Schumacher gives new Ferrari debut win

Michael Schumacher won a thrilling battle to take his new Ferrari to a dream debut victory ahead of his brother Ralf in Sunday's Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix.

It was Schumacher's 55th win in a record-breaking career, and his second in three races this season, but the four times world champion was chased to the finish by his younger sibling's Williams.

He also emerged unscathed from a bruising first lap scrap with Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, who started on pole but hit the rear of the Ferrari and smashed his Williams's front wing.

With Brazilian soccer great Pele presiding over the finish, the Ferrari F2002 roared across the finish line a mere half a second ahead of Ralf in its first competitive outing.

McLaren's David Coulthard was third, the Scot earning his first points of the season after two retirements, while Briton Jenson Button came fourth in a Renault after Finn Kimi Raikkonen in the second McLaren suffered a wheel hub failure.

An angry Montoya, who accused Schumacher of unfair tactics after the race, fought back to fifth, while Finland's Mika Salo picked up another point for newcomers Toyota.

HARD WORK

Schumacher, winner in Australia in the old Ferrari F2001, now has 24 points to Ralf's 16 with Montoya third in the championship on 14.

"Winning this race was not down to luck, we worked hard for it," said Schumacher, the only man in the top eight finishers to use Bridgestone tyres in a race Michelin had been expected to win.

"The car was pretty much perfect until the end."

Ralf said: "I was always waiting for him (Michael) to make a mistake...but I was never really in a position to try to get past.

"It's very early in the season and I didn't really want to risk my six points."

Montoya and Schumacher had started on the front row for the second race in succession after banging cars at the first corner in Malaysia two weeks ago.

That time it was Schumacher who lost his front wing and had to fight back to third place, while Montoya was given a drive-through penalty.

In Brazil, the Colombian learned a hard lesson.

He had forced Schumacher to brake into the first corner but ran wide on the exit, allowing the four times world champion to slip past and seize the lead.

As he tried to fight back on turn four, Montoya hit the rear of Schumacher's Ferrari -- although the German said later he had felt no impact.

UNFAIR

"I thought he was a fair guy to race with but he's definitely not," said the Colombian afterwards. "After I made my move, he shut the door."

Montoya, who had led here last year in his debut season before being shunted out by Jos Verstappen as he lapped the Dutchman, was left a frustrated man.

But that was nothing compared to the disappointment felt by Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello.

The Brazilian led for three laps, taking over from Schumacher on the 14th as the German let him through, before his car slowed and he cruised across the infield before coming to a halt with hydraulic pressure.

It was his 150th race and there was nothing to celebrate, after his eighth successive failure to finish on his home circuit. Barrichello has also yet to score a point this year or complete a full distance.

"The crowd was fantastic. I'm just sorry I had to wave to them walking back to the pits," he said.

There was early drama long before the start, with Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi destroying his Arrows in a fiery crash into the guard-rail during the warm-up.

More seriously, German Nick Heidfeld's Sauber hit the open door of the medical car as he tried to avoid the burning wreckage in the middle of the track.