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| Barrichello heads Ferrari one-two ![]() Barrichello celebrates his first win since July 2000 Rubens Barrichello won his first race for nearly two years by heading home team-mate Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari one-two at the European Grand Prix. Ferrari resisted the temptation to use team orders and ask Barrichello to let Schumacher past even though the German was clearly the faster of the two men. The Ferraris dominated the race and finished a long way ahead of McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, who was third ahead of Williams' Ralf Schumacher. Michael Schumacher's world championship lead has extended to 46 points with only a maximum of 80 still available. The Ferrari team leader put in an impressive recovery drive after a lurid 120mph spin just before the first of his two pit stops. The error cost the world champion 10 seconds, but he had closed up to within three seconds of Barrichello before the Ferraris made their second pit stops with 17 laps to go
Barrichello did enough to hold on to the lead when they stopped and although Schumacher caught him within a couple of laps, they were told not to race or reverse positions. The decision was a massive U-turn on previous Ferrari policy, but Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said the team had learned from the controversy at the Austrian Grand Prix. The hearing into that race, where Barrichello let Schumacher through into the lead on the run up to the finish line, is to be held on Wednesday in Paris. Jenson Button was fifth for Renault, with Sauber's Felipe Massa taking the final points position in sixth place. Collision Williams drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher were unable to convert their front-row grid positions into success. Williams were outraced by McLaren, whose car was much more gentle on its Michelin tyres. Pole-sitter Montoya dropped out of the race at half-distance after spinning while racing for fourth place with David Coulthard. The McLaren driver went for the outside of the first corner on lap 28 but Montoya, suffering problems with worn tyres, spun and hit Coulthard. The collision broke the steering of Coulthard's car and damaged Montoya's rear suspension. Earlier, Montoya lost the lead to Ralf Schumacher at the second corner of the race and was then demoted to third by Barrichello later on in the lap. Barrichello then passed Ralf Schumacher for the lead before the end of the first lap. Michael Schumacher did the same to Montoya before passing his brother for second place on lap three. After that, the Ferraris set about building an unassailable lead, lapping more than 1.5 seconds a lap faster than anyone else. |
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