Schu hands victory to Barrichello
Barrichello triumphed by 0.010 seconds after Schumacher, who had led the race for all but two of the 73 laps, slowed after the final turn while David Coulthard was back in third for McLaren-Mercedes.
But why Ferrari chose to change the finishing order in such fashion will surely lead to fresh criticism that they are making a mockery of the sport, as happened after Austria earlier in the season when Barrichello was ordered to move over.
The one-two of Schumacher and Barrichello's was their fourth in a row and the eighth in a campaign where they have enjoyed crushing superiority. The latest display of dominance ensured the duo equalled the all-time record for one-twos of 14 set by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost when they were at McLaren in 1988 and 1989.
Schumacher and Barrichello - now guaranteed the runners-up spot in the drivers' championship - could break the mark at the final race in Japan in a fortnight when they will also attempt to equal the record of 15 wins by a team in a season.
But while McLaren's dominance was enlivened by the rivalry between Senna and Prost, there is nothing but team orders and harmony at Ferrari which is threatening the sport's popularity.
The latest procession will only add weight to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone's call this weekend for a radical shake-up of the sport to improve the spectacle.
Around 140,000 fans flocked to a sun-kissed Motor Speedway to make the race the biggest of the season though the figure is still 70,000 down on the number that watched the return of grand prix to the US two years
ago.
Barrichello's victory was his fourth of the season and fifth of his career but surely none could be more meaningless.
The race was just one lap old when it turned into another nightmare for the Williams-BMW team which has won just one grand prix this year.
Juan Pablo Montoya attempted to overtake team-mate Ralf Schumacher at turn one but the German, who was on the inside, refused to concede fourth spot.
But Schumacher hit a kerb on the dirty part of the track and slid into Montoya losing his rear wing as both briefly went off the circuit.
Colombian Montoya dropped to seventh while Schumacher found himself last after being forced into a pit-stop for a new wing with Williams' technical director Patrick Head clearly showing his disgust at the needless incident.
Coulthard's third place after his controlled drive was his second in a row at Indianapolis and maintains his perfect points scoring record at the track.
Montoya battled back to finish fourth, Schumacher finished a miserable last, with Jarno Trulli fifth for Renault and Jacques Villeneuve sixth for British American Racing.
Jenson Button was eighth for Renault but Eddie Irvine was unable to repeat his heroics of Italy two week's ago when he finished third - he came home 10th in the Jaguar Racing car.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit had high hopes of another podium having been boosted by Ford re-affirming their commitment just days ago, but Irvine was never a factor.
Allan McNish ended his first - and possibly last - grand prix race at one of the world's most famous venue in 15th spot for a Toyota team he will leave after the race in Suzuka.
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