Monday March 13th, 2000

By Timothy Collings

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has accused Ferrari of treating Rubens Barrichello as a "sacrificial lamb" to protect race winner Michael Schumacher in Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Dennis was furious after the enforced retirement of both his drivers, defending world champion Mika Hakkinen of Finland and Briton David Coulthard, handed a 1-2 finish to Ferrari.

Mechanical problems almost derailed McLaren's race for the title last season and Dennis' frustration boiled over when Schumacher claimed Ferrari had been in control even before the McLarens were forced to pull out within 18 laps of the start.

"By the time we had our problems, we were already thinking of conserving fuel and throttling back and we were still pulling out a lead," said Dennis. "We were doing all the things that you do when you are dominating a race from the front.

"We, not Schumacher, actually had it all in hand and for him to say he was just sitting there waiting for us to fail is ludicrous. We know Schumacher was deeply upset not to have got pole and what he is saying is a load of bull.

"Is Michael saying he is deliberately struggling, falling back and making life difficult for himself? I don't buy that.

"We had a small problem which cost us the first Grand Prix, but whether they are small or not, you cannot afford to have problems. It looks like the championship is going to be between us and Ferrari yet again."

Brazilian Barrichello has been assured he is being treated on equal terms with double world champion Schumacher but Dennis claimed Ferrari had spiked Barrichello's chances of his first win in eight seasons by insisting he stopped twice for fuel.

"Any way you cut it up, it just does not add up mathematically at all," said Dennis.

"Rubens was a sacrificial lamb the minute they put him on a two-stop strategy in the race and the only reason I can see for that is to protect Michael and make sure he won."

For Schumacher, the arguments are immaterial as he reckons he finally has a car that can win Ferrari its first drivers' title since 1979.

"This car is so bloody fast it is a delight to drive. I always knew we could win and can be competitive. And I know it is reliable," said the German who was happy to twist the knife in the McLaren wounds.

"We are the ones winning and I know there are some people who think they are going to be fighting us - but they weren't.

"To be honest, I would have preferred to have had more of a fight from those other guys, but they couldn't finish the race....We did."

Schumacher won ahead of Barrichello after most of their rivals retired. His younger brother Ralf Schumacher came home third for Williams, running with BMW power for the first time.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve was fourth, claiming his first points for the BAR-Honda team, ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in a Benetton, and his BAR team-mate Ricardo Zonta.

The result showed Ferrari are reliable and fast, but McLaren have problems to sort out if they are to recover in time for the next race in Brazil on March 28.

That race takes place on Barrichello's home Interlagos track and gives him the chance of becoming the first Brazilian winner, on home soil, since Ayrton Senna's triumph in 1993.

"I am so much looking forward to that race already," said Barrichello. "I hope we are just as competitive and feel we can be. This car is just unreal to drive, it is so good. Maybe we can switch places in this race so I can win."