Olly Gavin on Houston:

As he's leaving the second practice and his no.4 Corvette Racing C6.R in the capable hands of his team mate, Olivier Beretta, Olly popped into the media centre to see us and we got him to share his thoughts on the Houston track. It's not one he particularly enjoys, despite the work that's been done here in preparation for this year's Grand Prix of Houston.

“We knew the organisers had ground down the track, and we were all hoping it would be a lot better. They've taken away two or three of the big bumps but left the smaller ones so the track has a constant roller-coaster feel to it.

“In essence the race track is 20% better than last year. The changes to the corners have helped, and I like the new chicane but the last corner is still extremely challenging and dangerous. It's still low grip, very dusty and dirty and it seems that each of the street tracks we've been to - this being the third one in succession - has had less grip and been bumpier.

“St Pete's was really nice. It was a well run event and almost a street circuit like a road course. There were bumps in it but it had quite a high level of grip. Going onto Long Beach, the grip level was down, the circuit was bumpier and we felt very much like second class citizens, being cast to one side by the Champ Car people.

“We then come here and this track has even less grip; it's most probably the bumpiest street circuit I've ever been on apart from maybe Macau, and it's unforgiving… as I found out in practice this morning.

“I'd done about 5 laps and came through the last corner onto the pit straight (which they've changed from last year) and I thought, “Oh, I'm quite close to the wall”. I then hit a bump, got onto the really dusty surface and smacked the wall side on, front and rear together, on the right side. The next 2/3 seconds are hell because you are thinking about whether you maybe got a puncture, or if the steering is off, or if something's going to break. Anyway, I radioed in, came back into pits and the team checked it over. There was only a small amount of bodywork damage and scuffed wheels so I think I got away with it - just!”

Oliver unfortunately didn't completely redeem himself during his remaining time behind the wheel as he also ended up going down an escape road at turn 6 a little later on. His engineer, Steve Cole, was seen frowning at him as the session ended. Unable to completely explain his very un-Oliver like actions this morning, the ever likeable man from Yardley Hastings said, “That's street circuits, and that's Houston.” Yes, I suppose it is, and I dare say we might see far great indiscretions from others in the field over the course of the next two days.