Hugs All Round for Clapton and Stewart.

Can anyone beat the table of celebrities I found myself sitting next to over the weekend in Monza? In no particular order I give you Bernie Ecclestone, three time former Formula One world champion Niki Lauda, another three time former F1 world champ Jackie Stewart and a certain Eric Clapton! They could all be found in Bernie's hospitality area next to his familiar grey bus which is always parked at the top end of the paddock, next to the number one team bus. Meanwhile the Stereophonics, who were playing Milan that night, were wandering around nearby while, the day before, Fabio Capello was holding court. You'd expect the F1 legends to be hanging around, and maybe Capello too as he's a) Italian b) therefore loves Formula One and c) has a pad near Milan. But Clapton? The man behind Layla, Bad Dog, Cocaine and countless other memorable tracks was there from dawn to dusk, taking in everything that the sport could offer, in earnest conversation with the figures from F1, and greeting the squeaky clean Stewart with a huge, bear hug. Clapton and Stewart make an interesting combo, but the mutual respect for their achievements and God-given talents was there for all to see.