Brawn absent as Monza weekend begins

Brawn has been having some treatment in England for recurrent back pain and has not yet journeyed to the Italian GP venue.

Driver Rubens Barrichello explained in Monza: "It's like one of those things that you are always going to sort out tomorrow. Ross has been feeling back pain for a long time but when you are working you put these things off. Recently though it got so bad that he couldn't move anymore. Last week was really painful and I was calling him up as he was had things checked. He's a bit better now and I'm sure he is going to be here."

Barrichello confirmed that Michael Schumacher's race engineer Luca Baldisseri will perform Brawn's overseeing role at Monza in his absence, a race Barrichello predicts will be harder fought than Spa.

"I think it's going to be much closer," added Barrichello. "I hope not, but I think it will be, given the nature of the circuit and the way Michelin has been running in qualifying. I really think it's going to be closer."