Imagine, if you will, that you are watching one of the really big TV matches on TV, it's 1-1 with just minutes to go. A player is fouled in the penalty box, the referee has no hesitation and points to the spot.

"With time running out, this is surely going to decide the game," says the commentator, his voice filled with expectation.

Johnny Whizz places the ball on the spot, turns and walks back a few paces. He wipes the sweat from his brow, silently mutters a prayer, and casts a glance at his teammates.

Just a few yards away, Carlos Fandango, pulls his gloves tighter and crouches, shifting slowly in anticipation. Over the years he has saved many penalties, however, he knows Whizz' awesome reputation.

The striker runs forward and hits the ball… the crowd falls silent.

At which point your TV screen shows neither Johnny Whizz nor Carlos Fandango, but that annoying man in the Halifax advertisements, followed by equally annoying ads for a woodstain, Vauxhall cars and McDonalds.

The TV coverage of the match continues, "well we hope you enjoyed that as much as we did," says the commentator. "In fact, the last couple of minutes were so good, we're going to show them again."

Of course you don't hear or see any of this. You've already put your foot through the TV set and are currently en-route to the headquarters of the broadcaster, along with several hundred thousand others, to let said commentator, and his employers, know how you really feel.

Quite how British broadcaster ITV can justify yesterday's decision to go to an advert break with just 3 laps of one of the best races in recent years remaining, returning after the combatants begun their last lap, remains to be seen. However, according to British tabloid The Sun, it wasn't a mistake but a scheduled ad break.

Neil Duncanson, executive producer of ITV F1, told the paper: "None of us are happy.

"We were disappointed we had to go to an ad break," he added, "but the advertisers pay top dollar."

Which indicates that this will almost certainly happen again.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for ITV Sport told The Guardian that they didn't want to cut away from the action whilst Jenson Button was leading!

"We had put four (ad breaks) in and didn't want to cut away from the action while Jenson Button was in the lead," said Whittell. "There is no scientific method to it, we try to put them in at the least contentious point of the race.

"We took a break with three laps to go just as Michael Schumacher was battling with Fernando Alonso and we came back before the final lap. There had been no change in position.

"We endeavour to show viewers any action they have missed. In this case the situation had stayed the same. Had it changed we would have showed viewers the action after the break."

Two things, Mr Whittel: