He added: “I always wear my heart on my sleeve, and it gets me into trouble
now and then, but you go through different experiences. I’ve always talked
to you about trying to put the right pieces in place, whether that’s
experience or whatever, to get through my year in a positive way without
having those spikes, and I feel like I might have found it. But you never
know.”
Formula One descended upon a relatively cool Bahrain on Thursday, which will
have come as a relief for Sauber’s Adrian Sutil, who confirmed he is to race
without a water bottle this weekend to try to save weight.
The German, who is one of the taller and heavier drivers at 11st 11lb ,
accused the lighter drivers of “blocking” changes to the “unfair” weight
limits.
Meanwhile, the Grand Prix weekend in Bahrain is usually the source of
controversy, but this year it has shifted to the role of host.
A protest by government opponents is planned today, just a couple of miles
from the capital Manama around the Shia villages, but the main topic of
debate in the paddock continues to be over the new rules for 2014.
Bernie Ecclestone and di Montezemolo will hold talks on Sunday morning with
FIA President Jean Todt over concerns the spectacle has been damaged.
One team who did their best to liven up the racing in Sepang was Williams,
who tried and failed to impose team orders on Felipe Massa in the closing
stages.
Claire Williams, deputy team principal, admitted on Thursday they had made a
mistake in ordering Massa to move aside, as she apologised for the team’s
handling of the affair.
Coincidentally, Massa’s former race engineer at Ferrari, Rob Smedley – who
delivered the infamous “Fernando is faster than you” message ordering Massa
to let Fernando Alonso pass at Hockenheim in 2010 – joined Williams on
Thursday, ahead of what promises to be a strong weekend for the team.