Delighted Barrichello Puts Austrian Incident Behind

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello led teammate Michael Schumacher home by 0.2 seconds to an emotional Ferrari one-two win in the European Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday.

But the story of the race was Barrichello's joy and, most uplifting of all, the lack of Ferrari team orders.

On a day of utter, crushing dominance for the Italian team, Barrichello was allowed to stay ahead of the World Champion as Ferrari went some way to making amends for their controversial tactics in Austria.

At Spielberg in May, Barrichello had led from start to finish before being ordered to let Schumacher past in the final few metres. This time, in the first race of the season in Schumacher's homeland and only days before an official hearing in Paris into the Austria controversy, the orders were not issued.

Instead of being given a tell-tale slip of paper to read out to the drivers, Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn happily munched on a banana with ten laps to go. Barrichello was allowed to stay ahead for only the second win in his sometimes traumatic 155-race career.

Asked whether this was reward for Austria, he told reporters: "Of course people will be saying many things about that. Let's just enjoy this one, it's been a fantastic race. My whole family is here, my son, my wife. So let's just enjoy it. I don't want to talk about Austria.

"There was no decision today, it was a fair and square race. Austria is part of the past. All in all, I agree with what happened in Austria. It is not as if what happened here is paying for another race. What is done is done."