There is no doubt about it the Yas Marina circuit has arguably the finest spectator facillities in the world but is it any good as a race track?

Saturdays qualifying was one of the most exciting of the year, it certainly had the Red Eye team out of our seats when Jenson Button clocked the fatest lap time, closely followed by Hamilton. But the elation was short lived when yet again Vettel snuck away with pole.

On Sunday the Brits among entered the circuit hoping for Hamilton or Button win but quietly expecting the inevitable Vettel win. This seemed even more likely when the Red bull reached the first corner in the lead only to be undone by a flat tyre and subsequent retirement (the Brit heavy crowd let out a rather unsporting, if understandable cheer).

The race was Lewis Hamilton's for the taking and he did so in fine style clocking up his third win of the season. He jumped out of the car beaming from ear to ear, it looks as if we got the old Lewis back. Alonso also managed to find pace from nowhere to take a commendable second, with Jenson Button lifting the final trophy.

The Yas Marina might not be a perfect drivers circuit but DRS gave it a fresh look with plenty of over-taking, and with facillities this good this circuit will be a fan favourite for years to come.

1) L. Hamilton

2) F. Alonso

3) J. Button

4) M. Webber

5) F. Massa

6) N. Rosberg

7) M. Schumacher

8) A. Sutil

9) P. Di Resta

10) K. Kobyashi

Abu Dhabi Grand prix winners

Lewis Hamilton - A great drive, good to get the old Lewis back

Force India - Another great team performance

Eddie Jordan - Had his ridiculous Indian shirt signed for Children in need

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix losers

Sebastian Vettel - Unfortunate because he didn't do anything wrong, at least you can give the finger a rest Seb.

Eddie Jordan - Calling Sir Paul McCartney, George!

Best Bit

Lewis jumping the barrier to see his mum.

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There was much written on the run up to this weekends race about whether the Buddh International Circuit would be finished on time and if it was would it be run effectively. Aside from a stray dog and a few bags of cement it was a resounding success.

Saturdays qualifying had an air of predictability as Vettel took pole, the McLaren's and Ferrari's struggled to match the pace of Red bull and Lewis Hamilton was peanalised my the stewards.

The Race brought yet another win for Vettel bringing his tally for the season to 11. Jenson Button had a fantastic start but could not close the gap on the German and finished second. Once again Hamilton and Massa came into contact with each other although astonishingly on this occasion it was Masa that was penalised.

The real winner this weekend was India, they have managed to build a spectacular circuit that is destined to be a favourite on the F 1 circuit. A special mention should go to Vijay Mallya who always believed in an Indian Grand Prix and made it his goal to make it happen, well done Vijay, you can be very proud.

1) S. Vettel

2) J. Button

3) F. Alonso

4) M. Webber

5) M. Schumacher

6) N. Rosberg

7) L. Hamilton

8) J. Alguersuari

9) A. Sutil

10) S. Perez

Indian Grand Prix winners

Seb Vettel - Another great race

India - A great addition to the F1 calendar 

Vijay Mallya - Not such a great race for Force India but for him the race was about so much more.

Indian Grand Prix losers

Filipe Massa - Once again he stormed off without speaking to the press.

Eddie Jordan - Traditional Indian dress must have seemed like a really good idea at the time.

Best bit

The appropriateness of the tributes to Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli.

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So Formula One is not going to Bahrain after all. Amen to that. The idea put forward by the Bahrain ruling family that the grand prix would help foster better relations between the feuding muslim factions was always a nonsense. A bit like holding a football match to settle the civil war in Libya. Ok fellas when the whistle blows put down your guns and lets all be friends. I don't think so.

Sport has become a useful public relations tool used by countries to foster nation building and project positive global messages, Beijing Olympics, South Africa World Cup would be examples, but it requires a stable regime to pull that off. Bahrain with its internecine conflict between Sunnis and Shias is a world away from that.

F1 commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, with a little push from his old chum Max Mosley, spotted the weakness in the FIA's claim that all was well in Bahrain and convened a meeting with the teams to call off the race. A clause in the Concorde Agreement, the commercial contract agreed by the teams, requires any change in the race calendar to be rubber stamped by the competitors. It took Mosley to point this out, which was a huge embarrassment for his successor as FIA president, Jean Todt.

The episode shows where the power lies in Formula One. Nothing gets done unless Ecclestone says so. In the provisional calendar for 2012 Bahrain is given the prestigious opening slot next March, which ought to allow sufficient time for the civil toxins to flow into the sea. The violent outbreaks in Bahrain are part of a wider political experience in Muslim countries that has been labelled the Arab spring. It may be that the authorities in Bahrain cannot contain the unrest sufficiently to allow the race to go ahead next year either, which will get the sport off the hook since the FIA is insisting next year's calendar will not go ahead with the 21 races that are tabled. Todt says 20 is the maximum the FIA will sanction.

Meanwhile the next grand prix is upon us in Montreal, a personal favourite of mine. The Canadians get behind the event in a big way turning downtown Montreal into an F1 party for the duration. The circuit is packed from day one, just like Silverstone, and the atmosphere is electric. The street circuit with walls up close always throws up a cracking race so plenty of opportunity for Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to get those McLarens in the face Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull. The same goes for Fernando Alonso in the improving Ferrari. Bring it on.

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Five years at the helm of the British Racing Drivers Club is enough for anybody. Damon Hill took over from Sir Jackie Stewart at a time of great uncertainty over Silverstone and the future of the British Grand Prix.

Indeed two years into his reign Hill saw the British Grand Prix taken from BRDC headquarters at Silverstone to Donington Park. Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 commercial rights holder and a long-time critic of the BRDC, stunned the racing world by announcing the 17-year switch on the morning of the 2008 grand prix.Silverstone was in shock. The global banking collapse ultimately put paid to the Donington initiative, and it was the skilful public relations of Hill that helped reposition Silverstone and change Ecclestone's thinking.

With Hill's quiet diplomacy a new deal was brokered that meant the race never left its spiritual home. As part of that the BRDC announced a new pit and paddock complex at Abbey that opened last month and which has transformed the old place. Next month spectators will get to see the new Silverstone in action for the first time dominated by the dramatic 'Silverstone Wing'.

'It has been a great privilege and honour to serve as BRDC president since 2006. As a club and business, we can be immensely proud of everything we have achieved for British motor sport over the past few years.
'The BRDC and Silverstone face a stable and exciting future, so the timing is right for me to hand over the reins and devote more time to my family, my own interests. However, I remain a committed member of the BRDC and look forward to watching the club go from strength to strength.'

Those interests include developing the career of his son Josh, who is bidding to complete the family hat-trick, following dad, and grandfather Graham to the F1 world championship. That's the plan. He is a long way from the F1 grid, but with his genes he has a fighting chance.

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Now that the Red Eye team have finally recovered from our fantastic Monaco experience (and returned to reality with a bump) it is time to reflect on our Monaco weekend.

Tuesday

As Red Eye arrived in Monaco the atmosphere was already beginning to build, there was an air of expectation around Monaco that was palpable. Tuesday evening was our first chance to see the Red Eye yacht; Element. What a beauty glistening in the evening sun and perfectly positioned for a splendid view as the cars exit the tunnel, through the Nouvelle chicane and down to Tabac.

Wednesday

The forecast threat of rain was thankfully limited to a few drops in the afternoon, so sunglesses on and buisness as usual for the day ahead. We had the pleasure of greeting the first of our cabin guests and hosted a small drinks reception in the evening. The excitement in Monaco was steadily in growing and by the end of the night you could sense the appetite for the roar of the first engine.

Thursday

The first of our 'taste of Monaco' guests arrived on board, year on year we are lucky enough to have a number of customers to share the Thursday / Friday experience with us, Thursdays are becoming annual reunions. Day 1 of the racing and F1 practice rewarded the Elements guests with Nico Rosberg crashing in spectacular fashion right in front of the boat.

Friday

Friday free practice and the last day for our taste of Monaco guests (hope to see you all next year). Party night on Element... What a night and one of the best boat parties in Monaco. The atmosphere was electric and we have to offer our most sincere apologies to our neighbors for the noise. You know it's a good party when you spend most of the night turning away blaggers and free loaders.

Saturday

On Saturday we welcomed weekend guests (some slightly worse for wear from the party). In the morning we were lucky enough to have an insightful, interesting and funny talk from radio 5's David Croft (Crofty). The afternoon qualifying session was marred by a Perez's horror crash at the Novelle chicane. Worried faces all round but thankfully only minor injuries.

Sunday

Everything felt right in Monaco in the morning we all new that we were set for a good race, but what a race it was, it had everything: Crashes, overtaking, safety cars, drive through penalties and controversy. And they say Monaco is boring. Afterwards we said goodbye to our guests and the Red Eye team relaxed in the knowledge that they had delivered our best Monaco event to date. Relaxation was short lived though, the bars of Rascasse beckoned. A good night was had by all.

A big thank you to old friends and new for making this a Monaco to remember, see you all again soon.

The Red Eye team

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It's all set up nicely for Monaco. If the evidence of Barcelona is reliable the McLaren is catching the Red Bull. Pole position is all in the Principality. Hamilton knows how to win here, having done so in GP2 and Formula One. Indeed he gave one of his great displays in the wet here in his world championship winning year, 2008. He needs a repeat on Sunday to put the brakes on Sebastian Vettel, who managed to keep Hamilton behind over a dramatic closing few laps in Barcelona.

The rapid, sweeping corners and long straights that pervade the purpose built circuits are less of a factor in Monaco, thus reducing Red Bull's big advantage. That car is still quick, but as we saw inSpain the difference to the field is shrinking. Hamilton remains the man most likely to get between Vettel and the chequered flag. He is the only driver other than Vettel to win a race this season, and is arguably driving as well as ever.

The season needs a blood transfusion. Predictability sucks the life out of any sport, and F1 is more susceptible than most. Though Monaco does not promote overtaking, the random joker that is the safety car often produces the unexpected. In recent years we have seen Michael Schumacher emerging from the tunnel with his wheels buckled after a collision with Juan Pablo Montoya behind the safety car. In 2005 Schumacher took his Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello on the last lap, through the chicane after the tunnel. He then shoved his brother Ralf within a fraction of the wall heading to the finish line in pursuit of the extra point. Ralf dismissed his brother as a mad man for pulling a stunt like that. For Michael two points are better than one.

Hamilton shares some of Schumacher's pathological hunger for wringing the maximum from a race. On his Monaco F1 debut in 2007 he lit a bonfire under the McLaren love-in with Fernando Alonso saying he had not come to F1 to be a no.2 driver. Hamilton was outraged at being told to back off while second to Alonso with half the race to go. There will be no such instruction on Sunday.

Good luck to those watching from the Red Eye luxury yacht, Element. You are in position A between the chicane and Tabac. Watching the cars blast out of the tunnel is a privilege you will never forget. Don't forget your ear plugs.

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Rory McIlroy turned 22 last week, a clue perhaps to understanding his collapse at the Masters and his reaction to it. He celebrated his birthday by missing the cut at Quail Hollow in defence of only his second pro title. America then has not been kind to him this spring. But don't worry. He isn't.

McIlroy is sitting out golf's richest tournament, the Players Championship at Sawgrass, this week. The decision was made at the end of last year. It might be a good thing. McIlroy is playing the long game. What happened at Augusta did not mark an end but a beginning.

His youthful insouciance presents a difficulty for those who like to see emotional bleeding in defeat. Bouts of self flagellation are seen as evidence of hurting and a deep desire to improve. Defeat in the Masters did hurt McIlroy. But it did not crush his spirit. He was asked a lot about his Masters experience on his return to the States in North Carolina.

'It was a great chance to win a first major, but it's only golf at the end of the day. No one died. Very happy with my life, very happy with what's going on, very happy with my game. A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day in the office.'

The relative inexperience that he believes cost him at Augusta protects against the kind of dread that took hold of Kenny Perry two years ago when Angel Cabrera and not he sank the winning put in the Masters play-off. Perry was that year's flash in the pan. He knew the chances were that he would never be passing that way again. McIlroy is mercifully too young for angst rooted in what might have been.

'I don't think I was ready,' McIlroy said. 'That was the most important thing. You know, I displayed a few weaknesses in my game that I need to work on. But I think you've got to take the positives. For 63 holes I led the tournament. It was just a bad back nine, a very bad back nine that sort of took the tournament away from me, I suppose. But what can you do? There are three more majors this year and hopefully dozens more that I'll play in my career.'

McIlroy has been working on his putting with former PGA pro Dave Stockton, a development that recognises one of the weaknesses referenced above. McIroy missed a bucket load inside ten feet and a few more inside five as he progressed through the Augusta week. The issue appeared to be in the reading of the putts rather than the execution. He hit them well enough but did not seem to see the line.

There are a few on tour who would take McIlroy's game as it stands. He is a majestic sight on the tee. Indeed his opening drive at Augusta on the final day was a peach. His approach was none too shabby either, pitching to the left on landing. A yard shorter and he would have been putting for a birdie instead of chipping from the side of the green.

These are the kind of small margins that can eat into a tender mind not yet hardened by major tournament play. McIlroy skipped off to Malaysia immediately after the Masters and led again for the best part of three rounds before being reeled in by the equally precocious Matteo Manassero, four years his junior. McIlroy was intercepted in Kuala Lumpur by a champion who knew how it felt to blow a lead on the last day at Augusta. Greg Norman's advice will not endear him to media moguls. Thankfully McIlroy is resisting.

'I had a good chat with Greg Norman. He sort of just said to me, from now on, don't read golf magazines, don't pick up papers, don't watch the Golf Channel. But it's hard.'

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Looks like a reprise of the 2009 Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona. Let's hope the Spaniards leave the handbags behind when they pitch up at Wembley next month.

Technically gifted they may be but Barcelona do not promote the best interests of the game with the default feigning of injury in which they indulge. Sergio Busquets goes to ground quicker than Audley Harrison. Dani Alves might consider a second career in WWF such is the conviction with which he chucks himself on the floor.

As a spectacle the all Spanish semi-final at the Bernebeu fell short of top billing. Jose Mourinho sent out his Real Madrid team to spoil not win, which immediately surrendered the initiative to Barca. One wonders what the members thought of Mourinho's tactics. Real are supposed to represent the finest attacking traditions in the game. On Wednesday they played like neo Dons, with Pepe taking on the role of Vinny Jones with enthusiasm, right down to the sending-off.

Mourinho fashioned one of the great European victories last year, plotting Barca's downfall in the Champions League semi-finals as coach of Inter Milan. It was classic catenaccio, smash and grab football Italian style. Inter are pre-disposed to counter, relying on feverish defence and breaking with stealth.

That defensive mode is anathema to Madrid. And that is how it looked as the white shirts clumped the ball long out of defence and showed little interest in their opponent's goal. The stifling tactics fed the fractious atmosphere, lifted only at the end by the remarkable Lionel Messi. Gordon Strachan claimed from the summarisers spot at pitchside that Messi is the best he has seen. 

Those United fans who watched George Best bewitch Europe in much the same way in the Sixties might argue the toss. There is not much in it either way. Messi is at the vanguard of a mesmeric midfield conducted by the marvellous Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Around that virtuous triangle David Villa and Pedro contribute rapier thrusts and Busquets mops up everything behind.

United had the ball on a string in Rome for the opening ten minutes then barely saw it again after Samuel Eto'o stole in to open the scoring. One hopes Sir Alex Ferguson has learned the lesson of that night. The attempt to defend Barca to death is futile. Yes it has been done on the odd occasion, but only once with conviction. And that was by Mourinho, who utterly failed to repeat the exercise.

United have an attacking tradition as rich as Barcelona's. Far better to fail as Manchester United than an alien representation trying to be clever. In Nani, Wayne Rooney, Chicarito and Antonio Valencia United have attacking players good enough to scare any. Let Fergie invest in their talent and may the best team win.

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Lewis Hamilton was not the only one overwhelmed by the Chinese Grand Prix. He was joined in that emotion by millions watching on television. After two pole to flag victories for Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull, few would have predicted anything other than a third successive win by the world champion.

Hamilton does not think in straight lines. For him anything is possible and so it was, that turning on the television mid race on a lazy Sunday morning, the tea pot had to wait. I could not take my eyes off the unfolding drama in Shanghai. Hamilton on three-stopper, chasing down Vettel on a two-stopper.

Someone at Pirelli take a bow. You did a brilliant job coming up with a tyre construction that created one of the great races of recent times. Hamilton was blindingly quick on new rubber, Vettel hanging on in front on ageing tyres. Before he could get after Vettel, Hamilton had to get past his team-mate, Jenson Button, the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa's Ferrari. Move over, baby; storm blowing through.

There is no finer sight in Formula One than Hamilton on the charge. Vettel held him off by slowing through the apex at one corner but could not resist for ever. With four laps remaining Hamilton was heading into clean air and the chequered flag for the first time this season.

Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber showed in burning through the field form 18th to third what might have been had the team chosen the same strategy for the championship leader, but that is not Hamilton's problem. Last week in Malaysia the headaches were all his, finishing down in eighth spot. Now McLaren have three weeks to take some more time out of that fearsome Red Bull before the teams line up again for race four in Turkey.

Still think F1 is boring with no overtaking? You can always walk the dog when the lights go out in Istanbul. Ha.

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My golf clubs have played Augusta. How about that for a claim to fame? Sadly I was not swinging them. That would be my Telegraph colleague, whose name came out of the Monday media draw to play the Masters course with Sunday's pin positions. Yes I lent young Oliver Brown my clubs, while I sat in the car park transcribing Colin Montgomerie's column for the Daily Telegraph. Oliver shot 95 off the members' tees.
Monty's subject was inevitably, Rory McIlroy, whose collapse on the final day of the Masters captured the imagination worldwide. I had lunch the following day at the Augusta municipal golf club. There was no talk of the winner, Charl Schwartzel. It was McIlroy's experience that struck a chord.

The locals seemed to empathise more with the sense of loss and crushing disappointment. They thought McIlroy a 'fine, young man' who had dealt with his disappointment with grace. They speculated about how anyone could cope with such an obvious emotional disintegration.

We are about to find out. McIlroy begins the restoration work at the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpa this week. He meets the media before he goes out. You can guess what the first question might be about.

McIlroy is learning the meaning of sporting mettle. His defeat was not a result of technical failings but of an inability to deal with the intensity of the competition. He had no strategy for coping with the pressure of Masters Sunday. Some will see this as an inherent flaw that cannot be corrected. They will point to the Open Championship at St Andrews last year where he blew up similarly with an 80 in the second round after carding a 63 on the opening day and conclude the condition is terminal.

Others argue that both episodes are a consequence of age. McIlroy is 21 and lacked the necessary experience to respond. The inference being that McIlroy will learn from the defeat and emerge a stronger, better golfer.

He is not the first to shoot a big number on the last day when leading the Masters. Sam Snead, who shot 80 in 1951 and came back to win a year later, and Ben Hogan, who shot 79 in 1952 and won in 1953, are fabled examples. Maybe theirs is the template McIlroy will follow. My own view is that he is too good to repeat these youthful failures. He was a boy on Sunday. Someday soon he will grow into a man at a major championship.

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As the sun shines in the UK what better time to think about booking your trip to the jewel in the crown of the Grand Prix season, the Monaco Grand Prix.  
 
The principality of Monaco is one of the most beautiful coastal towns on the Mediterranean, every May the F1 circus rolls into town and a host of fast cars, celebrities and exiting night life follows.  
 
Red Eye have places available on board our 42 metre luxury yacht. Sitting on board with a glass of champagne in your hand only metres from the track is the best way to enjoy the Monaco experience.  
 
We can also offer Formula One Paddock club hospitality with a top racing team.  
 
The team at Red Eye take pride in our experience of providing the best in VIP corporate hospitality. We offer our customers the highest quality service and events management. Come along and see for yourselves.

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And there was I tweeting how Wayne Rooney’s zip was missing and how, had I been manager of Manchester United, he would have been back in the Upton Park dugout. Within seconds I was a Twitter embarrassment. Rooney had curled his first goal into the back of the Wet Ham net. There would be two more and a fourth from Javier Hernandez.

It was yet another example of the indefatigable nature of Sir Alex Ferguson’s team. At two nil down he sent them out in the second half with the instruction just to play. That, of course, was the message delivered by Sir Matt Busby 50 years ago. Just play.

You wonder how Busby would have dealt with Rooney after the brainless close-up to camera following the penalty that sealed his hat-trick? George Best gave Busby sleepless nights but never imposed a hooligan reflex upon the nation.
    
Rooney’s boneheaded tendencies apart, it was a good weekend for United.Chelsea’s draw at Stoke and Arsenal’s at home to Blackburn shifted the championship momentum back towards Old Trafford. The London clubs have both made much of their games in hand but as Saturday’s experience demonstrates, assuming points is not the same as winning them.
    
Arsenal must hope that the Champions League quarter-final between Chelsea and United, the first leg of which takes place at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, has a negative impact on their Premier League form. United have traditionally suffered on Saturday’s following European away fixtures but that might not be quite the drain on this occasion since the travel is not disruptive. The fact that two English teams are involved might, however, prove more taxing emotionally.
    
United played their best 45 minutes away from Old Trafford at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League and Rooney scored with a collector’s item. The Chelsea fightback was ignited by David Luiz. His absence in the Champions League might persuade United to go after Chelsea as they did Arsenal in 2009, when Ferguson surprised Arsene Wenger’s team with a sense of adventure at the Emirates.
    
Ferguson was able to win with a weakened team at West Ham. Chelsea and Arsenal were full strength and failed. That is the hallmark of Ferguson’s management, his ability to recycle without sustaining too much damage. A home game follows the European engagement, which is also a benefit, though Fulham will not donate points.
    
Chelsea host Wigan on Saturday, Arsenal visit Blackpool. Wins on paper? They better not fall for that thinking again.

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No better place to start the Formula One Grand Prix season than Melbourne. Still enough heat in the day to warm the cockles as the teams emerge from the European winter, and a great ambiance in the Albert Park paddock.

The introduction of a new tyre supplier, Pirelli, throws in a welcome variable that might yet do the job of Bernie's sprinklers. The drivers expect rapid degradation, which will put a premium on strategy and could see cars diving back to the pits three or four times a race.

The addition of the moveable rear wing, operational in a sector of the track just before the cars hit the final turn, is another fun characteristic that might make a difference. Let us hope Jenson Button is right and the changes produce more overtaking.

Last season went to the wire. Red Bull racing have been relatively modest in revealing what they are bringing to the opening race, which suggests confidence that they retain enough of last season's supremacy to begin the defence of their F1 title with a win.

Ferrari have posted vibrant numbers throughout the winter, putting in some impressive long runs and quick single laps. If the Prancing horse is a match for the Red Bull then Fernando Alonso will have the backing of most to claim a third Formula 1 world championship.

It was clear from last season's dynamic that Ferrari's strategy is built firmly around Alonso and not Felipe Massa, thus avoiding the trap into which McLaren fell when the Spaniard was paired with Lewis Hamilton in 2007.

Will Sebastian Vettel make it two world titles in a row? Has his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber learned from the mistakes of last year? And what of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at McLaren? The English thoroughbred had shaped more like a donkey on Blackpool beach in winter testing. McLaren have gone for broke with upgrades straight off the computer screen for Melbourne. We'll find out Sunday if that radical move was justified.

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