Monza, Italy, Sept 16: A triumphant Michael Schumacher thanked everyone from Ferrari bosses down to the Maranello cleaning lady as Italy hailed a hero returning to the peak of his powers.
''I think this is one of the greatest days in my career,'' said Schumacher, his dreams of a record sixth title intact.
The three doom-laden weeks since his Hungarian Grand Prix humiliation were replaced by a roar of relief at his pole-to-flag win at Monza Sunday.
The Italian Grand Prix victory stretched Schumacher's lead over Williams' Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya to three points with two races remaining.

Schumacher had not won since Canada in June, five races previously, nor led a race for 327 laps. In Hungary he finished eighth, lapped by Renault's Fernando Alonso.



Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo had warned that situation must never be allowed to happen again and Sunday's win broke the tense atmosphere at Monza like the electric storm that lit up the skies on the eve of the race.



''The tension we felt was as strong as our will to win,'' declared team boss Jean Todt. ''It was almost as if the team were trying to win for the first time ever.



''It was an indescribable feeling standing on top of the pit wall stand during the prize-giving, with all the fans shaking me by the hand.''



It was Ferrari's 15th Italian Grand Prix win, and their second in a row, and Schumacher's 50th for the team that he joined in 1996 when the famous black stallion was far from rampant on the track.


Bureau Report