-Michael Schumacher is handed the win in the final 50 yards as team mate Rubens Barrichello, who has dominated the race, is ordered to allow him past, to the boos of the angry crowd.

race

In one of the most disgracefully manipulated Grands Prix in history, Rubens Barichello, after dominating the race from the lights to the last lap was ordered by the team to slow and allow second placed team mate Michael Schumacher through to gain maximum drivers championship points. This he duly did and as the cars approached the finish line Rubens visibly slowed, allowing Michael through to claim a victory to the deafening backdrop of boos and jeers from the outraged crowd.

Booed as the drivers took to the podium, Michael Schumacher seemed shocked by the reaction and pushed Rubens onto the top step, which Jean Todt and Ross Brawn were visibly absent. In the post race press conference the invited journalists jeered their displeasure and set a series of tough questions that Michael Schumacher was unable to answer.

All in all it was a sour end to a race that had seen Rubens Barrichello continue his practice domination, leading from the lights and never being threatened until he was ordered to slow. Michael Schumacher had outdragged brother Ralf to the first bend and the Ferrari's rapidly built up a 30 second gap back to the pack.

When Olivier Panis's engine blew leaving him and his BAR-Honda stranded in the middle of the main straight, quick thinking as the safety car took to the track saw both Ferrari's dash in for a stop which had the mechanics wrong footed.

A further safety car period ensued when Nick Heidfeld lost control of his Sauber, plunging him into two other cars, but the Ferrari's were never remotely troubled and the third place man, Montoya can home 17 seconds adrift, closely followed by his team mate.

race result:
1st Michael Schumacher ( Ferrari F2002 ) 1:33.51.562
2nd Rubens Barrichello ( Ferrari F2002 ) +0.182
3rd Juan Pablo Montoya ( Williams-BMW )  +17.730
4th Ralf Schumacher ( Williams-BMW ) +18.448
12th Mark Webber ( Minardi-Asiatech PS02 ) +2 laps

championship positions ( after 6 races ):
drivers:
1st Michael Schumacher 54pts, 2nd Juan Pablo Montoya 27pts, 3rd Ralf Schumacher 23pts
constructors:
1st Ferrari 66pts, 2nd Williams-BMW 50pts, 3rd McLaren-Mercedes 14pts

Rubens Barrichello dominated the entire qualification session, with Michael Schumacher's last lap effort not good enough to get him onto the front row. Barrichello's one minute dead time was 3/10ths faster than Ralf Schumacher who joined him on the front row and over 7/10ths ahead of Michael who lined up third, just ahead of the other Williams-BMW of Juan Pablo Montoya. Mark Webber and Alex Yoong had a quiet practice, lining up on the last row of the grid.

qualifying:
1st Rubens Barichello ( Ferrari F2002 )
2nd Ralf Schumacher ( Williams-BMW )
3rd Michael Schumacher ( Ferrari F2002 )
4th Juan Pablo Montoya ( Williams-BMW )
5th Nick Heidfeld ( Sauber-Petronas )
21st Mark Webber ( Minardi-Asiatech PS02 )
22nd Alex Yoong ( Minardi-Asiatech PS02 )