A highly-emotional Michael Schumacher openly wept in front of a worldwide audience on what eventually proved to be a bitterly sad day for Formula One.

After the 41st victory of his career, his third at the home of Ferrari after 1996 and 1998, and in front of the fervently passionate tifosi, the man many assume to be arrogant displayed his softer side as he broke down in tears.

There must be something about Monza which leads grown men to cry because it was at this circuit exactly 12 months ago that Mika Hakkinen was seen sobbing in the woods after crashing out while comfortably in control.

A helicopter camera caught Hakkinen on that occasion, with the Finn believing he had escaped the full glare of the public eye following what was nothing more than driver error.

A year on and Schumacher sat in front of the world's media and the millions watching at home on television within minutes of his success and let all the pent up emotions come flooding to the surface.

That was a remarkable display in its own right, but the fact his actions came at the end of a dramatic - although ultimately tragic race - only added to the intensity of the day.

While it was miraculous a five-car pile-up at the second chicane on the opening lap did not claim the life of one of the drivers involved, it sadly led to a fire marshal being killed.

Paolo Ghislimberti, a 30-year-old from Trento, died in the first aid room at Monza Hospital as a result of the serious injuries he suffered at the track.

It is believed either a tyre or the nose cone of Pedro de la Rosa's Arrows struck the marshal, who sustained what was later described as head and chest trauma.

Ghislimberti was initially treated at trackside before being taken to hospital where doctors were unable to save his life. Drivers and team bosses paid their respects once the full facts became known, with Ghislimberti's death the first at a Formula One track since Ayrton Senna was killed at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.

It is ironic Schumacher has now achieved the same number of wins throughout his career as Senna before the sport claimed his life, and the German started crying when told of his feat and asked just how much it meant to him.

It took several minutes for Schumacher to finally collect his thoughts, and after being consoled by brother Ralf, who finished third in his Williams, Schumacher said: ''I have no vocabulary to express my feelings except that I am happy and exhausted.

''It's obvious why this win means so much. We're in Italy, we have had problems in the last few races when we have not been as competitive as we would wish to be, but we're back on the road.

''Although I am not in front in the championship, this win is a big relief. There's no doubt about that.

''It's my 41st victory and it goes to the amazing fans, who I feel so much closer to, and to the usual 500 people at Ferrari involved in trying to make me world champion again.''

When Schumacher spoke he was not aware at the time of the fire marshal's death, and but for the grace of God there may have been two for the sport to contend with.

The first accident at the Seconda Variante saw the second Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello and the Jordans of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli collide, with the German's car disintegrating as it started to spin across the track.

In the mayhem which followed, David Coulthard's McLaren and the Arrows of De la Rosa were also involved, the quintet then all ploughing into the gravel trap.

De la Rosa's car had hit the rear of Johnny Herbert's Jaguar, with the Briton braking to avoid the chaos in front of him, which led to the Spaniard barrel-rolling through the air.

Having effectively become a missile, the Arrows just cleared the head of Coulthard by inches, with the scene - when the dust had finally cleared - resembling a scrap yard.

It led to the safety car being employed because, as there was no debris on the circuit, there was no need for the race to be stopped.

As the safety car approached the end of its tenth, and what proved to be its final lap, the remainder of the field proceeded to bunch up behind Schumacher down the Rettilineo straight.

The Williams of Jenson Button was squeezed out under braking, taking to the grass.

But there were nearly far more serious consequences as the 20-year-old explained: ''I blame Michael for what happened.

''He came very slow out of Ascari and then he accelerated, so everyone spread out, but then he braked again and it led to a concertina effect."

Schumacher at least had the decency to apologise to Button, claiming that in constantly accelerating and braking, he was simply warming the brakes up for when the race proper began again.

Button's words, though, were not the only accusations flying around as Barrichello and Frentzen were blaming one another for the first lap chaos.

In the heat of the moment, Barrichello stormed: ''The guy is an idiot. He should be hit with a ten-race ban for what he did.

''I am very bitter about the fact my race only lasted one lap. Frentzen braked too late and hit me."

But Frentzen countered: ''I was trying to pass Barrichello."

Schumacher went on to win, followed by title rival Mika Hakkinen, with just two points separating the duo and three races remaining