Trulli Welcomes Unexpected Points

Italian Jarno Trulli welcomed an unexpected fourth place at his home Grand Prix in Italy despite a torrid start to his race.

In a race dominated by Ferrari drivers Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher, Pescaran Trulli produced more cheers from the Italian fans with fourth place for his Renault team, despite starting from the back of the grid after a delay in leaving for the formation lap.

British teammate Jenson Button completed a good day for the French outfit after finishing in fifth position.

"I thought I'd lost everything at the start," admitted Trulli after the race. "First gear didn't engage properly when I went through the launch process, so I had to start from the back. After that, finishing fourth was pretty unexpected!

"I want to thank the whole team and especially Jenson, who let me past so that I could try and catch Irvine after the stops. I should also mention all the engine guys: we had some problems with reliability in testing last week, and now both cars have now finished the race.

"I am not just happy for Jenson and myself, but also proud to have achieved this result for the team."

Today's result allowed Renault to move nine points clear of Sauber in their battle for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship.