Schumacher Ready to Help Barrichello

World Champion Michael Schumacher is prepared to help his Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello fight to claim the runners-up spot in the World Championship at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Schumacher won his seventh world title at the Belgian Grand Prix two weekends ago, one race after Ferrari sealed the constructors' title in Hungary. But the German driver will not be happy until Barrichello's second place is secure, completing the "perfect" season for Ferrari.

"I don't know if I can help him, I mean, first of all he is responsible for himself, but if there was a moment I could do, certainly I would," said Schumacher. "We have had a pretty much perfect year so far and to really make it perfect would be to have Rubens in the second position in the Drivers' Championship as well.

"That's the thing left to achieve. If you look at the points situation in the Championship it's probably fair to say that there is a fair chance this will happen, so we will try."

Barrichello currently sits 23 points ahead of third-placed Jenson Button, of BAR-Honda, with four races remaining but could win the runners-up spot if he claims eight points more than Button in this weekend's race at Monza.