Barrichello Leads Emotional Ferrari 1-2 in Italy

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello led home a Ferrari one-two in front of the tifosi on Sunday to win the Italian Grand Prix with a formation finish in another Formula One domination display.

The flag waving scarlet Scuderia fans roared as their heroes scorched home in the Monza sunshine after a processional race that was all over in just one hour 16 minutes and 19.982 seconds but failed to move into the record books as the fastest race ever.

Ferrari's job was made easier when the expected challenge from Williams-BMW failed to materialise as the British team collapsed to engine and suspension failures on a day when they hoped to spoil the Ferrari party.

And when McLaren also lost out with David Coulthard being forced to pit on the first lap after a collision and Kimi Raikkonen going out with a blown engine, it left the track clear for another Ferrari favourite to join the celebrations.

While it was a triumphant homecoming for Ferrari, it was also champagne time for their former star Eddie Irvine, who steered his Jaguar home to his first podium of the season.

The Ulsterman, who almost won the drivers' title for Ferrari in 1999 has had a tough year with Jaguar but saw his troubles come to an end with a comfortable third place.

Renault also capitalised on Williams' and McLaren's misfortune to claim fourth and fifth places for Italian Jarno Trulli and Briton Jenson Button respectively, while Frenchman Olivier Panis, of British American Racing Honda claimed the final point in sixth.

At the start, Montoya snapped across the track in front of Schumacher to protect his lead from the Ferrari World Champion, but it allowed his teammate Ralf Schumacher to move up alongside and take the lead into the first corner.

With the inside line, the younger Schumacher held onto the top spot while Montoya slid wide but kept the Ferraris behind him as Barrichello moved ahead of teammate Schumacher to knock him down to fourth.

Behind them, Briton David Coulthard became a victim of the early jostling and was forced to pit for a new nosecone at the end of the opening lap which dropped him to the back of the pack.

Schumacher junior held the lead until the end of lap three, when the BMW in the back of the German's Williams car expired and allowed both Montoya and Barrichello past. But Montoya must have been distracted by his teammate's demise, lost momentum as he headed down the straight and was gobbled up by the Ferrari of Barrichello, who took the lead into the first corner.

Montoya soon lost another place, to Schumacher, when he was out-braked into the first chicane and forced to cut across the gravel as he tried in vain to defend his position.

That left the two Ferraris, once again, in front of the pack and gave them the space to gallop away. By the end of lap 10, Barrichello was 9.7 seconds ahead of Schumacher, with Montoya 15.9 seconds down, followed by Raikkonen, Irvine and Toyota's Allan McNish.

McNish was the first to pit, coming in at the end of lap 12 and promoting Panis to sixth. But the stop was unscheduled, he was stationary for 30 seconds and retired soon after. Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, of Jaguar, and Brazilian Felipe Massa, of Sauber were forced into retirement when they collided with de la Rosa's front left wheel hitting Massa's rear right.

Barrichello pitted at the end of lap 19 after reeling off several fastest laps, and after building up a comfortable lead on the first non-Ferrari runner he was able to come back out in second, behind new leader Schumacher.

Australian Mark Webber parked his Minardi up at the side of the track to become the fifth retirement of the race after 21 laps as the Ferrari pair continued to delight their tifosi fans by extending their lead.

Montoya remained in third, with Raikkonen and Irvine having lonely races behind him and Mika Salo hanging on in sixth ahead of the Renault pair of Trulli and Button, who pitted with identical 9.6 seconds stops on laps 22 and 24 respectively.

By the end of lap 25 the field was neatly spaced. Schumacher was exactly 10 seconds ahead of Barrichello, who himself had a 9.6 seconds gap ahead of Montoya. Raikkonen sat another 11.6 back with Irvine just 6.9 behind him. Three laps later, leader Schumacher came in for his only stop of the race, which lasted 10.8 seconds and got him out in third, 21.8 seconds behind Barrichello and 7.7 seconds behind Montoya.

Irvine came in on the same lap and was stationary for 12 seconds, while Montoya lost his second place to Schumacher again when he pitted on lap 30, the same lap as Raikkonen's Mercedes engine had expired dropping him out of fourth place.

Barrichello, on a two-stop strategy, was left in the lead, 24.2 seconds ahead of Schumacher but with one stop still to make. And their life was made even easier when Montoya went out on lap 34. The Colombian's front suspension collapsed and left him touring into the pits, where he soon jumped out of the car and into retirement - putting Irvine's Jaguar up into a potential podium position.

Barrichello came in at the end of lap 37 for his final stop, which lasted 8.4 seconds, and the Brazilian came out ahead of his German teammate Schumacher, who slotted in behind him as the pair ran down to the first chicane.

Schumacher dropped back as the pair undertook their normal post-pit stop team orders routine but they closed together towards the end for a celebration finish and a side-by-side parade in the cool-down lap.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS The Italian Grand Prix Monza, Milan; 53 laps - 306.719 kms Weather: Hot and dry. Classified: Pos Driver Team-Engine Time 1. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1h 16:19.982 2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) + 2.255 3. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) + 52.579 4. Trulli Renault (M) + 58.219 5. Button Renault (M) + 1:07.770 6. Panis BAR Honda (B) + 1:08.491 7. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) + 1:09.047 8. Fisichella Jordan Honda (B) + 1:10.891 9. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) + 1:21.068 10. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) + 1:22.046 11. Salo Toyota (M) + 1 lap 12. Sato Jordan Honda (B) + 1 lap 13. Yoong Minardi Asiatech (M) + 6 laps Fastest Lap: Barrichello, 1:23.657, lap 15 Not Classified/Retirements: Driver Team On Lap Montoya Williams BMW (M) 34 Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 30 Webber Minardi Asiatech (M) 21 Massa Sauber Petronas (B) 17 de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 16 McNish Toyota (M) 14 R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 5 World Championship Standing, Round 15: Drivers: Constructors: 1. M.Schumacher 128 WC 1. Ferrari 189 CC 2. Barrichello 61 2. Williams-BMW 86 3. Montoya 44 3. McLaren-Mercedes 57 4. R.Schumacher 42 4. Renault 20 5. Coulthard 37 5. Sauber-Petronas 11 6. Raikkonen 20 6. Jaguar-Cosworth 8 7. Button 13 7. Jordan-Honda 7 8. Irvine 8 8. BAR 6 9. Heidfeld 7 9. Toyota 2 = Fisichella 7 = Arrows 2 = Trulli 7 = Minardi-Asiatech 2 12. Massa 4 13. Villeneuve 3 = Panis 3 15. Webber 2 = Salo 2 = Frentzen 2 All timing unofficial