Pole position
Schumacher has 48 career poles, and is closing in on the record of 65 set by the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna.

The German has started on the pole five times this season. Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello has started on the pole three times and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, in a Williams, six.

Ferrari is the team with most poles in F1 history (156), followed by Williams (118) and McLaren (112).

Italy
The last Italian to win his home grand prix at Monza was Ludovico Scarfiotti in a Ferrari in 1966. It was the sole victory of his career and he died two years later.

Before him, Alberto Ascari won in 1951 and '52 in a Ferrari while Giuseppe Farina won in 1950 in an Alfa Romeo.

Ferrari has won the race 13 times since 1950, Williams six and McLaren seven.

Neither of the two Italian drivers currently in F1, Giancarlo Fisichella at Jordan and Jarno Trulli at Renault, have won a race so far in their careers.

Schumacher has won three times at Monza.

Trend
Schumacher has now notched up a record 19 successive points finishes and is the only driver this season to have completed the maximum number of laps and scored in every race.

He has been on the podium for 16 races in a row, Monza last year marking his most recent failure when he finished fourth.