Trulli scores podium finish

The Italian made an extraordinary start from the second row and led the race from eventual winner Michael Schumacher until he made his first pitstop on lap nine. He then defended his third position late in the race after a concerted charge from team-mate Fernando Alonso.

"I want to dedicate this podium to a very close friend of mine," said the Italian in the post race press conference, "who is going through a very difficult time: he has a big battle ahead of him, but we will be with him all the way and this trophy is for him.

"As for the race, I made the kind of start you can only dream about but even though Michael was behind, I knew he was faster than me. After my first stop, all I had to do was keep pushing through the race, and I did that until the last stint, when was managing the gap to Fernando. It was a nice sight to see the two Renaults cross the line together today."

Alonso failed to reproduce his stellar performance from last year on home soil but fought through to finish fourth after a difficult weekend. "I was stuck in the pack at the start, and it took the first two stints for me to get a clear track so I could begin running at my true pace," said the Spaniard. "Everything went well from then on, although the car did not have very good grip today. Third and fourth is the best the team could have hoped for today."