Barrichello sparks Ferrari celebrations
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-13 13:56

  Brazilian Rubens Barrichello led a Ferrari one-two in the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday to trigger a homecoming party for the Formula One champions.

 Barrichello took the chequered flag just 1.3 seconds ahead of team mate Michael Schumacher, as a red sea of fans rose to applaud a result that had looked almost impossible at the halfway stage.

 It was Barrichello's first victory since the 2003 season-ending Japanese Grand Prix.

 Schumacher clinched an unprecedented seventh drivers' crown in Belgium two weeks ago. Ferrari were parading in front of their home fans with a sixth successive constructors' championship also secured.

 Both drivers threw their caps into the crowd from the podium, as fans lit flares and thronged the track.

 It was Barrichello's eighth career win, and Ferrari's 13th in 15 races this year, and it came from pole despite a gamble on tyre choice that looked to have backfired for both Ferrari drivers early in the race.

 "At one point I thought it was lost," admitted the Brazilian, who went into the pits after five laps to change from intermediate to dry-weather tyres after Renault's Spaniard Fernando Alonso charged into the lead.

 Even at the halfway stage, Barrichello was only fourth while Schumacher -- starting on dry tyres -- had to carve his way back from the rear after nudging into Jenson Button's BAR and spinning on the first lap.

 "It was a very interesting race, an interesting battle," said the German. "Coming in second, I wouldn't have thought it would be possible."

 BUTTON THIRD

 "I am so relieved and so delighted," said Barrichello, who repeated his 2002 win at Monza. "It's magic. This is the first time I have won twice at the same track and it's just as magic as the last time.

 "People say Formula One is boring but I don't think today was boring at all."

 Briton Button was third, after leading for 24 of the 53 laps, ahead of Japanese BAR team mate Takuma Sato.

 The 11 points catapulted the Honda-powered team into second place overall with 94 points after rivals Renault, on 91, failed to score.

 Schumacher has 136 points while Barrichello has 98 and is almost assured of second place. Button, back on the podium for the first time since a controversy over his contested move to Williams erupted last month, has 71.

 "I didn't think that Ferrari was going to be so strong at the end. But the pace of these two guys was just unbelievable," said the 24-year-old Button, who dedicated his third place to his grandfather in hospital.

 "I actually thought we had a chance to win but I didn't know these guys would be so strong."

 Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was fifth for Williams with McLaren's David Coulthard sixth and Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia seventh for Williams.

 Italian Giancarlo Fisichella gave the home crowd something else to cheer about by securing the final point for Ferrari-powered Sauber.

 There was concern for another Italian, however, with Minardi backmarker Gianmaria Bruni being shrouded in a sheet of flame when fuel spilt during his pitstop after 32 laps. The blaze was quickly extinguished.

Sunday's race was the last European round of the season, with the Formula One circus now moving to an inaugural race in China before Japan and the finale in Brazil. 

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