23/04/2012
NEWS STORY
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Recalling the morning after Tony Blair swept to power in 1997, BBC broadcaster Jane Garvey famously said: "I do remember... the corridors of Broadcasting House were strewn with empty champagne bottles. I'll always remember that".
No doubt there were similar scenes in the offices of the numerous PR companies who have been toiling away in recent weeks on behalf of the Bahrain authorities today, as the Grand Prix passed without incident. At least at the circuit.
Away from the track it was a different matter. As the cars raced, thick black smoke could be seen in the distance (above), the FOM cameras as intent on obliterating it from the eyes of the world as they were on Saturday whenever a Force India took to the track.
Hours after the Ministry of Interior announced that it was investigating the death of protestor Salah Abbas Habib Musa, a TV crew from Britain's Channel 4 was arrested and deported.
Later, Hamad Al-Khalifa, Manager of Media and Public Relations at the Bahrain International Circuit issued a statement insisting that contrary to reports elsewhere, the circuit could confirm an attendance of 28,000, while attaching pictures of what was clearly a very busy grandstand.
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That said, the pictures of the stand packed with eager fans conflicted slightly with what we were seeing on our TV screens - more masterful work from the FOM TV guys - and in pictures taken in the minutes before the race as drivers talked to crew members on the grid.
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Our sources, who have been keeping us up to speed on events in Bahrain since long before last year's debacle, informed us on Thursday that most right-thinking people would be heading out of the Gulf state for the weekend, most of them heading to Dubai. As the 'crowd' in the main stand on Friday swelled from fifty-eight to over a hundred our source claimed that the most likely course of events was that pupils from local schools and their parents would be recruited to attend the race, much like extras in a movie.
Before the PR companies break from their celebrations and poo-poo the idea, might we draw their attention to this from Reuters:
"With organisers doing what they could to attract crowds, even super-elite status had lost some of its cachet. Regulars at the normally overflowing Paddock Club, reserved for big-ticket corporate sponsors and their guests, said attendance had fallen through the floor.
"No-longer-so-coveted Paddock Club passes were even falling into the hands of ordinary mortals - unaware, for example, that access includes free gourmet meals.
"You can see people wandering around with Paddock Club passes and eating at the fast food stalls. They clearly don't know what to do with them," said the foreigner at the stalls."
To add to the surrealism of it all, Reuters even managed to find an ex-pat who was attending the race. "There is definitely more security. But not marked. I think it's just a precautionary measure. I'm just looking forward to a really good race today," said Phil Mitchell, originally from England. Not the Phil Mitchell of Eastenders fame surely. Thankfully, Reuters didn't track down Dirty Den, Dr Legg or Roly the dog.
As if this wasn't enough, and while Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt insist that the F1 brand will not be damaged, Reuters talked to three British clowns flown in as part of the family entertainment.
Everything's been alright so far, fantastic," said Buttons.
"No worries," added Bonkers. "Obviously we've seen stuff on the news about what's been happening but we didn't have any real concerns."
Bonkers indeed.