Barrichello Blames Weather Conditions

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello blamed the weather conditions for failing to fight for victory at his home Grand Prix on Sunday.

Barrichello had started on pole position for the second year running but soon disappeared from the leading pack and went on to finish in a distant third behind Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen in the McLaren.

Third place, 24.0 seconds off the winner, was still a breakthrough for the man who grew up within earshot of the Interlagos circuit.

It was his first finish in a decade at his home race, after nine successive retirements, and he became the first Brazilian to score points in Brazil since 1994, the year in which three times champion Ayrton Senna was killed in a Williams at Imola.

It was also Barrichello's first appearance on his home podium.

"I think the conditions were not favourable," said Barrichello. "In damp conditions we are still not fantastic. Had it stayed dry we'd have had a completely different pace. The car was all over the place, we lost a lot of time at the beginning because of that."

German teammate Michael Schumacher, who took an unprecedented seventh title in Belgium in August, battled up to seventh place after starting 18th on the grid on a wet afternoon at Interlagos.