Although Michael Schumacher cannot wrap up the drivers' championship today, he and teammate Rubens Barrichello can give Ferrari its sixth consecutive constructors' championship.

Michael starts from pole position alongside Rubens, who believes that second on the grid - at this track in particular - is the worst possible qualifying position.

Behind an all-red front row, we have an all-white second row, with Takuma Sato and Jenson Button. Starting from row three we have 2003 winner Fernando Alonso who has Antonio Pizzonia alongside.

The atmosphere ahead of today's race is somewhat muted. Overtaking is extremely difficult here, though not impossible, however, with eleven wins under his belt already this season, most are predicting that today's result is a foregone conclusion.

Then again, we have the question of strategy, not to mention the run to the first corner, which could well see some fireworks, what with Sato starting behind the two Ferraris.

All will become clear soon enough.

As the field prepares to set off on the warm up lap, the air temperature is 25 degrees C, while the track temperature is 41 degrees.

The field heads away on the warm up lap, but Barrichello remains stationary, finally getting away a few moments later. Gianmaria Bruni also has a problem, but he too finally gets away. Baumgartner starts from the pitlane.

A superb start by Alonso who pulls across the track and gets ahead of the BARs, meanwhile further back Zonta is hit by a Jordan and spins round but manages to continue. There are problems also for Pizzonia who drops several places, as does Sato.

At the end of the first lap Schumacher leads Barrichello by 1.1s with Alonso third ahead of Montoya. Button is fifth ahead of Trulli, Raikkonen and Sato.

At the end of lap two Schumacher's lead is up to 1.6s, the gap between the next few drivers is about the same, though Trulli is all over Button.

Michael posts a new fastest lap, and lap record, on lap 3, as he stretches his lead to 2.5s Elsewhere, Massa is up to seventeenth, and closing in on Pantano. Further back, Klien is all over Heidfeld as they fight for thirteenth.

Barrichello turns up the heat, going quickest in sector three, but Michael hits back, going quickest in the first two sectors. With six laps completed, Schumacher has a 7s advantage of third-placed Alonso.

Massa gets by Pantano and sets off after Panis who is on Klien's tail. Meanwhile Michael posts a new fastest lap, 1:19.678, which puts him 3.6s ahead of his teammate.

Zonta is all over Pantano, the Brazilian making up for the time lost at the start of the race. Sato has closed up on Raikkonen, who is hard on the heels of Fisichella.

At the end of lap 10, as Schumacher posts a new fastest lap, Alonso pits, as does Fisichella. The Spaniard is stationary for 7s and the Italian 7.6s.

Meanwhile Raikkonen is slowing as Barrichello pits, as do Button, Montoya, Trulli and Coulthard. The Finn is lapping 7s a lap slower than Michael.