At last we came to one of the few decent race tracks remaining, it is no coincidence that it came top in the FIA's recent survey. Although Monza has one or two good bits it has been emasculated by those chicanes that just serve to make F1 cars look even sillier than they are. But don't expect the wonders of Spa to last for long! After Fisichella's big crash at Eau Rouge there is now talk of slotting in a chicane there as well....

Inevitably there was little for the Ferrari fan to get excited about at this Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher said he was hoping for a wet race which might give them a few more strategic options but other than that the real buzz was all about the latest political manouverings between the FIA and the manufacturers.

Max Mosley's good mate Dieter Mateschitz, already the owner of Red Bull Racing, has now bought the Minardi team as well and will no doubt pledge it to the FIA World Championship. Their grid is filling up quite nicely, particularly if Mosley allows second hand cars to be sold to fledgling teams.

Whilst the official line is that the Minardi purchase will allow up and coming Red Bull drivers to find an F1 berth, it is more likely to be a clever move to outflank the constructors. Williams, now freed of the shackles of BMW engine supply, will undoubtedly also move over to the FIA side.

All this - and the continuing Buttongate saga, as well as the interesting Michelin/Bridgestone controversy - made for some mild amusement whilst there was nothing going on on the track during practice, with the exception of Liutzi clouting the barriers at La Source after he aquaplaned off the teeming track.

Qualifying brought a little glimmer of hope in that Schuey put his Ferrari seventh on the grid (sixth after Fisichella's engine change) but Rubens was down in 12th with a compromise wet weather set up. The two McLarens were really flying at the front and looked to be by far the best race cars out there, Montoya just in front of Raikkonen, with Championship .phpirant Fernando Alonso looking comfortable in fifth spot. Fisichella's Renault would have been third but got pushed down to 13th after his engine change.

Ahead of the race the wet track, but no rain, made for some difficult tyre choices. It seems that most teams had semi-wet set-ups on their cars and everyone plumbed for intermediate tyres. The start, amazingly given the amount of spray hanging around, went without incident with Montoya heading Raikkonen, Trulli, Alonso and then Schuey, who had made up one space off the start. On lap 11, as the safety car came out for Fisichella's accident, Schuey dived into the puts and the team fitted dry tyres. It turned out to be a hopeless decision. The tyres could never reach operating temperature and he came straight back in to put intermediates on. Both BARs also tried dry tyres but similarly had to come back in for intermediates. In the event Schuey only lasted two more laps before Sato hit him up the back at La Source and collected a clip around his helmeted ear as a consequence.

At the front Montoya reeled off lap after lap, with Raikkonen in second waiting patiently for the team order that would take him into the lead, and Alonso was cruising round happily in third content to pick up the points for his inevitable World Championship. On lap 35, following the second fuel stops for both Montoya and Raikkonen, the two McLarens reversed their order and it all seemed set for the best that McLaren could achieve to keep the Finn's slim Championship hopes alive - a McLaren 1-2 with Alonso held down to third. But then Montoya managed to get it wrong again as he and Pizzonia completely misunderstood each other's intentions and the McLaren was punted out of the race. This handed Alonso an extra two Championship points. At least this time Montoya kept his counsel to himself and stayed calm but Pizzonia was handed an $8,000 fine by the FIA.

Whilst all of this was going on Rubens had one of his customary quiet races but kept going to the end to finish fifth. Montoya's last minute retirement meant that Michael Schumacher still stays in third place in the Championship with 55 points, with Montoya in fourth, just five points behind.

We next head off to another realtively decent track; Interlagos in Brazil, but there is no reason to suppose that Ferraris current form will be much different than so far.

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Spa remains relatively unblighted by chicanes...

...but will it remain so?

It was a bit wet on Friday, as Minardi's Doornbos demonstrates

Mateschitz's buyout of Minardi means another team on Bernie's side

Schuey Q'd seventh

There were no first lap incidents despite a wet start...

...but plenty later on, Sato tags Schuey...

...who has a quiet word

Montoya led until some clever pit-stops...

...released Kimi to take another win...

...but Alonso got second as a result of the hapless Montoya's misfortune

Monteiro scored a point on merit

Good 'ol Rubes brought it safely home fifth - we'll miss him

pics by Ferrari Media, Schlegelmilch, XPB, LAT, & Sutton