Postcard from San Marino

At least they gave me something with only eight kms on the clock - although there's nowhere to hide when it comes to arguing about scratches when I take it back - and rather than the usual Punto it was some kind of Lancia device, with a funky retro front end spoiled by a delightful blue velvet interior. Sadly despite the classy badge, it handles like any other little Italian car, with the cornering properties of soggy pizza.

The reason why the car is of such relevance this weekend is that, unlike at any other grand prix, to drive to the track is a highlight of the weekend, and that starts with the trip from the airport. Most folk go to Bologna, but for economy's sake I take cheapo Ryanair to Pisa. That involves an extra 90 minutes driving on arrival, but fortunately the Pisa-Florence-Bologna motorway is as attractive as it sounds. This is no M25; you pass through beautiful hills with little villages atop them and wonder if you'll ever have a chance to take a closer look, and everywhere you look there are charming castles and churches.

Where the car really comes into its own is on the daily commute from hotel to circuit. I always stay in Brisighella, a sleepy little town which is off the beaten track, but within sensible reach of Imola.

This charming, unspoiled place is actually 27kms away from the circuit, which would be a pain at most other venues. But those 27kms are formed by an endless sequence of hairpins and dips that take you across wonderful hilly countryside, and what's more, the road is usually empty right until the front gate of the track. You can really press on and start to think that you know what you doing, even in an itty bitty Lancia. After a while you half expect to see Moss and Jenks and their 300SLR appear in your rear view mirror...

In the mornings the views across the valleys are spectacular, but in places there are sheer drops, and if you soak up too much of the ambience you risk tumbling into the olive plantations and never being seen again. But if you stay on the grey stuff the drive really puts a smile on your face, something that the traffic elsewhere in the world manifestly fails to do, and it starts your day in the best possible way.

The good news is that the pleasure continues on arrival. Imola is always an enjoyable place to come to. After all the travelling of the previous three races it's good to be back in Europe, and see the motorhomes for the first time since Monza last year. There's always a special buzz at any race in Italy, and there are a lot of faces around that we haven't seen thus far this year. After the soulless concrete expanse of the Bahrain paddock, the contrast is all too apparent.

So far the weather has been warm and sunny, and that's helped to foster a generally positive mood, and it should be a good weekend. Supposedly this is the last time we'll come to Imola. If that proves to be the case, we'll miss it.