Damon Hill for once managed a good start, with Villeneuve on an equally good one, both dragging side by side to the first chicane. On an absolute flyer though was Alesi, who from the third row powered down the left side of the track into the lead. They all funnelled down into the first corner, Villeneuve going wide and over the inside of the second corner. He felt agrieved at this and had words with Hill afterwards.

Hill was in a forceful mood, and at Lesmo 2 he repassed Alesi for the lead. Alesi tucked immediately into the slipstream and tried an outbraking manouevre into the Ascari chicane, and they both went around the first corner side by side. Hill had the inside line for the next corner though, and went through ahead. From there on to the end of the lap he pulled out half a second.

Over the start/finish line for the first time, Hill led Alesi from Villeneuve, Coulthard and Schumacher, Coulthard giving Villeneuve close attention. Going into the first chicane though and disaster struck. Villeneuve missed his apex and clipped the tyres on the inside of the chicane, a temporary solution to try and stop the drivers straight lining them. The tyres where bolted down though, and the restraining wire caused the tyres to ricochet back into the front wheel of Coulthard, causing him to spin out into retirement. The same incident had bent Villeneuve's front suspension, and his car developed a large appetite for front tyres, causing his pace to drop off by 2 seconds a lap. It looked to be Damon Hill's day.

Lap 4 and the tyres were creating chaos yet again. This time it was Alesi who clipped the tyres, scattering them across the track. Cars went left and right in avoidance, but the second McLaren of Hakkinen collected one in the front wing, causing one of the front upright supports to break. He struggled on for a further lap, suffering from major understeer, but still able to hold off Schumacher. He pitted for 13.8s, and resumed racing. Panis was also unlucky this lap, breaking down, completing a miserable day. His car had died on the warm up grid, and he had had to start the race from the back of the grid.

Hill by this time had pulled out 1.9s over Alesi, and looked like he already had the race sewn up, before the tyres struck yet again. He clipped the tyres going into the first corner for the sixth time, and the car flipped around, the engine stalling in the process. Hill could only stare disconsolately as the cars rushed past. The chance of sewing up the championship had gone for the day, and all he could hope was that Villeneuve's points haul would be as small as possible. Perhaps it's the first time all season he was hoping for someone else to win.

Schumacher was second by this time, and scenting a chance to lead in Italy for Ferrari started putting in fastest laps to catch Alesi. Passing was another matter though, and Schumacher hoped his strategy of making a late pit stop would allow him to get past and disappear up the road. The only problem was that this was the strategy of Alesi too.

Irvine clipped the tyres on lap 24, braking the front suspension and spinning out, as the drivers were starting to make their pit stops. All attention was focussed on the leading pair. Who would pit first? Lap after lap they continued going around, and you were almost straining to try and hear the first sound of an engine running dry. Still they went on until lap 31, when Alesi pitted, taking 9.0s. The Benetton was already marginal on fuel at that point, and Alesi was convinced that Schumacher would pit the next lap.

He didn't - instead he set a new fastest lap, and stayed out yet another lap. Finally lap 33 Schumacher came in, taking 8.8s, and went out, five seconds in the lead. He then gently eased away, and Alesi settled for second. On the move by this time was Hakkinen, who also set a fastest lap on lap 29, and was up to third, rueing his early misfortune, convinced he could have been dicing for the lead otherwise. Behind him was the Jordan train of Brundle and Barrichello, in that order, and never much more than a second apart all race. And behind them both was Diniz. His Mugen engine gave the Ligier a prodigious straightline speed advantage, and he was one of the few drivers who managed to avoid the tyres.....

The only minor scare for Schumacher came on lap 41, when he clouted the tyres with his left front turning into the front chicance. One of his hands was flung off the steering wheel, but he gathered it all back together, and carried on his serene way, setting more fastest laps along the way. Towards the end though it was getting increasingly difficult to hear the Ferrari as it circulated, as the Tifosi were becoming delirious.

Schumacher crossed the line first, and declared the race as one of the best of his life. I would have liked to have been in Maranello though. The priest there is a devout Ferrari fan, and always tolls the bell on a Ferrari victory. I wonder in Maranello managewd to sleep that night?