MONZA, Italy -- Don't count Rubens Barrichello out just yet.

Most of the attention this Italian Grand Prix weekend is focused on the top three World Championship contenders: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams BMW) and Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes).

But Barrichello, the other Ferrari driver, is aiming to win on Sunday. Barrichello won last year's Italian Grand Prix.

"I've never won back-to-back races," he said, "so I hope that I can do it here this time. I think we are in a strong position to do it. We have done a lot of testing and the car seems to be better. I just have to keep my head cool and go for it."

Barrichello is currently sixth in the championship with 49 points. That's 23 points behind leader Schumacher who has 72. But Barrichello isn't giving up.

"If it weren't for the last few races, if you think I could have finished second in Hockenheim and fifth in Hungary, I would have eight plus five points and would be within (about 10) points of the leaders," he said.

Barrichello was knocked out of the race in the first lap of the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. In Hungary he had a rear suspension failure that sent him into the wall.

There has been more bad luck this year, especially in Brazil where a problem with the telemetry caused him to run out of fuel while he was running at the front.

"Brazil was a big loss," he said. "If it weren't for the problem I would have finished the race."

The Brazilian Grand Prix has been a jinxed race for Barrichello. In 11 starts in his home race he's finished in the points just once with a fourth place in 1994.

What is it about that race?

"I don't know," Barrichello said. "I don't believe in bad luck. You have to go there and be expecting to be better. You learn from the mistakes and off you go. You keep on trying. As long as I am racing I'm going to be trying to win in Brazil and hopefully it will happen."

	Barrichello has one win this season (at Silverstone).

Getting back to the rest of this season, there were driver errors in France, where he spun at the end of the first lap, and in Canada, where he tagged another car and had to pit for a new wing.

"Even though I lost the nose in Canada, I knew I could have won that race if it wasn't for the small mistake," he said. "I went from 18th on the first lap and finished fifth. The same happened in France. I was trying to overtake a car, and the curbs are like something a joke: they are so high. My car didn't accept the way I took it and I spun. Again I finished on the points (sixth) coming from the back."

Barrichello believes he's basically been competitive all year.

"I have been there or there about all season," he said. "I've qualified the last three times in front of Michael."

Barrichello has had his critics this year, but he's not worried.

"Even though people talk, have been very critical of me in so many ways, I'm never bothered too much," he said. "What takes you into glory? What makes you smile? What makes you go to bed thinking you have done good work is yourself? The only way for you to go better is to keep the determination and do it yourself."

Victory finally came for Barrichello after he drove a storming race in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. It was his sixth career victory.

"When I went to Silverstone it was a big chance and I took it," he said. "I don't think there has been a turnaround (in my driving). There has been a turnaround in the newspapers. But I've been okay with myself since the start of the year."

Last year, Ferrari used team orders to such an unpopular extent that the FIA banned them this year. But there is a fine line between team orders and team tactics. So what happens if Barrichello is requested to participate in some team tactics to help Schumacher win the championship?

"I really hope that the three guys on the top there can win (the championship) by themselves," he said. "I hope it is a clean fight. They are grown men, and hopefully they are going to sort themselves out. Having said that, I race not just for myself. I race for Ferrari. I'm proud of doing that, and if they ever ask me to do something, I will have to do it. I don't know how they are going to do it, or if there is anything to be done. The rules are quite clear on the matter, so we will have to wait and see."

Besides, it ain't over until it's over.

"Anything can happen in the championship," Barrichello said. "You have to be there at the right moment and conquer."

Dan Knutson covers Formula One for National Speed Sport News and ESPN.com.