard Lavers lost an arm wrestling match and had (half) his head shaved. He needn’t worry – his looks have been much improved.