Jenson Button might have thought his team's decision to withdraw him from Sunday's Grand Prix was "a disappointing day to end a disappointing weekend", but in a parallel universe at one stage in the race he was running twelfth and looking good for a points finish.
Indeed, in that same parallel universe, Daniel Ricciardo was leading the race, as opposed to struggling to remain in the points, and it was Lewis Hamilton who had dropped down the field.
The parallel universe, for those of you who might not have guessed, exists in the reality that is the official F1 timing app.
Having played up during each of the three previous races, the app - available at an app store near you for only £19.99 - chose the Bahrain event to finally blow, though unlike Ricciardo there was no thick white smoke billowing from devices.
The fact it performed without issues for much of the weekend lulled users (customers) into a false sense of security, leaving it until the all-important race before finally demonstrating just how utterly unreliable it currently is.
But don't take our word for it, check out Twitter where irate fans (customers) wanted to know why the app was failing so spectacularly.
The fact that as the app data went from lap 22, back to 17, then on to lap 25, a headline appeared on the BBC website proclaiming "F1 is too expensive says Ecclestone" seemed the ultimate irony.
Bahrain marked the fourth round of the year, the next race (Spain), effectively marks the first quarter of the season, and yet the app hasn't worked without issue yet.
To add to the frustration, many fans now find themselves paying twice, for though purchase of the app should give access to the "premium service" on the official F1 website, the two are not currently linked.
Consequently, with the introductory "free trial" having run out just after China, and the two not expected to be linked until "around the 10th of May", fans who want the app and "premium service" on the web - and fans of such a technical sport naturally want all the info they can devour - are having to pay for both with no word on whether they will eventually be reimbursed.
One way that the app and the "premium service" is linked however, is in terms of glitches, for the web timing service has not been without its problems. For example, were we alone in noticing that at one stage in qualifying on Saturday, Sebastian Vettel was close to out-pacing Lewis Hamilton whilst on harder rubber than the Briton... misinformation that was also appearing on TV screens around the world.
Those who have used the app since it first appeared in 2011 will know that for the first couple of years, other than a few glitches, it worked well, adding a new, much welcome, dimension to the sport. However, in 2014 FOM - in the shape of Formula One Digital - got involved, which curiously is when the problems began.
Whilst the price of the app was lowered, the web-based timing service was stripped to the bare minimum - a series of dots. Sadly, although cheaper than before, the app was nowhere near as reliable.
This year, as FOM ramped up the price of the app from £7.49 to £19.99, the reliability and quality of the information provided has been risible, quite simply after four races it is not fit for purpose.
The App Support Team, with whom one fully empathises, such is the strain they must have been under on Sunday, claimed that the problem was down to imbalance across its servers, "so some had good race, some not good at all".
However, let's not forget that the app is a paid for service, as is the "premium service" on the web, they know how many customers have signed up (paid) so why weren't the servers more than capable of handling the demand be it a race held "at a more Europe-centric time" or in the middle of the night.
And on that very subject, as Bernie Ecclestone talks of the "good replacements" for France, Germany and possibly Italy, it is clear that in terms of fans willing to fork out their hard-earned for such apps and "premium" web services, Europe remains very much the heartland of the sport.
Having been threatened before, no doubt FOM will take umbrage at this latest critique, and make a move, however, those fans who took to Twitter at the weekend will not be silenced. They have paid for a service that is not being delivered, worse still, at a time the sport is already losing fans (and sponsors), some claim the unreliability of the app is ruining race weekends.
"Folks, apologies, app performance was unacceptable for many of you today," said the hapless App Suport Team on Sunday. "We're working to understand why and fix before Spain."
Fact is, a similar promise was made in the days leading up to Bahrain, days that saw a number of updates.
Other than the unreliability of the data provided by the app and "premium service" on the web, some have rightly questioned the whole look of the thing... for example line spacing and fonts which mean the full grid of twenty cars cannot be shown without scrolling.
As ever, fans have provided solutions - with no aim of benefiting themselves other than to enhance the service for themselves and others - but how long before they too receive the strongly worded email or letter?
Perhaps FOM, assuming it is interested in the fans (customers) would do better to concentrate less on the litigation and instead focus on its Formula One Digital team and get this sorted once and for all.
For the day may come when Jenson Button is fighting for points in the MP4-30, and Lewis Hamilton has dropped down the field, handing the lead to Daniel Ricciardo, however, nobody using this infuriating app, or the "premium web service" will believe it.
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