Schumacher's day of tragedy and triumph

He did not have to race, but Michael Schumacher took part in the San Marino Grand Prix here yesterday because he wanted to and, perhaps, because he needed to, following the death of his mother, Elisabeth, the previous evening. Both Ferrari and Williams respectively gave the world champion and his younger brother, Ralf, the option to withdraw in the circumstances, but each elected to participate because their mother had been such a staunch supporter of their racing throughout careers that began at the family-run kart track in Kerpen.

For the elder Schumacher, it was an understandably emotional 65th grand prix victory – his first of what has been a troubled season. And, in truth, as far as the actual driving was concerned, it was easy.

Ralf won the start, surging ahead from the second front-row slot on the grid and grabbing the initiative as Michael elected not to contest his right to the first corner. Shrewdly, he calculated that there was plenty of time. Instead, he dogged his sibling's wheeltracks, moving into the lead when Ralf refuelled for the first time at the end of the 16th lap. But whereas the elder Schumacher was able to make the first of his own three stops on the 18th lap and rejoin the race ahead of the Williams-BMW, his team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, was still behind the Anglo-German car even though he himself had already stopped on the 17th. That probably cost Ferrari a 1-2 result.

Schumacher's three-stop strategy worked to perfection, as he stopped again on laps 34 and 49 and was able to ease back in the closing laps to avoid straining his equipment.

Although he had turned down the Ferrari management's option not to race, he and his brother were excused all official duties before and after the grand prix by the FIA, world motor sport's governing body. The champion appeared, quiet and drawn, on the victory podium, but there was none of the traditional spraying of champagne. Then, as he and his brother headed back to Cologne almost immediately to be with their family, Ferrari's sporting director, Jean Todt, represented him in the post-race press conference.

"It has been very difficult for Michael today, understandably," Todt said. "He did the job because he wanted to. He had the choice of not driving. Yes, the opposition was strong today, but perhaps we have deserved more than we have received so far this season."

Then, referring to the "old" Ferrari F2002 with which Schumacher and Barrichello had dominated last season's championship and which was kept on for this race in preference to the new one, he added: "It was important that we gave a good farewell to this incredible car."

Next week Ferrari will continue testing their new F2003-GA at the Mugello circuit in Italy and, providing it meets expectations over reliability, it will be raced from the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix onwards.

That was a point that very definitely was not lost on Ferrari's rivals. In many ways, the San Marino Grand Prix brought Formula One back down to earth after the three sensational opening races, and many people in the paddock believe that the outcome gave the first true indication of a pecking order in a season when the new regulations have tended to obscure genuine performance parameters.

Nevertheless, both McLaren-Mercedes and Williams-BMW left Italy buoyed by their performance. The former retain their leads in both the drivers' and constructors' world championships, thanks to Kimi Raikkonen coming home a strong second despite a fierce challenge from Barrichello in the closing laps, and David Coulthard taking a disappointing fifth.

Ralf Schumacher lost out to McLaren's two-stop strategy and then later to a scrap with Barrichello, who powered inside him in the final corner on the 52nd lap to snatch away third place to the cheers of Ferrari's vocal fans. But nevertheless he took fourth. Schumacher's Williams team-mate, Juan Pablo Montoya, was seventh after a problem with his refuelling rig during his second stop on lap 30, which prompted another unscheduled one two laps later. Fernando Alonso's well-driven Renault was sixth, and the final point went to Britain's Jenson Button, in the BAR-Honda.

Raikkonen did the perfect damage limitation job for McLaren-Mercedes on an afternoon when the old Ferrari still had more than enough up its sleeve.

"Our two-stop strategy worked quite well," said the points leader in the world drivers' championship. "My only problem all afternoon was too much oversteer on my second set of tyres. It's always good to get points while we are waiting for our new car, and once we get that I hope that we can start to fight again for the wins."

McLaren's new challenger is likely to appear in Austria at the end of May. At one stage this year it seemed that it might be a luxury the team could afford to delay while honing it in testing. But after Ferrari's demonstration yesterday afternoon it is beginning to look like a necessity after all.

IMOLA DETAILS

1 M Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1hr 28min 12.058sec

(ave speed 207.894kph, 129.18mph, 62 laps)

2 K Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1.28:13.940.

3 R Barrichello (Br) Ferrari 1.28:14.349

4 R Schumacher (Ger) Williams-BMW 1.28:20.861.

5 D Coulthard (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 1.28:21.469

6 F Alonso (Sp) Renault 1.28:55.747

7 J P Montoya (Col) Williams-BMW 1.28:57.329; 8 J Button (GB) BAR-Honda at one lap; 9 O Panis (Fr) Toyota one lap; 10 N Heidfeld (Ger) Sauber-Petronas onme lap; 11 H-H Frentzen (Ger) Sauber-Petronas one lap; 12 C Da Matta (Br) Toyota one lap; 13 J Trulli (It) Renault one lap; 14 A Pizzonia (Br) Jaguar two laps; 15 G Fisichella (It) Jordan-Ford five laps.

Not classified (did not finish): M Webber (Aus) Jaguar 54 laps completed; R Firman (Irl) Jordan-Ford 51; J Verstappen (Neth) Minardi-Cosworth 38; J Wilson (GB) Minardi-Cosworth 23; J Villeneuve (Can) BAR-Honda 19.

Constructors' standings

1 McLaren-Mercedes 51pts; 2 Ferrari 32; 3 Renault 26; 4 Williams-BMW 23; 5 Jordan-Ford 10; 6 Sauber-Petronas 8; 7 BAR-Honda 6.