Ralf surprises with pass on Michael

But, on lap 30 at Hungaroring, with both still fighting for the championship - although in Ralf's case only just - Ralf's Williams passed Michael's Ferrari into Turn 1. But was it a genuine pass or did Michael let him through?

Both were at the back of a quartet of cars, which also comprised Jarno Trulli and Juan Pablo Montoya, closing in to lap Zsolt Baumgartner's Jordan. The Hungarian debutant saw what was happening and kept well out of the way, as Montoya had a look at the inside of Trulli.

The Italian closed the door and while this was happening Ralf shot down the inside of Michael. The Ferrari made a token effort to run alongside into Turn 2, but then slotted back into line.

"I think he was watching what was going on ahead of him and was taken a little by surprise," reckoned Ferrari boss Jean Todt. "Or maybe he just wanted to stop all the stories about his brother never passing him..."

Michael himself suggested that he decided not to fight Ralf. He said: "I knew we were on a different strategy and saw that he was going into the pits quite soon."

Most likely Michael, who was five laps heavier than Ralf in the second stint, worked out that Trulli was shortly to pit and that when he did, Montoya would cut loose and his brother would be trapped behind him. With Montoya his chief rival, better to let Ralf at him.

In the event, Montoya got clear of his team mate by managing to displace Mark Webber at his second pit stop, while Schumacher Jr was trapped behind the Jaguar for a further 10 laps.