The Schumachers had started alongside each other on the front row of the grid - but it was the five-time world champion who emerged triumphant at the end of what must have been a difficult afternoon.

Schumacher’s 65th career victory ended his error-strewn start to the season and gave him and Ferrari their first win since the final race of last year.

The 34-year-old victory by 1.8 seconds from McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen reduced his deficit to the championship pacesetting Finn by just two points to 14 after four of this season’s 16 grands prix.

Brazil’s Rubens Barrichello finished third in the other Ferrari after overtaking the Williams-BMW of Schumacher junior after a terrific battle in the final chicane with just nine laps of the 62-lap race left.

Scotland’s David Coulthard finished fifth as the McLaren duo opted for a two-stop strategy compared to the three adopted by Ferrari and Williams having qualified lower down to the grid than their rivals.

Renault’s Fernando Alonso was sixth with Juan Pablo Montoya seventh in the other Williams while Jenson Button picked up the final point with eighth place for BAR-Honda.

Ralph Firman retired his Jordan late on while Justin Wilson was left still looking for a Formula One finish after his Minardi stalled during his first pit-stop with mechanics unable to reignite the engine.

But the day was dominated by the Schumachers, who decided to race despite the emotional difficulties of having lost their mother – who had been ill for some time and in hospital for over a week.

The brothers had been by her bedside before flying to Italy for the grand prix and jetted off there again yesterday after qualifying on the front row of the grid.

Ralf, who had arrived at the circuit this morning dressed in black, seized the lead from his older brother in the battle for the first corner.

But Michael, who had endured his worst ever start to a campaign, controlled the race once Ralf had made his first stop at the lend of lap 16 but lost crucial time with a stuttering start from his place in the pits.

The race was a return to the processional afternoons Ferrari gave the sport last year when the team won 15 of the 17 grand prix as they returned to form with aplomb with Schumacher able to ease off in the final laps.