A handful of spectators huddling together under greying skies in the main grandstand at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya allowed the final official pre-season formula one test session of the winter to go ahead in good order yesterday with no hint of the mindless racist slurs to which Lewis Hamilton had been subjected at the same circuit 3½ weeks ago.
The circuit organisers had been under very clear instructions from the sport’s international governing body to ensure there was no repeat of the disgraceful scenes at the previous test, during which Hamilton was heckled in the most uncouth manner by a few bigots in the crowd.
Max Mosley, the FIA president, had even made it clear that the Spanish grand prix here on April 27, and possibly also the inaugural European grand prix at the new Valencia street circuit in August, might be withdrawn from the calendar if there were a repeat of those scenes.
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