Gearing up for my second trip to the Bahrain International Circuit, sitting on the train to the airport, I was only too aware of the juxtaposition of travelling into the Middle East to enjoy Formula 1 amid the grim reality of the unfolding war in Ukraine, tearing apart the lives of millions of innocent people.
Its impact on the F1 world began during the first test in Spain, and two weeks later we still awaited word on who Haas would recruit in place of its Russian driver Nikita Mazepin.
Having left on Tuesday, I arrived at my hotel at 5am on Wednesday morning, dragging a battered suitcase which had been reduced to three wheels instead of four when I collected it at Bahrain airport. Nonetheless, I was ready to get to the track on Thursday.
Thursday
Bahrain’s quirky circuit is surrounded by dusty plains, with the odd residential plots dotted around and plenty of unfinished buildings occupying much of the area. Driving into the circuit you are met with reams of police cars, as the…