Rubens Barrichello led home team-mate Michael Schumacher to record his first Grand Prix triumph of the season this afternoon at the Italian Grand Prix. A dramatic and exciting 53-lap race saw Ferrari score an emotional one-two victory on home soil, while BAR Honda celebrate moving up to second position in the Constructors Championship as Jenson Button and Takuma Sato took third and fourth positions.

A Ferrari one-two is nothing new in 2004, but both Barrichello and Schumacher suffered an eventful race, which saw both drivers fighting back up the order to take the top two steps of the podium.

Rain fell all morning at Monza, but an hour before the start of the race, the sun broke through and the circuit began to dry. As the 20 runners lined up on the grid, Rubens Barrichello led the early laps from Pole Position on intermediate tyres. Michael Schumacher, starting in third position on dry Bridgestone rubber, lost ground on the last lap and compounded his problems by spinning at the second Chicane. Running 14th at the end of lap one Schumacher had it all to do.

Out front, it soon became clear that Barrichello’s decision to start on intermediate Bridgestone’s was not the right decision. Fernando Alonso soon swept by for the lead sending the Brazilian scurrying to the pits for dry weather tyres. As the race unfolded, Jenson Button led the way for BAR Honda with Fernando Alonso in close company after losing position in the pits. It would prove accedemic for Alonso, who later spun away a certain podium finish.

Barrichello meanwhile put in a string of fastest laps, pitting three times for tyres and fuel to emerge just ahead of the battling Button and Schumacher and take the victory. It was an astonishing recovery drive from both Barrichello and Schumacher. Jenson Button, third, just did not have the pace to hold back Schumacher and crossed the line to take a fine third place, ten seconds behind winner Barrichello.

Takuma Sato drove a good race to finish in fourth position, despite losing his barge-board early in the race after running over the kerbing. For BAR, the result was a dream as Alonso’s spin and Trulli’s non-performance moved the team into second position behind Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship.

Juan Pablo Montoya finished in fifth position, losing ground as the race progresses. Starting on the front row of the grid alongside Rubens Barrichello, the Colombian will be disappointed to finish 17 seconds behind Takuma Sato.

David Coulthard finished in a fine sixth position in a race that saw him start from the pit lane after a late decision to switch to dry tyres. Running just a one stop strategy, Coulthard withstood tremendous pressure from Antonio Pizzonia to take the sixth spot. For Pizzonia, seventh position was not what he wanted having previously finished in the same position in both Germany and Hungary. A trip through the gravel trap on the first lap was his only error and from that point onwards, he drove a solid race, despite a last lap bump as he tried to pass Coulthard.

Giancarlo Fisichella finished in eighth position for Sauber Petronas after a solid drive. Team-mate Felipe Massa finished in 12th, losing ground in the race after contact with one of the Jordan drivers, forcing him to the pits for a new front wing. After a disastrous qualifying session, Sauber will be happy to pick up a point at Monza.

Mark Webber finished in ninth position in his Jaguar with team-mate Christian Klien just 13th, suffering a drive through penalty after speeding in the pitlane.

Jarno Trulli finished in a distant tenth ahead of the Toyota of Zonta but it was a bad day for Renault with Alonso spinning away valuable points and Trulli failing to perform for whatever reason for the second straight race. Over at Jordan, Nick Heidfeld started the race from the pitlane and finished 14th ahead of Zsolt Baumgartner.

Giorgio Pantano crashed out in his Jordan, while Olivier Panis retired on the first lap after spinning his Toyota. Belgian Grand Prix winner Kimi Raikkonen was out of luck once again, running strongly before pitting with an engine problem and retiring from the race. Over in the Gianmaria Bruni pit, the Minardi driver suffered a dramatic pit fire in his second stop. Thankfully, it seems that no one has been seriously injured and now the investigation in to the fire will begin.