Barrichello unhappy with Coulthard

The Ferrari was slightly ahead as they reached the braking area for the corner, but Coulthard refused to cede and stayed ahead through the chicane.

Barrichello claimed that Coulthard had gained advantage through missing the chicane and should have followed the ruling that says drivers in that position should concede the place again.

Coulthard was held up by Takuma Sato's Jordan-Honda as he led the pair into the previous hairpin, and explained: "They were giving Taku the blue flags and I thought he would let me by going into the hairpin but he didn't, so Rubens got a run on me."

On television it appeared as if Barrichello trapped Coulthard behind Sato but the Scot explained that he had been using the Jordan's slipstream to try to fend off the Ferrari. "I was a little bit nervous about us running three abreast, but that's racing," Coulthard said.

Barrichello had the inside line as they approached the chicane, with his nose in front, but Coulthard braked so late that he did not make the corner. Crucially, Barrichello also missed the chicane, which meant that strictly speaking Coulthard had not gained an advantage and was not obliged to move over and let the Ferrari past.

"I got on the radio and asked whether I should move over, but the team told me Rubens had missed it as well, so just carry on."

Barrichello, however said: "When someone goes outside you, you try to block them and so I came off the brakes. If there had been a wall there, I'm sure we would have both made the corner. That corner needs to be totally changed."

A McLaren insider disagreed: "Just because DC braked too late for the corner doesn't mean that Rubens had to follow him. It was his own fault..."