Michael Schumacher started in 18th after incurring a penalty for using the spare car following his heavy crash in practice but was 10th at the end of lap one.

Jenson Button was involved in an early scrap for third with Juan Pablo Montoya and Felipe Massa.

Schumacher's charge through the field was interrupted when he spun at turn two on the second lap.

Barrichello got back in front on the start of lap four, easing past Raikkonen down the start-finish straight.

Button’s podium hopes were ended on the same lap when he pulled his BAR on to the grass with smoke pouring from his Honda engine, as it had done on the starting grid.

That promoted Montoya’s Williams to third.

David Coulthard made an awful start to his final grand prix for McLaren, dropping to the back of the field after a slow beginning.

Montoya and Raikkonen pitted together and the Colombian was able to edge ahead into second as they emerged from the pit lane.

Barrichello’s stop on lap six left Massa in the lead but the young Brazilian himself needed more fuel and new tyres a lap later.

The track was dry by lap eight, playing into the hands of Renault’s Fernando Alonso who had bucked the general trend by opting for slick tyres from the start. He led by 8.6secs after 10 laps.