Castroneves pleaded with them to let him climb the catchfence on the front stretch, as he did in 2001 and 2002.

Surely even the most uncompromising of those marching under the banner of civilisation must hesitate before they condemn this deep-rooted system to instant uprootal.

During startup, the engine should be motored for 20 to 30 seconds to allow the shafts to straighten out, as they may have become bowed under their own weight while the airplane was sitting on the ground.

In summer 2007 I confronted Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the exchequer, over the “Londongrad” phenomenon.