The Brazilian started on pole but had to weave his way to the front after being forced to make three stop in damp conditions in Monza.

Ferrari team-mate Schumacher also poured on the pace as he battled back from an early spin to clinch second.

Britain's Jenson Button took third and David Coulthard was sixth.

Button had dominated the middle part of the race with another display of solid driving but his BAR could not match the relentless pace of the Ferraris.

There was some good news for BAR as Button's team-mate Takuma Sato held on to fourth, which means the team jumped into second place in the constructors' championships ahead of Renault.

The Ferrari team appeared to make a bad start in front of their enthusiastic home fans in Monza.

Barrichello had chosen to race on intermediate tyres after heavy rain had left conditions dangerously damp while Schumacher had opted for dry tyres.

But the seven-time world champion spun on lap two and found himself sliding back to 15th spot.

Barrichello also lost ground on the fifth lap when he decided to go into the pits and switch to tyres more suited to the drying track.

The two Ferraris had to pick their way through the field while Button, Renault's Fernando Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya in his Williams fought out a close battle for the lead.

But as Barrichello's car began to drink its heavy fuel load he snatched the lead from Button while Schumacher also began to pour on the pace.

The German recorded the fastest lap of the race (lap 34) in one minute, 21.535 seconds.

Alonso dropped out of contention, surrendering his third spot, when his Renault spun into the gravel on lap 41.

Then Schumacher rounded Button on the straight to take second, allowing Barrichello to rejoin the race, after his third stop, in first place.

The Ferrari duo continued their surge for the line to complete their eighth one-two of the season.

Coulthard and Pizzonia's duel for sixth spot provided the best battle down the field in the closing stages of the Italian race.

The Briton held off Pizzonia, who retained his place as Ralf Schumacher's stand-in, despite a tangle on the penultimate lap.

Gianmaria Bruni was lucky to escape a fire when he brought his Minardi in for his second pit stop.

The Italian was trapped in his car when it set alight during the re-fuelling process and had to retire from the race, though he was unhurt.