In early March 2022, the private jets and cargo planes that ferry Formula 1 cars around the globe – along with drivers, mechanics, chefs, and personal stylists – converged on the desert kingdom of Bahrain.

It was not the kind of place the stars of the world’s most popular motor racing series would normally visit of their own accord. The country is smaller than Luxembourg, hotter than melting rubber, and has a human rights record generously described by activists as “dismal”.