Ferrari jubilant after Schumacher win

Schumacher scored his first victory since Canada in June, leading almost all the way after fending off an attack from title contender Juan Pablo Montoya at the second chicane. He leads the championship by three points with two races remaining, and technical director Ross Brawn agreed with Schumacher when he said it was "one of the greatest days of my career".

Brawn said: "This weekend was classic Michael Schumacher. We've been off-balance for a few races, but today we did the job with no mistakes. It's been pretty stressful recently, so to win is unbelievable. We've got a big job ahead, and it's going to be tough."

Brawn said one key to Schumacher's turnaround of fortune was his understanding of how to use his Bridgestone tyres more effectively.

"Michael has learnt a lot about tyres this weekend and how to manage them," he said. "Rubens has been quicker than him in the last few races, and he has been using his tyres in a different way. Michael has been able to understand this, and together we have got all the little bits right this weekend."

Ferrari's chief mechanic, Nigel Stepney, added: "We needed this [win] in every respect. It shows everyone who had lost confidence in us that we can come back strong."