Over in Merchandising Alley, the Bullshop has been doing a roaring trade this week. Up until now, Melbourne held the record for best sales week of the year, but Germany is going to push it close. Mostly it’s Vettel-mania at work, but the weather’s playing a part too; they’re running low on the beanies and fleeces that usually only sell well when conditions get biblical at Silverstone or Spa.

The new concourse is a big hit, even though the world’s fastest rollercoaster has gone technical and isn’t running. The place is heaving with happy shoppers. Except, of course, during the practice sessions when it suddenly empties like a scene from High Noon.

If you want a way to separate the ‘proper’ race venues from the synthetic, this is as good a way as any; it’s baffling to go to places where people buy a ticket and then amble around the vendor areas all day in preference to watching the action. Here that couldn’t be further from the truth; when the pit lane light goes green the grandstands instantly fill up with a knowledgeable, enthusiastic crowd – even if most of them did have a face like a bloodhound’s funeral when Vettel rolled to a halt shortly into the morning session.

It may be wet and windy, it may still be a building site, but a full house that knows what it’s here for forgives all. This is a fabulous venue for a grand prix, it’s already crackling with anticipation and more people are pouring into the Eiffel all the time. Frankly it beats one of the castles-in-the-sky new F1 venues into a Sebastian Vettel-logo’d cocked hat.

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