By Mark Glendenning Monday, May 28th 2007, 01:46 GMT
Ron Dennis arrived to Thursday's press conference in something of a combative mood. The McLaren team boss took a couple of pops at the media and a certain former team owner, but he saved his heaviest artillery for the Red Bulletin, Red Bull's calculatedly irreverent paddock magazine - which is a banned publication within the walls of the McLaren Communications Centre.
"I think it's a piece of rubbish," Dennis said. "I feel that if we all focused on humorous magazines that criticise other teams, I think that the likes of Ferrari, with the support of Marlboro, could spend a lot of time and energy writing humorous things about other teams and individuals in the sport.
"I have a simple view that I don't particularly like what I consider to be a controversial document coming into our facility. They can go and sit in red Bull and eat to their heart's content and enjoy their hospitality.
"But I don't like it. I don't like what it stands for, I don't like the quality of it, and I don't like the way it tries to make fun of individuals from every team and their efforts to try and do a good job.
"So I think that's a pretty straightforward answer and leaves you in no doubt about my feelings. I don't think it has a place in Grand Prix racing."
Although delighted with the unexpected publicity, the Red Bulletin waited until race day to make its official response:
"The Bulletin does not have a press officer, but if Mr Dennis would like to apply for the position, we would be honoured to receive his curriculum vitae."
The day off in the middle of the Monaco GP weekend is treated by most drivers as an excuse to get as far away from the paddock as possible, although on this occasion some of their partners stepped into the limelight instead.
Wives and girlfriends of several F1 stars, including Alex Wurz, Felipe Massa, and Giancarlo Fisichella - as well as Tamara Ecclestone, daughter of Mr E - took to the catwalk on Friday night at the Beach Plaza Hotel to do a spot of modelling in the name of charity.
Precision, focus and grace under pressure are par for the course in a Grand Prix, but less so in a small hospitality suite kitchen - which is why the efforts of Martin Klein over the Monaco GP weekend deserve special recognition.
The 31-year-old was visiting from his restaurant, Ikarus, at the Dietrich Mateschitz-owned Hangar 7 facility in Salzburg, and took on the role of guest chef at the Red Bull Energy Station for the busiest race of the year.
Each day, Klein and his small team dished out half-a-dozen different entree-sized courses, which hungry Red Bull guests snapped up as fast as the chefs could serve them.
It's estimated that the team cranked out something like 800 meals each day, which is mightily impressive - although given that Klein earned his first Michelin star at 26, it's safe to assume that he's used to overachieving.
Ferrari arrived in Monaco with their cars painted a new, darker 'old-school' shade of red. Paddock mutterings suggested that the new scheme may have been at the behest of a sponsor, however the real answer is that it is the last part of a broader rebranding program at Maranello.
"It's part of the refreshment process of the Scuderia," said a team spokesperson. "This year we have introduced a new logo, new graphics, and the paintwork is the last part of the process."
"We wanted to make the change without affecting the car technically. The way we have done the painting does not have any effect on the car's weight - we waited until we could introduce the new paint without impacting upon the weight of the car, which is why it is only being seen for the first time in Monaco.
"We have not changed to suit any sponsor. It is just part of a larger overall process."
The cars will remain their new colour for the rest of the year.
Monaco attracts celebrities like bugs to an insect-zapper, and this year was no exception.
Assorted international football players, ex-royals (Fergie and daughters), film types (Tom Cruise was rumoured to be floating around, Jude Law hovered around Lewis Hamilton, and Star Wars creator George Lucas was spotted at Red Bull) all set off the flashbulbs, but as always, it was spotting the ex-drivers that was more fun.
Mika Salo and Mika Hakkinen both made appearances over the weekend, Michael Schumacher again spent the weekend at the Ferrari garage, and Olivier Panis and Jean Alesi popped into the paddock for a visit.
There were a few interested onlookers from the WRC camp milling about, too, with Subaru factory driver Chris Atkinson popping in early in the weekend, and former Ford driver Markko Martin turning up to watch qualifying.
