Schumacher: I raced for mum.

Michael Schumacher confirmed last night that he took part in the San Marino Grand Prix because it was what he imagined his mother would have wanted. Elisabeth Schumacher died in the early hours of Sunday morning having been in a coma for several days.

The Ferrari driver, who poignantly shared the front row of the grid at Imola with brother Ralf, went on to win the fourth round of the world championship - his first visit to the podium in 2003 - and appeared, against expectation, on the podium afterwards to acknowledge the support of the Ferrari team and its fans at a traditional tifosi stronghold. Exempted from official obligations by a sympathetic FIA, the world champion missed the post-race press conference, but later issued a statement through his assistant, Sabine Kehm, confirming that he raced in the belief that his mother would have wanted nothing else.

"My mother loved to be at the karting track when we were in our karts in Kerpen, and she loved to see us racing," Schumacher said, "My mother and father had always supported us, they made it possible to do what we do and she would have wanted us to do this race today, I am sure."

The five time world champion, who appeared on the podium wearing a black armband and did not partake of his usual victory leap, also paid tribute to the Ferrari team for providing him with the right environment in which to go about his job.

"Everybody in the team - from our president, to the technicians, mechanics, and the cook - have given me the feeling, during this terrible day, of how much they back me," he said, "It did me good."