Mr Bezos was in town to promote, among other things, one of those innovations which some thought might be a blind alley, the Kindle Fire.

BBC: Bezos and the future of books

But the technology turned out to be a blind alley.

ECONOMIST: Time and money | The

Sure, there's plenty that needs to change: Protectionism remains rife and the EU went down a blind alley with its social agenda, which piled new costs on business just when it needed greater flexibility.

WSJ: What Cameron Needs to Say on Europe

But Whitmarsh, who admits McLaren "went down a technical blind alley" and "made a number of mistakes that cost us dearly", insists they are now back on track.

BBC: McLaren talk up Kers 'advantage'