I’ve not written much about F1 this season, not in comparison to the previous years - probably down to a general downturn in the number of posts I’ve written and also due to David Coulthard’s retirement.

I’ve still watched all the races, but nothing has really motivated me enough to write about it!

This week has been different though.

Firstly we had the horrendous accident which Felipe Massa endured during qualifying last Saturday - and by horrendous, I mean the outcome of the crash as at the time it was quite undramatic.

Our BMW 120d is in for some repairs this week, and 80 miles in the Fiat Punto courtesy car have left me with things I’m already missing from the BM…

• The ability to accelerate…at all…
• Automatic wipers.
• Centre armrest.
• Any sort of feeling in the brakes, the Fiat’s are spongy to say the least.
• 6th gear.
• Computer which informs your mpg, miles left in the tank etc.
• iPod connector.
• Reassuring “thunk” when you close the doors.
• Rear parking sensors.

In 2002 I bought a new MINI, and was over the moon - if a little skint because of it.  The best thing about MINIs financially speaking, was that you could order a TLC pack when you bought it which basically meant you spent £100.00 at the outset and that entitled you to a booklet of vouchers which covered your first 3 years servicing.

£100 for 3 years servicing = a very good deal indeed.

With rules prohibiting the use of moveable parts in F1 for the forseeable future, could this end up meaning that road cars leave their racing counterparts behind technologically speaking rather than the other way round?

It should never come to this obviously, but with the current freeze on engine development, it may be we see great strides taken in road cars during that period which the manufacturers can’t evolve on the track as well.

The main focus of attention after the Canadian GP was on Lewis Hamilton, which is a bit of a shame as it should really have centred on the men on the podium.

Nick Heidfeld did admirably well to manage a second place for BMW, but even he was in the shadow of his teammate Robert Kubica who managed to pull the German manufacturer’s maiden GP win out of the bag.

As if that wasn’t enough, David Coulthard managed to put his dismal start to the season behind him long enough to take the third spot on the podium - a well deserved return to form in my book.