Sunday's British Grand Prix was supposed to witness a first win on home soil for Formula One leader Jenson Button and a farewell to the Silverstone circuit.
In the end, neither went as planned.
Fans flocked to Silverstone in anticipation, 100,000 of them streaming through the gates on race day with flags and messages of support.
"Button 2009 F1 World Champion," declared one banner in the main grandstand.
Others proclaimed "Thank you Silverstone, it's been great," "Button's Got Talent" and even "Button for Prime Minister".
By Saturday lunchtime many of the Union Jacks and white and red flags of St George were fluttering limply, while the wind was taken equally out of the Brawn driver's sails.
The 29-year-old laboured to sixth on the grid in qualifying, still 13 places ahead of McLaren's suffering world champion Lewis Hamilton but way below expectations.
It did not get any better on Sunday, with victory going to Germany's Sebastian Vettel who led a commanding Red Bull one-two.
"I was ninth or 10th after the start so it was never going to be easy, so in a way sixth position and three points is okay," Button said.
If Button was not going to win, fans still had the Silverstone flags. After 60 years of motor racing, Sunday was Silverstone's sign-off before next year's switch to Donington Park but the former World War Two airfield might just have a few more miles left on the clock.
In a personal u-turn, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone announced that if Donington was not ready in time for 2010 the race would return to Silverstone instead of skipping a year as was originally planned.
"It's great," Button told reporters.
"I love this circuit, it's fantastic that Bernie (Ecclestone) has come forward and said that."
After a week overshadowed by the gloom and doom of a possible F1 split between the FIA and teams' association FOTA, Silverstone's lifeline was a welcome, albeit small, positive as was the biggest turnout of the season so far.
"The fact that Silverstone has got the British public by the throat is manifested by the fact that on Friday there were 88,000 people here," former race commentator Murray Walker said.
"That's more than Turkey, Malaysia and Bahrain race days this year put together. That's how enthusiastic the British public are."