So Michael Schumacher isn't the first to win two races in Italy in a single season, but the fact that he did it in a Ferrari gave him a status among the tifosi only equaled by the legendary Gilles Villeneuve.

In the career of Gilles Villeneuve, there were two events at Imola that stand out. First, his crash in 1980, and then his 'stolen' victory in 1982 that some claim ultimately lead to his death at Zolder in the next Grand Prix.

The crash in the 1980 race - the only Italian Grand Prix at Imola - was one of the heaviest in Formula One history in which nobody was hurt. Coming out of Tosa, Gilles's right rear tyre exploded at a speed of 180mph and he flew right into the wall without losing speed. The car was literally torn into pieces and one of the loose wheels hit Villeneuve in the helmet, and for thirty seconds he lost his eyesight.

However, Villeneuve was fully conscious and very aware of the rest of the field blasting by. Frantically, the Ferrari driver was waving his hands and once his eyesight had returned and the other drivers had all passed, the French Canadian climbed out of the wreckage and walked off to have himself checked by the medical staff. Obviously he was sore all over and had a massive headache, but the thing that probably hurt him the most, was that he wasn't allowed to fly his helicopter for 24 hours.

When speaking of Villeneuve, Schumacher and Imola, you almost automatically wonder how Ferrari drivers do in their second home Grand Prix. In terms of wins, both Williams (8) and McLaren (5) scored more than Ferrari's 4, but the Maranello team's 17 podium finishes are unrivaled.

When we look at the winners in Imola, it is interesting to note that the winner has rarely won the Championship of that season in recent years. The last two World Champions that won Imola in their Championship year were Michael Schumacher in 2000 and Damon Hill in 1996.

Historically, the up and coming boys of Renault are candidates for success. With seven wins at Imola, Renault engines are by far the strongest. However, Jarno Trulli has been much more of a force in his home country than Jenson Button. Trulli finished fifth last year, while Button had to settle for 12th after starting a disastrous 21st.

Last season, Ralf Schumacher grabbed his maiden victory at Imola, making him the second driver to score his maiden victory on Circuit Enzo e Dino Ferrari. The first one was fellow German Heinz-Harald Frentzen in 1997, also in a Williams. Surprisingly, the most maiden victories were scored in Monaco. No less than eight drivers took their debut victory in the principality, but more on that next month, when the F1 circus arrives there.

Outside the cars, the central subjects of discussion at Imola are babies. In 1999, both Giancarlo Fisichella and Michael Schumacher became the proud fathers in the forthnight leading up to the San Marino Grand Prix. A year later, Heinz-Harald Frentzen was almost happy he retired early; the German went home quickly and became a father the next day. Last year, Imola saw the return to the paddock of Erja Hakkinen for the first time after the birth of son Hugo, while Ralf Schumacher announced he and his Cora were expecting a baby.

With the recent discussions on whether Michael Schumacher can or cannot break Ayrton Senna's record of 65 Pole Positions, Imola will be an interesting qualifying session. Not that Schumacher is anywhere near 65 poles, but Imola is somewhat of a proving ground. It was here that Ayrton Senna was the master of the flying lap. No less than eight times was the Brazilian crowned the Imola king of Saturday.

So far, Michael Schumacher shares second place with Rene Arnoux, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard with a mere two pole positions each. One of the reasons that Senna was as dominant in Imola as he was, lies in the difficulty of the circuit. With its many different types of corners, it demands more concentration and ability to determine the perfect balance in the setup of the car than any other circuit except Monaco.