Brawn denies McLaren spoiling rumours

Reports in Italian newspapers said the Brazilian's race strategy at the Nurburgring was intended to delay the Finn. But on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, where overtaking is close to impossible, the Ferrari technical director said: "There have been some scurrilous comments that we were trying tactics to spoil Mika's race."

"There was never a question of that. I was pleased to see McLaren asked Coulthard to move out of the way when Michael came up and we would certainly do the same. Someone being lapped is not part of the race. There was no attempt to spoil Mika's race."

Barrichello was fuming after the Nurburgring race having felt let down by the team for putting him onto the slower strategy of three stops.

Brawn continued: "The facts are simple. We screwed up by staying out too long on dry tyres. Rubens was in a difficult position because he dropped a long way back to eighth. When it came to pit stop choices we could have filled up his car to go to the end, or go to two more stops because we knew we were that much quicker and could overtake cars as he had done in the early part of the race.

"We went for two stops but the weather got worse and the strategy didn't
work. Having said that he finished right behind David and I don't know if he would have done that otherwise.

"It was a little bit speculative and it didn't work but we had nothing to
lose. " Barrichello finished fourth as teammate Michael Schumacher won the race followed by the two McLarens.