In this week's column, Ann Bradshaw talks about the behind-the-scenes secrets of Ferrari's and Michael Schumacher's success, about more exciting French Grands Prix, about the repercussions of Max Mosley's decision to quit, and much more

I read a newspaper report on the French Grand Prix that said the event was one long yawn and the spectators must have fallen asleep, which it also said was exactly what Jarno Trulli did on the last lap.

I can only agree with this. I know what Ferrari did in putting Michael Schumacher on a four stopper was a stroke of genius; I know what Rubens Barrichello did on the very last lap by overtaking Trulli was great for Ferrari and bad for Renault, but there was nothing there to create a great motor race. Add to this a French TV director who was so obsessed with the 'local' car that he forgot there might have been a race going on behind Fernando Alonso's Renault, and you come up with a boring afternoon of sport.

I was also disappointed that the new McLaren didn't live up to its promise, and by the look on his face after the race so was David Coulthard. I am not sure what happened to the Williams team. Marc Gene did a decent job in qualifying despite not having raced for a long time. Juan Pablo Montoya was not able to replicate the pre-qualifying run when he was quickest, but I felt they might have raised their game and even if they could not repeat the one two from 2003 we may have seen them giving the likes of Jenson Button a run for his money.

All this comes back to is that Michael Schumacher and Ferrari are doing the best job and despite the best efforts of the other teams look likely to do so for quite a time to come.

Here in the UK we were privileged to have a look behind the scenes at Ferrari thanks to ITV arranging to feature the team during their coverage of the French race. We saw all the inner sanctums of the team and leant a bit more about what makes the team so successful. I felt I was looking into someone's house because all the people seemed dedicated to one cause, making Ferrari the best team in the world and it seemed just like a family. Ross Brawn talked about the team over a glass of fine red wine in the restaurant next door to the Maranello factory.

He talked about self-generating motivation and said if you worked for Ferrari the philosophy was simple "you were either in or you were out" and that "winning is still very highly valued" and the team was not getting complacent. While it is easy to look at such quotes and comment "he would say that, wouldn't he" it was obvious from what he said and the interviews with the entire team they practiced what they preached. He also talked about trust and it was obvious when we saw an interview with Michael later that there was a tremendous amount of trust between the two of them.

The Michael interview itself was quite emotional as before talking about the team he talked about his brother's accident in Indianapolis. It was difficult not to feel sorry for him when he said about the accident: "I think these moments are the most difficult to cope with." He said when he drove by the accident and realised it was Ralf he literally stopped breathing and almost cried. The one word that really brought home how he felt was "lonely". He was not able to do anything but had to get on with his job.

Luckily the two teams were in immediate contact and so he was soon made aware that his brother, while in pain, was okay and his life was not threatened. Not surprisingly the interviewer asked him if this made him question his own motivation and very quickly the reply came back and it was an emphatic "no". Apart from this interview, we also saw him the other side of the microphone walking round the Ferrari garage to interview his own engineers. It was fun to watch but I don't think he should give up his day job yet.

It is obvious that the spirit of Enzo Ferrari still lives on in the team and Niki Lauda spoke about this when he said: "He is the most charismatic person I have ever met and he is still around in the team. The 'old man' is still alive in the cars and the victories." He also spoke about the emotions shown by the tifosi when he said: "Italy is known for emotions, if you win you are king and if you lose you are an idiot."

Luckily for Ferrari those "idiot" days are over. Michael won his 79th and their 176th victory on Sunday. He didn't add another pole to his tally as it was Fernando Alonso, who has competed in 159 Grands Prix less than him, who took that honour. However, there are no points for this, so when it counted Michael was there again and on lap 32 of the 70 lap race he took the lead and made sure he kept it. Ross Brawn and the Ferrari back room boys had done their sums and worked out how to counter the Renault charge. They knew how to spoil the party for the thousands of Renault employees who were at the race.

While watching the race from the comfort of my own sitting room I was able to think back to my times at the French Grand Prix. While I hated Magny-Cours as a circuit, I always managed to have a good time and this was down to the fact I usually celebrated my birthday at the race. It is a place with no soul. The circuit is not interesting and the area is not either. While the local wine is good, I can't say the Nevers area is full of good restaurants. However, we have had some exciting races there.

Last year there was the drama between Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher when the former felt he should be able to overtake the latter for the win. It was not to be and the repercussions of that will be felt for a long time, as I am sure this was one of the deciding factors in the Colombian opting to leave the team for McLaren. This in turn has put David Coulthard out of a job at a time when he surely has a few more wins inside him.

While this may have changed the face of what happens in two teams, we are all waiting for the outcome of Max Mosley's recent announcement that he is quitting his job as President of the FIA in a few months time, as this could change the face of F1. He has held this position since 1991 and his current tenure was not due to run out until October 2005. Was this also in a fit of pique because he could not have his own way? He has admitted that he is losing interest and has found the recent F1 Commission meetings tedious. A man in his position should usually make the decisions and not have a group of team owners tell him how to run the sport.

When he came to power it was at the cost of the Frenchman Jean Marie Balestre. Max came in as a more moderate person who wanted to change things by discussion rather than bullying tactics. However, it seems his tactics are not working so he is giving someone else the chance to take over. Here is the big question of who really wants the job. Ferrari's Jean Todt is being suggested as a replacement, but I cannot see why you should give up running the most successful team in the sport as well as having control over its road cars to try to keep a bunch of team owners under control. Admittedly as head of the FIA, Max does a lot more than this, but this is the part that is usually talked about in the press and his efforts to make the sport and motoring in general safer aren't good headline makers.

I now want to look forward to Silverstone and I hope this season the race can live up to last year's. It was one of the most exciting I have seen for years. There was drama and excitement and overtaking. Rubens was a worthy winner. We had the track invasion by a man trying to make a point and luckily this was soon dealt with. However, I must say that if he had not been captured so quickly and the drivers reacted so well we could have been looking back at the race from a different perspective. Thankfully we are not so the race is remembered with affection rather than horror.

I watched the race from home and so for the first time for longer than I cared to remember did not visit Silverstone for even a day over the race weekend. However, this year I shall be back again but in a very different role. For the first time I shall be looking after guests. I had resigned myself to be another armchair fan until my friend Lynden Swainston persuaded me that looking after some of the Fosters guests would be fun.

I shall therefore be there but on the outside looking in as, along with tens of thousands of fans, I shall be on the outside of the paddock. This will be a new experience for me and I have to admit one I shall be looking forward to and I shall be honest with you when I write this column next week and tell you if I think F1 is giving the people who keep it going – the fans – value for money.

About the author:
Ann Bradshaw - Annie - began her motor racing career as a teenager, helping out her brother in local rally races in England, where she grew up. In the 1970s she organised motor racing events in England, and was later the press officer for the RAC MSA - the motorsport governing body in Britain. In mid 1980s, she became press officer to team Lotus, where she worked with Ayrton Senna. Shortly after, she moved to the Williams team and was working there for several years, when once again she found herself working with Senna. She worked with Damon Hill after the Brazilian's death, and moved with the British Champion to Arrows. She also worked with the Panoz team in the United States, before becoming a freelance press officer, now working with BMW among others. Annie joined Atlas F1 as a regular columnist in April 2002.

Contact the Author Contact the Editor