Barrichello benefits from bizarre finish

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello may go down in history as Ferrari's accidental hero after celebrating one of Formula One's more bizarre wins in Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix.

Barrichello collected his fourth victory of the season, and fifth of his career, after team mate Michael Schumacher slowed to allow both drivers to take the chequered flag together.

In a finish that echoed that of the controversial Austrian Grand Prix in May when the Brazilian was ordered to slow for Schumacher to win, Barrichello crossed the line 0.011 of a second ahead.

The German had led from pole to that point.

The difference from Austria was that this time there were no 'team orders' from the pit lane wall and, with Ferrari having already secured the two world titles, nothing to be gained or lost in the championship.

"They were in a dominant position, they ran one-two for the whole race and at the end one of them lifted off too much and the other one came past," said British American Racing (BAR) boss David Richards playing down any conspiracy theories.

"This is sport. Sport creates unusual circumstances. That wasn't a staged finish, it was a cock-up."

Schumacher sent out mixed messages afterwards but suggested that, while he had intended to stage the closest finish in history and was happy to repay favours to Barrichello, there was no pre-arranged plot.

"Today I thought it was a good opportunity to go equal over the line. We tried, we failed a little bit.

"There was no plan at all," added the five times world champion. "I don't think, if you look at how close we were, that you can call this a purpose situation."

LITTLE UPROAR

Whereas the Austrian outcome triggered uproar and a wave of revulsion throughout the sporting world, there were no catcalls from the fans after Sunday's result.

Bewilderment, with both drivers and fans unclear immediately who had won, seemed a more widespread reaction at what many suspected was a gesture gone wrong.

"I am not quite sure what was going through his mind," said Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn of Schumacher's actions.

Ferrari sporting director Jean Todt said that Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone had called after the race to congratulate the team for "a great race".

Some rival team bosses also played down the controversy, while grimacing at Ferrari's attitude.

"I don't think they did the crowd any favours," said Williams technical director Patrick Head, whose drivers were so free of team orders that they collided with each other during the race.

"I personally think it is wrong but they are able to run it (the championship) the way they choose."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis said it was wrong to "trivialise" the championship. "It's not how we go about motor racing," he said.

"I like to think it was a mistake," said Minardi's Paul Stoddart of Barrichello's win. "I can understand them wanting to come round and cross the line together, because that is having a bit of fun.

"I think given that Ferrari have such a dominance at the moment, I find it hard to believe that it was done intentionally."

UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES

"It was a complete cock-up," said Richards. "Michael's one mistake this year. Rubens I think was all bleary-eyed and didn't actually realise he had got past him."

Barrichello's winning margin was initially given as the closest in history, amounting to a mere seven centimetres on the track.

It may well have been the closest, although Briton Peter Gethin also won the 1971 Italian Grand Prix from Ronnie Peterson by 0.010 in an era when times were measured only to the hundredth rather than a thousandth.