In this season of mega achievement for Ferrari only one goal really remained: Rubens Barrichello to finish runner-up in the World Championship to Michael Schumacher. Even if one of his rivals for the runner-up slot, Montoya, Ralf or DC, was to win this race Rubens needed just three points to secure this goal. Alternatively, if Michael Schumacher won the race he would secure for Rubens second slot in the Championship.

In the event the run up to the race itself was total Ferrari domination. Schumacher was quickest in every single practice session, and in qualifying as well it was both Ferraris on the front row by a sizeable margin. The opposition as usual would come from the McLarens and Williams but it was good to see DC in third spot following the recent pounding he has taken from his much younger team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Inevitably there was much speculation about Ferrari team orders but the general consensus was that Schumacher and Barrichello would be allowed to make a race of it with no interference from the pit wall.

The long blast into the first corner always has potential for trouble but, would you believe, it was the two Williams boys who again clashed. Pablo tried to go around the outside of Ralf but the latter's car got away from him and removed its rear wing against his team-mate's rear tyre. Ralf was forced into a lengthy pit stop and dropped down to last place, whilst Montoya had to cut across the grass and lost many places.

At the front the Ferrari parade was unrelenting. Schumacher reeled off a long series of lap records but Rubens hung doggedly on, never more than three seconds behind. Each had two pit stops, carried out in perfect symmetry, and their lead over the single-stopping Coulthard never looked to be in danger. Indeed, during their first stop both Ferraris had pulled out enough of a lead over DC to retain their positions at the front as they came out of the pit lane.

Kimi Raikkonen again blew up spectacularly and, in an advertising man's nightmare, managed to do it right in front of a huge Mercedes Benz hoarding. The camera lingered lovingly on the scene. As a result the McLaren team reduced the revs on Coulthard's car, allowing Montoya in the chasing Williams to close up. But there was insufficient time and the two of them finished third and fourth behind the Ferraris.

Which brings us to the bizarre ending of the race when either deliberately or inadvertently Schumacher eased off a little too much across the finish line and Rubens was officially given the verdict by just 0.01 of a second. Ross Brawn, Jean Todt and especially the two drivers looked sheepish and as confused as the rest of us. How would the FIA view this particular outcome given their indignation after the Austrian race?

The American crowds, not used to such artificial results, were heard to boo and the questions from the American reporters in the Winners' Press Conference sometimes became aggressive. In the event, by maintaining that it was all an unplanned accident, the Ferrari team seems to have escaped the wrath of the FIA but to many it was another unsatisfactory end to a generally dull Grand Prix.

Now that everything has been won perhaps the final race in Japan will see some no-holds-barred all-out racing where the winner actually does win.

Jean Todt: " Now that Rubens has taken second place in the Drivers’ classification, we have reached all the goals we had set ourselves at the start of the year. Furthermore, we have become the first team to break the 200 points barrier from sixteen races. The team worked exceptionally well and in some ways, crossing the line side by side is a symbol for an incredible season. The happiness of our drivers and Paolo Martinelli on the podium demonstrates the harmony that exists in this team, which works with passion and determination. Adding to our satisfaction is the fact that the United States is the most important market for Ferrari and Maserati."

Rubens Barrichello: “The finish wasn’t planned before the race. We were both having fun trying to be as fast as one another and I have to thank Michael for this and also the team for all their support through the year. At the last corner, I didn’t know what to do and Michael was very kind to let us finish equally. Both Michael and I know that Ferrari’s interests come first and it is with that in mind, we accept the various situations which arise during the season. My only problem this afternoon was with some backmarkers who tried to let me pass by slowing a lot on the straight, which could have caused a crash. "

Michael Schumacher : “ The end of the race was not planned. We tried to cross the line together but failed by a tiny bit and in fact we did not know who had won until we got out of the cars. I just felt Rubens deserved to win this race. He has made sacrifices for me at least twice this year and I guess that what goes around comes around. It is fair to say that both of us understood and accepted the decision in Austria, because we know that the interests of the team come first. I feel that today equalises what happened there, even though we were trying to finish side by side."

RACE RESULTS
USA GP
73 laps. Weather: warm, sunny

Classified:
Pos  Driver        Team                      Time        
 1.  Barrichello   Ferrari            (B)    1h31:07.934
 2.  M. Schumacher Ferrari            (B)    +  0:00.011
 3.  Coulthard     McLaren            (M)    +  0:07.799
 4.  Montoya       Williams           (M)    +  0:09.911
 5.  Trulli        Renault            (M)    +  0:56.847
 6.  Villeneuve    BAR                (B)    +  0:58.211
 7.  Fisichella    Jordan             (B)    +  1 Lap
 8.  Button        Renault            (M)    +  1 Lap
 9.  Heidfeld      Sauber             (B)    +  1 Lap
10.  Irvine        Jaguar             (M)    +  1 Lap
11.  Sato          Jordan             (B)    +  1 Lap
12.  Panis         BAR                (B)    +  1 Lap
13.  Frentzen      Sauber             (B)    +  2 Laps
14.  Salo          Toyota             (M)    +  2 Laps
15.  McNish        Toyota             (M)    +  2 Laps
16.  R. Schumacher Williams           (M)    +  2 Laps

World Championship Standing, Round 16:          
Drivers:                     Constructors:             
  1.  M.Schumacher 134        1.  Ferrari     205     
  2.  Barrichello   71        2.  Williams     89 
  3.  Montoya       47        3.  McLaren      61
  4.  R.Schumacher  42        4.  Renault      22 
  5.  Coulthard     41        5.  Sauber       11 
  6.  Raikkonen     20        6.  Jaguar        8
  7.  Button        13        7.  Jordan        7
  8.  Trulli         9        8.  BAR           7
  9.  Irvine         8       =9.  Minardi       2
 10.  Fisichella     7       =9.  Toyota        2  
=10.  Heidfeld       7       =9.  Arrows        2
 12.  Massa          4
=12.  Villeneuve     4
=14.  Panis          3
=15.  Frentzen       2  
=15.  Salo           2  
=15.  Webber         2

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