Brawn admits risky strategy for Rubens

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn has admitted that the team took a massive gamble at Suzuka in putting Rubens Barrichello on a three-stop strategy in a bid to beat David Coulthard

The Brazilian drove a blitzing race to muscle his way to second briefly, but he failed to put Juan Pablo Montoya behind him and the extra stop plus electronic gremlins cost him the runners-up spot in the championship.

Barrichello ultimately finished fifth to end the year a career-best third behind team mate Michael Schumacher and Coulthard.

"We took a big chance with Rubens' three-stop strategy because we thought he would be stuck behind the Williams otherwise," said Brawn. "The only way he was going to be second in the championship was to win today's race so we chose a rather extreme strategy. As things turned out, he could not get past Montoya."

The Ferrari ace came agonisingly close to achieving his goal because he snatched second with a daring drive down the inside of the Colombian at the chicane on the fifth lap.

But the manoeuvre lost him momentum out of the chicane and Montoya regained his position in the long run down to the next bend a few hundred yards later.

Barrichello's gutsy drive earned praise from team boss Jean Todt: "I wish to thank Rubens for the great contribution he has made to the team. He has finished third in the drivers' championship at the end of a faultless year."

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