Qualifying was difficult. I don't know about the racers but I was trying to watch it in the TV lounge of my B&B with the well-meaning landlady forever asking me if I wanted another cup of tea or a Jaffa cake whilst I was trying to focus on what was going on. TV coverage of qualifying is generally poor and in this case was abysmal. This was the first race this year to have a local director, rather than one from Bernie TV and he managed to miss most of the relevant action.

I just love proper Qualifying. In the '80s it was mega-boosted turbo engines, rocket fuel and single-lap qualifying tyres and simply establishing just who was the outright car/driver irrespective of race complexity, strategy or silly regulations - a bit like the ultimate Speed Event really. Interestingly, I see that the Grand Prix Drivers Association, led by Schuey & Coulthud are calling for a return to low-fuel qualifying which would help.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think Qualifying could form the basis of a serious late night, hard-core, TV programme, with loads of in-car footage and Martin Brundle explaining what's going on, maybe with the help of a technical expert, unencumbered by the need to dumb everything down. Such a programme could become cult viewing, a bit like watching "The Prisoner" whilst a student, mind you I probably couldn't stay awake now...

Anyway, Schuey captured the all-important pole, his 66th, beating Ayrton Senna's record - poignantly at the circuit where Senna gained his last and lost his life that terrible weekend in 1994. The Hondas were next, Button ahead of a much improved Barrichello, with Massa doing a solid job with fourth, crucially ahead of Alonso. Renault adopted a different strategy to Ferrari, preferring to save more new tyres for the race whereas Schuey used all but one set to secure the vital pole.

Schuey made a good start to lead and quickly drew out a lead over Button, Massa and Alonso jumped Rubens, but the real action was at the other end of the grid. Ide bashed into Albers's MFI, which launched it into a multiple roll, returning it to a flat pack - I hope they kept the allen key so they can put it back together again. Happily Albers was unhurt. The inexperienced Ide has struggled all season and will be replaced by Franck Montagny for the European GP.

Racing resumed after a short safety car period and Schuey kept his lead. Button stopped first and was delayed by a problem with a rear wheel, a foretaste of what was to come. There then followed a classic example of Ferrari tactics as Massa, in between Schuey and Alonso, backed the Spaniard up. Massa pitted first, then Schuey which released Alonso for four laps but he was unable to build up a big enough lead not to lose it to Schuey when he made his first stop, however it was enough to put him in second place ahead of Massa and Button.

It soon became apparent that there was something wrong with Schuey's car. He had started the race on his only set of new tyres and the used set for the second stint were just no good. Alonso quickly closed in on him and the scene was set for a tense duel for the rest of the race. Meanwhile Button's second stop was a disaster. The lollipop man raised it prematurely, whilst the refueling hose was still connected. He realised his mistake and brought it down again, hitting Jenson on the head! Luckily it was frangible and Button was unhurt. He accelerated pulling mechanics over until the fuel line broke - mercifully no-one was hurt and there was no fire. So that's another Honda lesson my Mum needs to learn - not to drive her Jazz away from the petrol pumps before my Dad has got back in even when they are doing a runner. Button has arranged a "motivational meeting" at Honda, which should sort the job out....or not.

Alonso was all over Schuey but could just not get past, so the Renault team brought him in early for his second stop. Ferrari responded instantly and the status quo was maintained. Initially there was some thought that Renault should have left Alonso out to try and grab the lead when Schuey made his stop but it turned out that he wouldn't have had enough fuel.

The duel resumed with Alonso taking unusual lines and making feints and lunges to try to distract Schuey, but he, of course, is way above that and didn't make a single mistake, He said afterwards that he used last year's experience, when the positions were reversed, to his advantage this year.

Alonso's Renault became increasingly wayward as his rear tyres wore out resulting in bad oversteer which caused him to nearly go off a couple of times. He settled for second in the end, leaving Michael to score Ferrari's first victory of the new formula, 42 years to the month when John Surtees took the first win for Ferrari's last F1 V8 in the Syracuse GP. Massa did a good solid job and came home fourth.

After the race both McLaren and Renault tried to diminish Ferrari's victory. McLaren MD Martin Whitmarsh said they could have won if Raikkonen and Montoya had qualified on the second row not the fourth. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Schuey had the best average lap time of anyone in the race and the second fastest lap overall. So:-

Quanto al resto è nulla. Ferrari é la nostra vita e la nostra passione, le altre non significano niete!

Forza Ferrari!

Click here to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.