Formula One Spanish Grand PrixThe Spanish Grand Prix and, in two parts perhaps, the shape of things to come.

Part one, and after claiming his first victory of the season at Imola a fortnight ago in the 2002 Ferrari, Michael Schumacher stamps his authority on the European leg of the Formula One championship by blasting his new charger, the F2003-GA, to victory and to within four points of the championship lead.

Part two, and Ralph Firman, after a difficult start to his own season, dismisses rumours of his Jordan drive being under threat as he secures his first ever world championship point.

Questions answered, doubts silenced. Portents for the remainder of the season possibly delivered.

Firman's weekend had started in controversy as Jaguar's rookie Antonio Pizzonia was embroiled in suggestions that he will soon be replaced at the team by McLaren test driver Alex Wurz. The Jordan driver was swept up in the speculation, with press reports suggesting his place at the team was in jeopardy.

Firman yesterday delivered the perfect racing riposte with an outstanding drive that saw him change strategy, cope with severely worn rear tyres and overcome a late threat from BAR's Jenson Button to claim eighth place and another point to bolster Jordan's position in the constructors' championship.

"It's fantastic to have claimed my first championship point and a point for the team," said Firman. "It's a great confidence booster going to Austria next. I've always said I just needed time, and I still do, but now the results are coming and let's hope they keep coming."

After a start-line shunt, involving McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen and the hapless Pizzonia brought out the safety car Jordan opted to adapt Firman's three-stop strategy, bringing him in for extra fuel while the safety car was on the track. It meant he would only have to make two stops when racing resumed.

Despite dropping from a starting position of 15th to the rear of the field, Firman had the advantage over his rivals and soon set about making the most of the position with some daring moves as the race progressed, none more so than on lap 26 when he clung to the coat-tails of lapping drivers to make his own moves on rivals in front of him.

First the Jordan rookie tucked in behind Fernando Alonso to sneak past team-mate Fisichella, to take 13th, and half a lap later Firman repeated the audacity, tailing Rubens Barrichello to pass Jos Verstappen as the Renault driver lapped the Minardi man.

Those moves and a blur of more-than-respectable lap times put Firman in position to profit as the three-stopping rivals around him dropped away and with two thirds of the race gone the Jordan pilot had risen to eighth although he was being pressured by Sauber's Nick Heidfeld and Button.

The Sauber threat was removed when Heidfeld was penalised for ignoring blue flags, but that gave impetus to Button.

There were nervous moments as the pair diced whilst being lapped by the leaders, especially when Williams's Ralf Schumacher and Toyota's Cristiano De Matta, battling for fifth, got involved with the Jordan and the BAR. It seemed the perfect opportunity for Button to attempt a move similar to Firman's own opportunistic passes earlier, but the BAR driver failed to make any assault stick and Firman clung on.

At the top of the points tree though was Schumacher, though like Firman, his race had more than an element of rumour dismissal and vindication about it.

Throughout the weekend, doomsayers had continued to question the integrity of the F2003-GA, with whispers hinting that the new challenger is an overbred prancing horse that would struggle to last the distance.

Yesterday, Schumacher hushed the innuendo with a faultless drive to victory, despite coming under sustained pressure from local hero Fernando Alonso.

Despite maintaining his lead through all his three stops, Schumacher never managed to shake off the Renault driver, who at just 21 years old is fast becoming the sport's latest sensation.

However, the champion later suggested that while Renault had provided stiff competition, the threat may not carry over to upcoming races.

"It was an almost perfect day," said Schumacher. "It would have been better if Rubens had been second. But we had tough competition.

"On the tyre side though, we were struggling. Whatever Renault had on their side, they were very good. On other circuits it might be different."

Alonso was not dismayed by his second place, however. "This is fantastic, the best place to do it, for me," he said of his home performance. "All weekend it has been perfect for me and the team. I did the maximum I could though and to fight with the Ferraris is great for us."

The result now means Alonso has claimed three podiums and finished in the points at every race this season - a remarkable result for a youngster with only 23 grands prix under his belt.

Schumacher, though, moved to within four points of championship leader Kimi Raikkonen on what was a disastrous day for McLaren. Raikkonen began from the rear of the grid after a mistake in qualifying saw him fail to set a time and when Antonio Pizzonia stalled on the grid, Raikkonen ploughed into the back of the Jaguar and out of the race.

David Coulthard too had a miserable afternoon, clashing with Jarno Trulli, who exited the race in turn one at the start. Then on lap 18 the Scot was pushed out of the race as Jenson Button attempted a foolhardy move down the inside of turn one, an attack which forced Button to pit for repairs and wrecked McLaren's day. That let Williams in to claim much-needed points, Juan Pablo Montoya finishing fourth behind Ruben Barrichello while Ralf Schumacher claimed fifth ahead of Toyota's Cristiano De Matta and Mark Webber, both of whom scored their teams' first points of the season.