Watching the paddock scenes on television at the Valencia Grand Prix, I could not at first recognise the portly man in the lightweight suit who was presenting the winner’s trophy to Sebastian Vettel and conveying fraternal sympathies to Fernando Alonso, who came second.

Who’s that? Surely not the man who’s been tasked with cleaning up Fifa corruption? Is he now turning his white suit to the grease monkeys of F-1?

(press photo © Sutton Images. http://www.formula1.com/wi/597×478/sutton/2011/d11eur1830.jpg. all rights reserved)

Sure enough, here’s our Placido booking a lift home in a fast car. Mind, he’s quicker than he looks. When the champagne started spraying, PD made the fastest pit exit of the day.

I cannot vouch for the statistics on this Dortmund video, but it looks like one concert hall has tapped a genuinely new audience.

Watch here in English, hier auf Deutsch.

And there is a reverse effect reported in the Telegraph and the BBC. Go figure.

English National Opera was out again with its viral videos for the world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys. Watch here on youtube.

And take a look here at the Flickr photo album.

The cello finalists are now known: Norbert Anger (Germany), Ivan Karizna (Belarus), Edgar Moro (France), Umberto Clerici (Italy), Narek Hakhnazaryan.

Here are the piano and violin results.

Just two women, Jehye Lee and Yeol Eum Son, in the 15 instrumental finalists.

Were the judging panels too male-oriented?