Formula One, so often bedevilled by politics, was on a high at Monza, where racing and the Italian "home team" won the day. Victory in front of the tifosi was the dream result Ferrari needed. And, because of the new points system – aided, it must be said, by previous log leader Lewis Hamilton's faux pas on the first lap – the result of the Italian GP has again blown the title chase wide open.
It was a result that went a long way towards justifying the team orders issued by the scuderia in Germany, with the leading Ferrari driver now less than a race victory behind the points leader. Imagine how boring things would have looked at the top of the points table had former FIA president Max Mosley got his way and had all Ferrari's points from Hockenheim cancelled!
Putting politics behind him, Monza winner Fernando Alonso produced a gritty performance in a race where the differences between the contenders was measured in hundredths of a second. How much on the edge the Spanish double world champion was is evidenced by a few near-misses and an "off" on his way to a hard-fought victory…
Just after the start he clashed with early leader Button, roughing up the McLaren driver's diffuser and splitting his nosecone, then he had a lurid sideways moment when, immediately after coming out of the pits and grabbing a slender lead, he defended his newly-won advantage against Button's rubbered-in McLaren.
Ever the fighter, the Ferrari driver continued pushing, missing a chicane in the latter stages of the race. But by then his win had been cemented, bringing the prospect of an exciting battle for the remainder of the season, with new log-leader Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Alonso, Button and Sebastian Vettel all in the frame… Must say I'm looking forward to the action!