If ever 100 00 Formula 1 fans missed a fantastic spectacle, it was Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix at the Otopark Istanbul – a rather crude sounding name for one of the most technically-demanding circuits on the F1 trail, and one which is certainly deserving of filling every one of its 140 000 seats.

Instead just 40 000 punters made the journey to the anti-clockwise track in the sticks despite the promoters a month before the event embarking on a fire sale and cutting prices by 50%. Thus it was possible to soak in F1’s atmosphere for as little as EU35 (R70) – bargain basement by F1 standards, given the cheapest race day ticket for Monaco a fortnight ago panned out at R1100, with run-of-the-mill grandstand seats relieving fans of R4000.

Just why Istanbul is so neglected by the great unwashed in Europe is difficult to fathom, for this place offers so much: exotic location, great circuit, hundreds of reasonably-priced, mod-conned hotels, charcoal grills galore dispensing delicacies to die for, and cheap, (maximum) three-hour flights from major destinations in Europe, the Middle East and western Asia.

A case could be made that the race should be first choice for South African fans on account of said factors plus a favourable exchange rate coupled with no-hassle visa requirements (R150 upon arrival), while various Middle Eastern airlines offer convenient flights at acceptable prices, with domestic carrier Turkish Airlines flying on-stop from Johannesburg. Yet, surprisingly, there was a distinct dearth of SA flags in the stands on Sunday.

Of course, once in 12,8m-strong multicultural city one has to contend with a 50 kilometre, two-hour schlep to the Otopark – if, that is, one stays in the European side of the city which straddles two continents connected by a vast 1500m, eight-lane bridge across the mighty Bosphorus River – or stay in the Asian side (where the track is situated) in less enticing accommodation.

F1 personnel are divided on the matter: for every team staying in Europe, there was another based in Asia, while a straw poll in the media centre showed a 50/50 split between the continents, with most Europe-based journalists shunning the congested bridge in favour of antiquated ferries which carry cars at R30 each way, taking just 15 minutes to cross a waterway that takes an hour by bridge. The problems, though, come at either end when joining rush-hour traffic for standards border on the suicidal side of lethal, but, again, South Africans should feel at home...

Fans who travelled to Turkey were rewarded with by far the best dry race we experienced for 12 months now, with it being nip-and-tuck between two Red Bull and two McLarens. High speed trains further back added vividly to the 58-lap contest. Then, RBR snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, with Mark Webber totally dominated qualifying and leading, and Sebastian Vettel starting third despite a roll bar linkage working loose and affecting the young German’s brake balance. Thus both cars started from the ‘clean’ side of a track which is generally dusty due to lack of use, and soon fell into one-two formation.

Lewis Hamilton, taking full advantage of the higher top speed facilitated by the unique F-duct (rear wing stalling device) on his McLaren, stayed on terms with the Red Bulls after starting second, and pounced as only Lewis can when race leader Webber and SebVet collided when intra-team ‘guidelines’ resulted in, in Webber’s blunt words, ‘a f*$king disaster’.

According to team sources, after his rubber degraded and with a need to save fuel on one of the thirstiest tracks on the trail (with refuelling being forbidden), the team advised Webber to be ‘aware’ he was holding Vettel up, who in turn was being caught by Hamilton. Vettel took this to mean he should make a concerted effort to move to the front; as far as Webber was concerned, he was leading the race and on course for a third consecutive pole-to-flag victory. While he absorbed what was said, he figured Vettel was rewarded handsomely to both defend himself (against Hamilton) and fight his way through without assistance. Fair enough, for all three are racing drivers in the purest sense of the word...

Vettel lunged, then moved right to protect his new-found margin on Webber; the Australian stayed put, proving mathematics most basic rule – that two into one don’t go without fracture – in graphic style. Both are adamant the incident, which cost RBR its lead in the constructors’ and is said to have made Red Bull proprietor Diedrich Mateschitz livid with rage, won’t affect the team’s laid-back approach to racing.

I’ll believe that one when I see it in Montreal in a fortnight. There, at least, the stands should be full.