St. George's Day and Alonso fights off Schumacher in Grand Prix!

Today, I watched the San Marino Grand Prix and I thought that Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher turned the Grand Prix into the most dramatic demonstration of follow my leader since Red Rum chased down Crisp in the 1973 Grand National, not that I can remember that. The difference here was the leader hung on.

I thought after watching the race that Jenson Button was no slouch either, returning to the podium for the first time this season. Like Schumacher's, Button's problems appear to be behind him. He did not have the pace to keep Schumacher at bay, but he secured a morale-boosting result that BAR would have taken at the start of play on Friday.

Back then Schumacher would also have settled for second, and his 100th podium finish for Ferrari. Yet had he not made a mistake during qualifying yesterday morning, locking up after hitting a bump, Schumacher would have been celebrating his 85th career win. On this evidence he will not have long to wait.

At least, they would have been for TV viewers had the pictures been transmitted. ITV went to an advertisement break with three laps to go, returning as the cars began the final lap. The message, if not the pictures, got through. Ferrari are back.

Until the race Alonso had not completed more than three laps on the bounce, making set-up and tyre choice far from straightforward. The result was a car running on reduced revs to protect the engine and struggling badly over the closing laps.

Button delivered on the promise shown all weekend. He was unlucky to lose traction on dust thrown up by the back markers as he prepared to make his second stop. Schumacher was through in an instant.