Barrichello benefits from Schumacher scrap

Barrichello beat team-mate Michael Schumacher for the first time this year as he finished behind the two McLarens to consolidate fourth in the Championship.

The Brazilian dived through into third 14 laps from the finish when Ralf Schumacher tried to pass his older brother.

As the championship leader moved across to block his baby brother in the Williams-BMW Barrichello leapt through on the right as the other two locked their brakes and the family squabble ended in tears.

"In a way I owe this result to Michael," admitted Barrichello. "The race wasn't really good for me up to that point. You run behind people and even if you are two seconds faster there is no way to overtake.

"That was my race, waiting, waiting.

"The team had a problem with Nigel Stepney being injured when Michael ran over him and someone had to take over from him on the fuel pipe and that made my pit stop quite slow - affected my chances in the race."

But if Schumacher had inadvertantly handicapped his team-mate earlier it was his determination to stop his brother passing that was to assit Barrichello towards the end of the race.

"We were approaching Michael and I was looking to drive past both of them. You always look for that in those kind of situations.

"I saw my chance and took it. I wondered if the two brothers were prepared to risk crashing into each other.

"They were very close and have had good races before. Their father is here and I wonder how he felt when he saw it?

"There was nothing bad about the manoeuvres either of them made - that's racing."

Barrichello keeps fourth in the championship and moves a point clear of Ralf Schumacher fifth with 12.