MONZA, Italy -- Rubens Barrichello and teammate Michael Schumacher transformed the Italian Grand Prix into a showcase for Ferrari.

	Barrichello, left, and Schumacher, right, stole the show in Italy for Ferrari.

Barrichello led Schumacher across the finish line Sunday, giving Ferrari a 1-2 finish at the Monza circuit, amid a boisterous celebration by the home fans.

Barrichello won his third race of the season and fourth of his career, and Ferrari claimed its 13th victory in 15 races.

Schumacher, the five-time Formula One champion and 10-time winner this season, reached the podium for the 15th consecutive race.

Barrichello slowed down on the final laps to allow his teammate to catch up and set up a parade of red Ferraris at the finish line as 60,000 supporters celebrated, blowing horns and waving flags bearing the team colors and the symbol of a prancing horse.

Barichello, who led by 18 seconds with four laps remaining, beat Schumacher to the line by 0.255 seconds and finished in 1 hour, 16 minutes, 19.982 seconds.

''It was a fantastic victory, an amazing victory in front of the fans,'' Barrichello said. ''It was a great feeling to see lot of fans cheering even before the podium ceremony. Then on podium, it was like being a rock 'n' roll star with all those fans celebrating.''

Britain's Eddie Irvine finished third in a Jaguar, 52.5 seconds behind the winner.

Irvine was the first of the lapped drivers until the next to last lap. Barrichello's decision to slow down and wait for Schumacher allowed Irvine and a few other drivers to complete the 53-lap race.

Jarno Trulli, who started from the last row in his Renault, made a sensational comeback to finish in fourth place, 58.2 seconds behind the winner.

Barrichello solidified his second-place position in the drivers standings, while Schumacher, who has already clinched the title, extended his championship points record.

Barrichello said his strategy of two pit stops, to refuel and change tires, paid off. Schumacher had just one pit stop in the race.

''Tires and the engines granted me a fantastic combination,'' Barrichello said. ''We won at home and we paid a debt to all those who came here to celebrate.''

Schumacher nearly caught Barrichello coming out of the pits after his second stop and suggested that the team warned him by radio against getting too close to his teammate.

Schumacher gradually lost ground and came close again only on the final straight.

Barrichello won his first Italian GP, while Schumacher missed an unprecedented fourth victory at Monza.

Schumacher said he had a difficult start, getting sandwiched between the Williams BMW cars.

''I took it easy, as Rubens was clearly taking advantage of the team strategy. It was a fantastic result,'' he said.

Barrichello and Schumacher alternated in the lead after each pit stop as the opposition faded quickly.

Ralf Schumacher, who moved into the lead in the first lap when teammate Juan Pablo Montoya had a poor start, left the race in the fourth lap because of a blown engine in his Williams BMW.

Montoya, who started from the pole, left with a broken suspension after 34 laps.

Montoya, who earned his first Formula One win at Monza last year, had hoped to repeat on the fastest circuit of the championship. He is third in the standings with 44 points, two ahead of Ralf Schumacher.

Jenson Button was fifth in a Renault, and Olivier Panis placed sixth in a BAR Honda.

Only 10 of the 20 drivers who started finished the race.

Felipe Massa of the Sauber Petronas team was penalized for causing a collision with Spain's Pedro de la Rosa on the 16th lap.

Massa will be dropped by 10 positions on the starting grid in Indianapolis on Sept. 29. Massa can appeal the decision.