In the first of a series of Grand Prix Insights, Mercedes AMG engineer Aldo Costa demonstrates seatbelt technology. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg go head-to-head in a friendly competition to settle the question: “who really is faster?” although a stewards inquiry may be in order.

Yesterday, Caterham’s Vitaly Petrov suggested that the the Mugello Circuit wasn’t really suitable for Formula One testing. Today, he’s reiterated that point in an interview with Autosport: “I don’t think we should have come here,” said the Russian. “It is not safe and wide enough. If you lose it, the walls are so close and you will smash into the tyres. It is not for Formula 1 and, if you lost the steering or the tyre pressure dropped or whatever, then it will be a big crash.”

In Japan, Lewis Hamilton blamed his mirrors for not seeing Felipe Massa. Similarly, Sebastian Vettel claimed not to have seen Jenson Button at the start of the race. Over the years, mirrors have grown but despite the banning of outboard mirrors last year, the problem seems to refuse to go away. Is further action required to improve drivers’ sightlines?

Professional racing drivers are supreme athletes, they and their personal trainers monitor every aspect of their fitness to enable them to cope with the extreme demands motor racing places on their bodies, so it seems inconceivable that an F1 driver would knowingly take performance enhancing drugs…

Every motorist has thoughts of driver safety hidden somewhere in the back of his or her mind; we have an expectation that roadside safety equipment intended to protect or minimise serious injury in the event of an accident should do just that and not exacerbate any injury. However, as Robert Kubica’s accident on Sunday proved, safety barriers can on occasion, cause more damage than the initial impact.

At the heart of the matter is the type of barrier and whether or not it’s fit for purpose; safety barriers of the type …

It’s not often I can pick up a book and read it from cover to cover in one sitting without losing interest, but “Rapid Response: My Inside Story as a Motor Racing Life-Saver” captivated my attention and left me hanging on every word. Written by Dr Steven Olvey, former Medical Director for the American CART racing series it recounts his time working as an emergency physician for the series and the challenges he faced during 40 years dedicating his life to improving driver safety.

The books’ dramatic start graphically recounts Alex …