By DPA,
Monza : Force India missed a second successive podium finish with Adrian Sutil coming fourth at the Italian Grand Prix Sunday, showing that Giancarlo Fisichello’s second-place finish in Spa two weeks ago was no fluke.
Brawn GP closed in on their first world championship title when Rubens Barrichello led a Brawn one-two from team-mate Jenson Button.
Ferrari’s Raikkonen took third place after McLaren-Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who was running third, spun on the last lap and crashed out.
With just four races to go Button leads the standings with 80 points from Barrichello, who is on 66, while Germany’s Sebastian Vettel in a Red Bull is third on 54.
Pole-man Hamilton won the start of the race to hold onto his lead, but Ferrari’s Raikkonen, who won the last Grand Prix in Belgium two weeks ago, managed to move past of Force India driver Sutil.
The three then stayed ahead ahead until they came in for their first fuel stop, which allowed Barrichello and Button to take over the first two places.
With both Barrichello and Button on a one-stop strategy, Hamilton, Raikkonen and Sutil desperately needed to make up ground on the Brawns when they were lighter with less fuel, but all three came out behind the two leaders after their second stop.
Sutil ran over one of his pit attendants and lost less than a second, but it was enough just to keep him behind Raikkonen when they both came out.
“I did not lose too much time, but I have to apologize to the pit crew. I am sure they are not injured, as I heard nothing from the team during the race,” Sutil said.
Sutil sat on the back of Raikkonen, but simply could not find an opportunity to overtake.
Barrichello, who completed the 53 laps of 5.793 kilometres for a total 306.720 kilometres in one hour 16:21.706 minutes for an average speed of 241 km/h, said that the victory left him virtually speechless.
“It feels great. I have no words. I had a tough night as we did not know about the gear box which had been giving us problems. It was great to have a good start and then the first lap was great. It made my race.
“It was a great decision to be on one stop strategy and that worked for us.”
Button, who is looking to win his first championship, said that he believed it would go down to the wire. “I would have loved to have won the race, but obviously Rubens made a better job, so he deserves the victory.
“It’s good to be fighting him, we have a good relationship and I am sure it will be exciting.”
Barrichello, for whom the victory was his 11th career Grand Prix win, added that he was looking forward to the challenge of taking on Button. “It is going to be a good and healthy fight.”
Upfront Hamilton was also closing in on Button, but threw it all away on the first lap when he spun and crashed out, allowing Raikkonen to take third place.
Hamilton apologized after the race for the accident. “Every lap I was pushing, but I think I pushed too hard. I can only say sorry to the team they did a terrific job. The car was good today, but not good enough. If it becomes faster, maybe I wont have to push 130 per cent,” the Briton said.
McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen, Finland was sixth, while Germans Nick Heidfeld in a BWM-Sauber and Vettel took the final points positions with seventh and eighth.
Fisichella, who moved from Force India to Ferrari to replace the unsuccessful Luca Badoer, who drove the Ferrari for two races in lace of the injured Felipe Massa, finished ninth.
He said that driving in a Ferrari was like a dream come true. “I have no regrets leaving Force India, even if they are doing well. To drive a Ferrari is special.”