Webber's delight, Barrichello's disgust in F1 battle (News Feature)

By Claas Hennig Jul 13, 2009, 8:46 GMT

Nuerburg, Germany - Mark Webber's delight about his first career win and Rubens Barrichello's post-race tantrum were a clear indication that the title race in Formula One racing is far from over.

The early season leaders Brawn GP appear to have lost the momentum, with championship leader Jenson Button placing fifth and Barrichello sixth at the German Grand Prix on Sunday.

Red Bull, by contrast, got their second one-two finish in a row when Webber overcame a drive-through penalty to win from home boy Sebastian Vettel on the Nuerburgring in an awesome display of strength.

The six-time season winner Button still holds a healthy 21-point lead over Vettel after nine races, with Webber and Barrichello close behind.

But British daily The Times summed up the feeling of many when it said that 'Brawn certainly have a battle on their hands now' for the remaining eight races.

'The pair had been outperformed and the team out-thought by Red Bull and the strain was obvious,' said The Times of Brawn GP.

Button did not hide his disappointment while Barrichello's frustration about missing what would have been a first victory since September 2004 boiled over a spectacular fashion.

'It was a good show from the team on how to lose a race today. I'm terribly upset with the way things went. I did all I had to do. I went first on the first corner and then they made me lose the race,' fumed the Brazilian.

   'If it is really what's going on, we're going to end up losing both championships.'

Team principle Ross Brawn said he could understand the frustration of Barrichello who had lived in the shadow of Michael Schumacher for years at Ferrari and is being upstaged this year by Button.

On Sunday, the team made the fateful decision to change a two-stop into a three-stop strategy during the race, and a problem during refuelling added to Barrichello's woes.

That after everything seemed to have gone his way when he passed the pole position holder Webber at the start. Both cars touched and Webber had to swallow the drive-through penalty for the incident.

However, not even the time lost there could stop the popular Webber from becoming the third Australian overall and the first since Alan Jones in 1981 to top a race podium - just eight months after a fractured his leg in a bicycle accident.

   'It's incredible. I wanted to win so badly,' said Webber, who came lucky at last in his 130th career race.

'(It was) very important for me to win because not many Australian drivers have reached Formula One and there are even fewer that are successful.'

While Webber was untroubled up front, another clear sign of Brawn's problems was that Button and Barrichello were weaving their way from one side to another - at race speed - in order to get their tyres warm.

The Brawns had encountered similar problems in cold conditions three weeks ago in Silverstone at the British race.

The good news for them is that the next race in Hungary on July 26 will almost certainly take place on hotter conditions. But, at the same time, the heat will be on them from Red Bull as well.

'The last two races have been interesting for them. Let's see how we go in the hot races and maybe it's a bit more difficult for us,' conceded Webber.

But he also said: 'They (the titles) are both still up for grabs, there is no question about it ... we are not giving up. Sebastian and I are on the top of our game and pushing as best as we can to be as consistent as possible at all venues.