Rubens praises Bridgestone

There were concerns at the at the start of the race from both Barrichello and technical director Ross Brawn that the Bridgestone tyres would not come on song until several laps into the race. But Barrichello admitted that the Japanese rubber had been fantastic from the off and ensured he kept his lead.

"We knew that at the begin we would have some trouble because we were graining a bit at the front but the tyres did a super job," he said, "they were holding on fantastically well so I was able to keep up the pressure aswell as push to open up a gap to maintain first place.

"It was very hard, I had a very good start I was amazed with the grip on the first lap, I could have pushed a little harder because the grip was there so I was feeling good the whole way through. Towards the end because I had an eight-second gap I didn't push that much thinking that it was going to be okay and actually the grip at the front stayed for a long time."

Barrichello's win has guaranteed him second spot in the drivers' championship. The top prize has obviously been decided already aith Michael Schumacher taking the honours at the Belgium Grand Prix.

The German had a torrid race this time out, though. Starting from the pitlane, Schumacher filled his tank up and switched to a two-stop strategy. But any hope of it leap-frogging him up the order later on in the race came to nothing as first he hit the Jaguar of Christian Klien, then spun, and then suffered a left rear puncture. The German had to settle for 12th spot, his worst finish of the year.