EI: I think I could return to F1 if I had the drive but it’s not something I want to do any more. If you’ve got the drive and the fitness, as DC does, there’s no reason why you can’t compete well into your 30s as Michael also did.

EI: I’d like Kimi Raikkonen to win it because I love his attitude and I know him fairly well. It’s hard to call at the moment because all four Ferrari and McLaren drivers look strong but I’ll go for Kimi.

EI: The driver skill in F1 now is braking at 4g and arriving at the corner at the correct speed, the right line and turning in. That’s where the driver skill is. Traction control makes you lazy, so I think the skill of braking really hard and getting to the right point at the right speed is a talent. Manual gear changes actually make things a little more awkward in my opinion and the level of perfection won’t be as high. I think to do away with the electronic gear change would make no sense. Road cars have it and for F1 cars not to have it would be stupid.

EI: They just broke all the promises they made. The team didn’t even have a wind tunnel. They said they were building one and it only arrived a month before I left which was bizarre! How they thought we could compete without a wind tunnel was extraordinary. And when the R3 came out with the analysis we got from Benetton it was the worst car ever with so many aero problems. As the season went on, they totally rebuilt it and by the end of the season it was probably the best handling Formula 1 car I’d driven by a mile. It didn’t have the downforce but the balance between turn-in mid-corner and exit was amazing because the guys understood the effects steering had on the aerodynamic balance of the car. That R3 was amazing to drive during the last few races and I loved driving it. The Cosworth engine was also good and I finished 3rd at Monza.

EI: Not really. Different people have different approaches. Lewis doesn’t like anyone to talk to him on the grid because he wants to stay totally focused but some drivers like to relax a little more and are happy to chat. I didn’t mind.

EI: Nothing seems to faze Lewis Hamilton and he seems to have everything in place to be a champion, if not this year, then in the future. Jenson’s obviously a very good driver but the whole thing about being a good driver is getting yourself into a proper car in the first place. Why he's taken on such wild cars seems bizarre. You want to be getting into Ferraris and McLarens and my worry about Jenson is that he's taken too long to get going. I don't see him ever being World Champion.

EI: Lewis has been winning in all categories since he was carting as a kid, like so many of the other drivers so it’s not unusual to have been groomed for F1 from a young age. And yes, it certainly seems to be working so who’s to argue!

EI: I really don't see why Lewis Hamilton can't be world champion this year. He seems to have all the bits and pieces in place. He's got the car, he's got the mentality and he's got the speed so why not? I wouldn't rule it out at all.

EI: I’m a big fan of the one tyre rule. I’m fed up off all the bull***t around tyre testing and nobody’s interested in it. The amount of money that was wasted on tyre testing was just nonsense. It’s also fairer that the highest bidder gets the contract and that’s Bridgestone. I'm also a big fan of the engine rev limitation.

EI: They haven’t in my opinion. When Michael went there he was the best driver and inevitably the quickest guy becomes number one. Look at McLaren when Kimi became number one because he killed Montoya. Alonso’s number one at Renault because he’s better than the rest. Everyone wants to say that Michael got better treatment but he didn’t. He was just better.

EI: Alonso and Kimi are so damn close and they have totally different approaches. I know Kimi better and I think he has a great attitude. I’m fed up with drivers being boring and not doing anything and staying at home or sitting for 40 hours in the motor home looking at telemetry. Yawn!

EI: I assume you’re talking about racing so I’ll keep it clean then! I think going around the outside of three guys at the first corner and up to fifth in my first grand prix for Jordan. I did have a chuckle when I unlapped Ayrton Senna in that race and was laughing my head off in the car.

EI: Erm . . . probably me!

EI: Rolls Royce Phantom.

EI: Just Monaco.