Michael edges Ralf

Schumacher beats brother to win Brazilian Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher crossed the line a mere 0.5 seconds ahead of his brother. AP

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- World champion Michael Schumacher won the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, driving his brand new Ferrari F2002 racer to a sweet debut victory ahead of the Williams-BMW of his younger brother Ralf.

Schumacher's Ferrari completed the 71 laps around the 4.309-kilometer (2.677-mile) Interlagos circuit in 1 hour, 31 minutes, 43.663 seconds.

Schumacher led from the start after a first-bend tussle with Juan Pablo Montoya that sent the Colombian's Williams-BMW limping into the pit lane minus a front wing. Montoya had started the race from pole position.

The four-time world champion ceded the lead just twice during the race -- once when he was overtaken by teammate Rubens Barrichello and another when he stopped in the pits and handed the lead, temporarily, to his brother in the second Williams-BMW.

Brazilian Grand Prix Results Rk.  Driver  Team  1.  Michael Schumacher  Ferrari  2.  Ralf Schumacher  Williams-BMW  3.  David Coulthard  McLaren-Mercedes   4.  Jenson Button  Renault  FULL RESULTS

Ferrari took back the lead after Ralf's pit-stop and despite a late charge, the younger Schumacher finished less than a second behind his brother.

Already on his victory lap, Schumacher might have been forgiven for not realizing he had won. Brazilian soccer legend Pele was supposed to wave the checkered flag, but apparently missed both Schumachers crossing the line.

He finally waved the flag as Scotland's David Coulthard crossed the finish line. Pele was not immediately available to comment.

The McLaren-Mercedes of Scotland's David Coulthard finished third, ahead of Renault's Jenson Button and a charging Montoya, who scrambled his way back from 20th position to clinch fifth place. Mika Salo was sixth in a Toyota.

The result kept Michael Schumacher ahead in the drivers' championship with 24 points, eight ahead of second-place Ralf Schumacher with 16. Montoya is in third with 14 points.

In the constructors' standings, the win gave Ferrari 24 points, but the Maranello team still lags Williams-BMW, leading with 30.

"The car was perfect," Schumacher said. "We had no problems, but it was a very tight race with Ralf.

"I was confident I could win and winning in the new car makes us optimistic for other races," Schumacher said. "I'm a lot more optimistic for circuits where last year we traditionally struggled."

Ferrari's technical boss Jean Todt was jubilant.

"It was a really great race," Todt said. "We took our second win of the year, victorious with the F2002 on its race debut."

Although the start was clean, Montoya's Williams was limping back to the pits within minutes, after he and his Ferrari rival grappled for the lead in the first bend, almost locking wheels twice.

Starting from the pole position, Montoya blocked Schumacher heading into the corner, forcing the German to hit the brakes.

But the F2002 powered past the Williams out of the second bend and as Montoya swerved across the track to try and outmaneuver Schumacher he appeared to clip the back of the Ferrari, sending his front wing flying through the air.

The Colombian pitted and came back out in 20th position, with one pit stop spent.

He later blamed Schumacher for deliberately blocking him and said his Williams lost its front wing after colliding with the back of the Ferrari.

"I thought he was a fair guy to race with but he is not," Montoya said. "He moved into the middle of the track, I went to the inside.

"I was behind him but when I made my move he shut the door as soon as he could in front of me," he said.

Schumacher, whose last on-track tangle with Montoya in Malaysia two weeks ago cost the Colombian a slow penalty drive through the pit lane, said he had felt no collision this time.

"Juan Pablo behaved really well," Schumacher said of Montoya. "He left enough space for both of us and I thought I could outbrake him in the first corner, but I couldn't."

The German said he tried to move to the left to give both drivers space to exit the curve, but then saw the Colombian was no longer behind him.

"I didn't feel a thing, so I don't know how he did that," Schumacher told a news conference after the race.

Asked whether Montoya was right to be angry with him, Schumacher said, "I don't know what would make him unhappy."

Montoya's teammate Ralf Schumacher took over the No. 2 spot, before being overtaken by Barrichello in the second, older-model Ferrari.

Barrichello charged on to steal the lead from his teammate in the 13th lap, sending the home crowd wild. But the Brazilians' joy was short-lived.

Barrichello's racer rolled to a halt on the grass just three laps later, crippled by hydraulic problems. It was the second time in two races the Brazilian had dropped out with mechanical failure.

 

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