A few years back, when running a certain other F1 website, whose name will we will not mention, Pitpass editor, Chris Balfe, had a bit of a falling out with the marketing people.

They insisted that the most important race of the Formula One season, in terms of website traffic, was the British Grand Prix - the site's home race - whereas Mr Balfe said it was the opening race of the season that attracts most fans, as they log in to get a gauge on how the season might develop.

The fact that the former website has since changed hands a couple of times, while Pitpass remains fully independent, and among the most respected of F1 websites, is a possible pointer as to who got it right.

At the start of the season, devoted race fans, casual fans and even those who have nothing more than a slight passing interest to see what is happening, who is driving for who, and who looks likely to lead the title fight.

As the season progresses, especially in a season like 2004, or the beginning of 2006, when it appeared we had a one horse race, many fans fall by the wayside… even serious race fans.

Consequently, as Renault scored three successive wins, traffic began to tail off. Then came the Ferrari fight back.

The Bahrain Grand Prix, being the season opener, and at a Euro-friendly time, remains the busiest GP weekend of the year, thus far, however, it was given a close run by the Monaco Grand Prix, two months later.

This, of course, was due to the controversy surrounding Michael Schumacher's choice of parking space during qualifying, a move which had race fans logging on, almost bringing our site to a halt.

The fact is, an notorious as the incident was, it's great for F1 - certainly for websites - as it has everyone talking, even 'man down the pub' gets in on the act.

And so it is that the Hungarian Grand Prix - a race that is consistently one of the most excruciating yawn-fests on the calendar, is bringing back the fans. We're not sure (exactly) how they did it, but between them, the FIA, its race stewards, Renault, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Flavio Briatore are getting people talking about F1 again, even if some of those now looking at F1 are the sort that were previously discussing the Italian match fixing scandal or the Landis testosterone shock.

Fact is, scandal is big business… and big business means money, ask Kate Moss.

Consequently, what would have been a one-hundred-minute afternoon snooze fest, is shaping up to be one of the best races of the year, if not the decade.

Thanks to the banning of the mass dampers, a few well-chosen time penalties for the title protagonists, open warfare between various team bosses and the FIA, not to mention a couple of rain showers before today's race and the threat of further downpours during the event, and we could have a humdinger of a race this afternoon.

Out front we have Kimi and Felipe… yeah, yeah, yeah… but starting in eleventh we have Michael Schumacher, behind the two BMWs and Jarno Trulli. While in fifteenth, two rows behind the German, we have Fernando Alonso. Two men who both have a point or two to prove, not to mention a title to win.