Cantoni honoured to be on the podium.

You don't see his face on television or in the newspapers very often. Very few of the millions of viewers who watched the prize giving ceremony after the French Grand Prix would have recognised the man dressed in red who went up to accept the prize for the winning constructor as Carlo Cantoni, Rubens Barrichello's race engineer.

His presence on the podium was a surprise for everyone, as usually the man assigned for this task comes from a list that includes Jean Todt, Paolo Martinelli, Ross Brawn or Rory Byrne, or one of the engineers who works for the winning driver.

However, at Magny-Cours, the honour went to the man who had engineered the third placed driver. Jean Todt took the decision, wanting to thank all the team for the great job it had done, as well as acknowledging the efforts of those like Cantoni and his group, who had lived through a particularly difficult weekend.

"When I went to stand under the podium, Mr. Todt called me over and asked me to go up," recounts Cantoni, who was born in Mozzanica in the province of Bergamo 35 years ago. "It was a surprise for me and above all a great honour. Seeing the world from up there for the first time was an emotional moment and a great shot in the arm for the future, especially as it came at the end of a grand prix which had not gone that smoothly."