Thursday March 14th, 2002

By Alan Baldwin

Rubens Barrichello has jokingly threatened to paint a 'Keep Your Distance' sign on the back of his Ferrari if Ralf Schumacher crashes into him again on Sunday.

Turning his thoughts to the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Brazilian said on Thursday he had mentally shelved his season-opening tangle with Ralf in Australia and would not let it affect him. Barrichello took pole position in Melbourne two weeks ago but was shunted out of the race at the first corner when the German's Williams ploughed into his car.

The crash marked a change from last year when Williams were on the receiving end, Ralf being first hit by the BAR of Canadian Jacques Villeneuve in Melbourne and later by Barrichello in Brazil. Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was also shunted out while in the lead in Brazil, the race after Malaysia, by Dutchman Jos Verstappen after he lapped the Arrows.

Williams then turned out for the first practice at Imola with 'Keep Your Distance' signs painted on their cars' rear wings in place of the usual 'BMW Power' markings. Barrichello suggested at a Ferrari news conference on Thursday he might want to revive that idea if a Williams made contact again.

"If it happens again, then in Brazil I put a thing as they did to me last year saying 'Keep Away'," he smiled.

More Careful

Ralf, who started on the second row in Melbourne, told local reporters in Malaysia on Wednesday he would be more careful at the first corner on Sunday.

"I will try to avoid Rubens," he said. "I want to qualify better than him and to stay in front of him all the time," he said.

His older brother Michael, the four times World Champion and Barrichello's team mate, meanwhile has called on drivers to take more care at the first corner.

"I hope after all that we have seen in Australia that everyone will be just a little bit more relaxed," he said.

Both Ralf and Barrichello blamed each other in the immediate aftermath in Melbourne but the Brazilian refused to be drawn into any further polemic.

"There's no way I'm going to get any points back from Melbourne so there's no point in discussing the accident and whose fault it was. I just don't care any more," he said. "If you want to know if I'll be looking for Ralf, I don't care. I'll do my job, I hope he does his."

International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley suggested last week race director Charlie Whiting might have a quiet word with both men before Sunday's start and Barrichello was content with that.

"It was a missed opportunity not to have won in Australia, that's all," he said. "If they want to have a quiet word with us, I have no problem with that. Otherwise I'll be driving flat out."

Published at 07:19:43 GMT