Grapevine: More News from the Paddock - Bahrain GP

The Incredible Hunk

Jenson Button's world just gets better and better. After claiming the first podium finish of his career in Malaysia two weekends ago he arrived in the Middle East to prepare for the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix to find he had been voted 'Hunk in the Gulf' by the local newspaper Gulf Weekly. "Now, now ladies, keep those revs under control," said the paper. Hmmm.

Media Centre Mayhem

There are always glitches when journalists arrive at a circuit, especially one running for the first time, but rarely are they down to too much technology. The media centre at the new ultra-modern Grand Prix circuit in Bahrain gave journalists advanced lesson in modern communications but unfortunately it seemed many journalists could not pass the exams. The all-digital telephone service, providing free internet to all, was great in theory...but not so smart in practice. For some it would not work full stop, for others they could connect but with another 400-odd people on line at the same time the service was painfully slow and often dropped out. Telephone engineers ended up looking like mother ducks, trailed around the room by drowning chicks as each struggling hack sought advice on how to connect to the outside world. Eventually, many opted for the old-style analogue lines - leaving the technological wizards baffled as to why they had installed the modern system in the first place - and, with the slow but ultimately efficient assistance, Formula One could communicate again. But it did make the one journalist who continues to persist with a typewriter and fax look smart for once.

Stamp It Out

Bahrain is getting so excited about holding its first Grand Prix this year that the Postal Directorate has even produced brand new stamps to commemorate the event. The stamps, consisting of five different designs for different denominations, have computer rendered mesh pictures of modern Formula One cars on and come in a variety of colours including green, blue and red. A total of 50,000 copies have been printed especially for use throughout the weekend but also designed to continue to remind residents of their glorious event after the race.

Party Time

The party everyone had expected went off with a sparkle on the waterside area outside Bahrain's National Museum on Thursday night when literally hundreds of people gathered together to celebrate the arrival of Formula One in the Middle East. An impressive 'welcome to Bahrain' gathering in Monza last year had left many Formula One regulars expecting the organisers to put on an event of top quality - and for those who were daring enough to attend rather than staying in their hotels, it did not disappoint. Fireworks and a lone sax player started the festivities before fireworks, fired up from a boat on the water, marked the arrival of the speeches and the opening of the buffet - the latter of which proved the most popular. The spread of traditional fare, including a beach barbeque, left no-one wanting, and the continual flow of alcoholic beverages gave visitors to the Muslim kingdom quite a surprise. They even recognised that their 'unique' traditional music is best avoided and introduced a Brazilian salsa band which got Eddie Jordan up on stage after he had 'bigged up' the organisers with three 'hip-hip hoorays'.