Barrichello Told to Go for Victory

Rubens Barrichello said on Thursday that Ferrari's president Luca di Montezemolo had urged him to go all out for victory and not just focus on supporting teammate Michael Schumacher.

Barrichello, winner of the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim two weekends ago, said Montezemolo's comments to him contradicted the widely held view that he had been detailed to play a secondary role to the German.

The 28-year-old Brazilian said he had talked to Montezemolo at Ferrari's Fiorano circuit during testing on the Tuesday following the German race.

"He told me to do all I could to do everything for the team and to race to win, but he did not talk to me about racing for Michael in any way," said Barrichello who is now only 10 points behind Schumacher, leader of the drivers' contest.

Di Montezemolo had been reported in Italy saying that he told the Brazilian to race for Schumacher and to support him in his bid to win Ferrari's first drivers' title for 21 years.

The 31-year-old German collided on the opening lap of the Hockenheim race. It was his second successive first lap exit and the third time in four races that he had failed to score.

The latest setback saw his lead cut to two points over the McLaren pair of defending champion Mika Hakkinen of Finland and Britain's David Coulthard with six races to go.

Hakkinen said he would not be able to accept the subservient role he believed Barrichello had been asked to play.

"It is not good to be told you have no chance to win and you must drive to lose. It must affect you in the head somehow," said Hakkinen. "I think it is very bad for the motivation of the driver and the team."