The best rumour doing the rounds this weekend is that the Singapore authorities, keen to avoid calamity, have been cloud-seeding; basically stalking any likely-looking nimbus and encouraging it to disgorge it’s cargo well away from the city and the race weekend. They really don’t want a wet race.

…which is rather ironic, because this is the wettest race of the year by far. Humidity hit 81 per cent, during qualifying; much more of that are we’re going to fit the RB5 with a rudder and give Mark and Seb paddles. It’s easy to spot the primadonnas and marketing men this week; they’re the ones who bought eight sets of kit with them.

Actually the kit situation engenders a feeling of sympathy for senior management. It isn’t exactly the usual emotion but this weekend they’ve probably earned it. As is the case with most teams, it isn’t deemed proper for them to wear shorts, so they’re all suffering in long trousers, while the rest of us scamper around like it’s dress-down Friday at a beach bums convention.

Of course, that’s the de rigueur uniform for most of the guys whatever the weather. There’s even a few hardy souls who will turn up on at dawn for winter testing, breathe steaming in the cold air, woolly hat firmly in place, cup of tea clutched tightly in a fingerless glove – oblivious to the fact they’re also wearing shorts.  It’s like their legs are afraid of the dark.

Oddly enough, a cold and frosty morning seems like quite a pleasant place to be at the moment.

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