Analysis: Intruder Again Heralds Barrichello Win

A protestor who jogged down the fastest part of the track during today's British Grand Prix provided a heart stopping moment for television viewers but not for race winner Rubens Barrichello.

The Brazilian did not see the kilted Irishman, who ran on to the Hangar Straight on the 12th lap and continued jogging towards the oncoming traffic as cars approached at speeds in excess of 200 km/h.

But the Ferrari driver had a sense of history repeating itself afterwards, as the images flashed up on a television screen during a post-race news conference.

The most emotional win of Barrichello's career came in strikingly similar circumstances, the Ferrari driver celebrating his first Grand Prix victory at Hockenheim in the 2000 German Grand Prix after another interloper caused havoc.

That time it was a French former Mercedes employee with a grievance against the German carmaker who made a sudden incursion onto the track, shrouded in a slogan-covered cape.

"I just saw that somebody said 'Safety car, safety car' and I was so concentrated I never saw anyone, to be honest," said Barrichello, fifth in a Championship led by teammate Michael Schumacher.

"So it is the second race I win with somebody going on the racetrack. They are going to say it was a Brazilian for sure and I still never saw him."

Less Emotional

The win was less emotional than Hockenheim, where years of frustration and yearning came welling up as Barrichello became the first Brazilian since his late friend Ayrton Senna to win a Grand Prix.

"The most recent one is always the best one," said Barrichello, who before Sunday was the only driver from the top three teams without a win this year.

"Hockenheim is going to be unbeatable because of the way it was. Monza (last year) was quite good but I think this one, with the overtaking...ranks highly. It's always very, very hard to listen to the Brazilian anthem and not cry," he added.

"My father and my family and everyone comes to mind...When I'm on the podium in first place I still remember my father selling the car for me to be able to go to races, so it's just emotions going on."

Barrichello started on pole on Sunday, despite failing to clock a lap time in Friday's first qualifying, but was third at the end of the first lap as Italian Jarno Trulli's Renault and Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren shot past.

He was eighth after the track interloper brought out the safety car and had to carve his way through the field, passing Raikkonen with a particularly bold manoeuvre, to seal his sixth career win.

"When it's hard work, it's entertaining, isn't it," said Barrichello. "You would rather win a race like that than being on pole and being in front the whole time. I had a car that I was able to overtake with. I was able to be aggressive as always.

"In the last races, like Canada, I lost my nose (cone) on the first lap, so people said something. Then I spun on the first lap in Magny-Cours. But I am a trier. I am someone who is not going to be behind and be happy.

"In the last two weeks people have been saying so many things about first lap crashing Rubens, this and that, so I hope they shut up now. I overtook a lot of people."