July 21, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1424

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SILVERSTONE (England), July 20: A death-defying track invasion by a kilted protestor overshadowed Rubens Barrichello’s first win of the year for Ferrari at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Brazilian, starting from pole, beat Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya’s Williams in a thrilling and chaotic race that tightened up the title battle and plunged the Silverstone circuit owners deeper into trouble.

Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen was third for McLaren ahead of Ferrari’s championship leader Michael Schumacher in fourth.

Five-time champion Schumacher’s overall lead over Raikkonen has been trimmed to seven points from eight with five races remaining.

The race was thrown into confusion on lap 12 when the protestor — seemingly dressed as former world champion Jackie Stewart — appeared on the track, trotting down the middle of Hangar Straight as cars roared past at about 200 kph.

Waving placards, he made a movement towards one speeding car before being bundled to the ground by a marshal as the safety car came out for the second time in the race.

Police arrested the 56-year-old man and charged him with “aggravated trespass”.

“Anyone who does something like that has to be really severely punished,” said Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug, recalling the 2000 German Grand Prix when a disgruntled former Mercedes employee walked onto the track.

“There could have been a mass pileup there and fans could have been hurt as well. Something has to be done. This simply can’t happen again.”

Barrichello said he had not seen the protestor while Raikkonen saw the man jump the fence but was safely past him by the time he reached the track.

Montoya was not so fortunate: “I just got straight on the radio and said ‘There’s this guy running on the track.”

In the confusion, there was a mass of hurried pitstops and Toyota’s Brazilian rookie Cristiano da Matta found himself leading a grand prix for the first time with French team mate Olivier Panis in third place.

Coulthard finished fifth, ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli for Renault, Da Matta was seventh and Briton Jenson Button took the final point for BAR after starting at the back of the field.

Ralf Schumacher, winner of the last two races for Williams, finished ninth — the first time this season that he has failed to finish in the points.

A BMW spokesman said a piece from Briton David Coulthard’s McLaren had become lodged in Ralf’s radiator, sending water temperatures soaring and forcing an extra pitstop.

It was Barrichello’s sixth career win and, by a remarkable coincidence, his second in a race disrupted by a track protest. The Brazilian also won at Hockenheim in 2000.

Michael Schumacher has 69 points, Raikkonen 62 and Montoya 55. The younger Schumacher has 53 points and Barrichello 49.

Ferrari lead the constructors championship with 118 points to Williams’s 108.

Result (race distance: 60 laps, 308.355 km):

1. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1 hour 28 minutes 37.5 seconds; 2. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 5.4 seconds behind; 3. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 10.6; 4. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 25.6; 5. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 36.8; 6. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 43.0; 7. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 45.0; 8. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 45.4; 9. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 58.0; 10. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:03.5; 11. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:05.2; 12. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:05.5; 13. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan one lap behind; 14. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar one; 15. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi two; 16. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi two; 17. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber two.

Not classified (did not finish): Fernando

Alonso (Spain) Renault 52 laps completed; Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 44; Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 32.—Reuters