Analysis: Barrichello Puts the Icing on Ferrari's Cake

If Rubens Barrichello had any doubts about the Formula One season being the greatest in Ferrari history, then Sunday's Italian Grand Prix blew them away.

Monza, the temple of Italian motorsport, handed the Brazilian his first win of the season and provided the otherwise missing ingredient in a Championship that has been painted red from day one.

"I can honestly say from the bottom of my heart that this is the best season ever," declared Barrichello after leading World Champion teammate Michael Schumacher to the team's eighth one-two finish of the season.

"It was lacking one win at least for me."

It had taken him 15 races, since the 2003 season-ending Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, to stand on the top step of the podium again. Since then Schumacher has won 12 times, including the first five races of 2004 and then seven in a row from the Nurburgring to Budapest, to take his seventh world title in Belgium with four rounds to spare.

Ferrari, constructors' champions for the sixth year in a row, have 234 points from a possible 270. If there is one race that Ferrari have always had to win, ever since the days when team founder Enzo was in charge, it is in front of the 'tifosi' at Monza and Barrichello has now done it twice in three years.

Brazilian Delight

The relief and delight was evident on the Brazilian's face as the accolades arrived.

"I am particularly pleased for Rubens as this win is the icing on the cake, a stupendous win in a great season," said team boss Jean Todt. "It was very important. It's very tough when you are always close to being first but you have your teammate in front of you. So I think it is a good injection of vitamins."

Barrichello started on pole position, his second of the season, but his hopes seemed to dissolve after taking a gamble with intermediate tyres on a rapidly drying track and pitting after five laps.

"There was a point in the middle of the race where I thought everything was lost because Michael overtook me, (Antonio) Pizzonia overtook me and I actually took a gamble yesterday to go a little bit towards wet settings," he said.

"The thing (track) was drying out so quickly and I had a lot of understeer but obviously as the fuel ran down my car became faster and faster and I was able to push and I was delighted.

"I just kept pushing and pushing," he added of the fightback. "I was telling myself you deserve this, just push the throttle down, just go as fast as you can. So when I came out of the pits I had no-one in front and no-one behind that I could see. I asked 'which position am I in? which position am I in?' And they said 'P1'.

"And then I said something in Portuguese which I can't say here now but it was just a phenomenal feeling."