Damien Smith: Off Line

It was a welcome diversion from the spy scandal - and a strong contender for the most bizarre story of the year. Ten years, nine months and 27 days ago, Jarno Trulli was robbed of victory in the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix.

Ralph Firman had collided with Soheil Ayari on the last lap, blocking the track and bringing out the red flags. They flew a second before Trulli (below) was about to take the chequered flag for victory - handing the win on countback to in-the-wall Firman. A devastated Trulli was classified third behind Max Angelelli.

But now, 564 weeks later, Macau's organisers would like to make it up to him. Trulli has been invited to return to the former Portuguese enclave to celebrate a moral victory in the 1996 Macau GP. A total of 3952 days might have passed since then, but finally he gets some consolation!

"Yes, it is true," Trulli said when I asked him about it in the Monza paddock last Saturday.

"Macau was always a disappointing race for me, especially that second year [in '96]. What can I say? It was very disappointing. Everyone knew that I'd won it. This year I might go back to celebrate that victory and maybe to do something on the track with the F1 car."

Clearly, there is a hope that this celebration offer will be a sweetener that guarantees Trulli and Toyota make an appearance. But if Toyota agrees, Jarno won't be the first to drive a modern F1 car on the brilliant 3.8-mile Guia circuit.

Fittingly, it's Firman who has that honour after demonstrating a Jordan in 2003, although he did have a few problems getting round the super-tight Melco hairpin. It's a problem Trulli has already anticipated. "Ha, yes! That will be the main issue," he said.

Trulli was in an upbeat mood on Saturday afternoon after qualifying much higher up the grid than he had expected. Just making it through to Q3 was considered an achievement, particularly as his team-mate, Ralf Schumacher, was embarrassingly unable to progress beyond Q1.

"I'm very happy," Trulli said. "We didn't expect to be in the top 10; obviously at one stage we were really struggling. I really think I got the best out of the car."

But even a cheerful Trulli is a tricky interview. You get the impression he doesn't want to engage with you, answering questions politely but only briefly looking you in the eye. There always seems to be something more interesting to look at in the middle distance.

Then again, when you listen back to his answers, you realise he remains one of the most thoughtful and sensitive drivers around. I asked him if, after 10 years in F1, he still has the burning desire that drove him on when he was young. The way he answered hardly convinced, but the actual words were much more illuminating.

"To be honest I enjoy driving and I enjoy the challenge," he said. "I cannot think of myself without driving at the moment. I'm still desperate to get the results because that satisfaction is what really gives you the boost to carry on.

"I'm so motivated because I can see the team has the potential. So I really have to push hard because I have to think that one day it will happen and we will get it right. That day I have to be ready."

It looked a long way from happening on Sunday when Trulli trailed home 11th. But that won't change anything right now. He refuses to consider that his single GP victory, at Monaco for Renault in 2004, will not be added to before it's all over.

"It's so far away, life beyond F1!" he said, smiling.

"I still have the determination. One day when it is not there, I will be the first to say I don't want to drive anymore."

Perhaps Trulli is a man who is not always what he seems. Little in this sport ever is. Even history.