Rubens Barrichello News

[Anna]

#11 Rubens Barrichello



Driver Info

Full Name: Rubens Gonçalves Barrichello
Age: 39
Nationality: Brazilian
Twitter: rubarrichello
Website: barrichello.com.br/en/
Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubens_Barrichello

F1 Statistics

Races: 321
Debut: 1993 South Africian GP
Points: 658
Wins: 11
Podiums: 68
Pole Positions: 14
Fastest Laps: 17
Drivers Championships: 0
Highest Championship Pos: 2nd (2002 & 2004)
Current Championship Pos: 17th (4 Points)

Recent Championship Positions

2010: 10th (47 Points, 0 Wins)
2009: 3rd (77 Points, 2 Wins)
2008: 14th (11 Points, 0 Wins)
2007: 20th (0 Points, 0 Wins)
2006: 7th (30 Points, 0 Wins)
2005: 8th (38 Points, 0 Wins)

Team History

1993-1996: Jordan
1997-1999: Stewart
2000-2005: Ferrari
2006-2009: Honda / Brawn GP
2010-Present: Williams

Notable Achievements

1991 British Formula 3 Champion
Most Grand Prix Entries

[r1ch91]

Barrichello says he has no doubts he will be in F1 in 2012
By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Thursday, September 8th 2011, 13:32 GMT

Rubens Barrichello is convinced he will be in Formula 1 next season, despite the delay to secure a new deal with the Williams team.

Barrichello is still in talks with Williams over a deal for next year, but speculation suggests other contenders for the seat are Adrian Sutil, Bruno Senna and Giedo van der Garde, who would arrived at the team with financial backing.

The Brazilian suggested he would only stay at Williams to have a more competitive season than in 2011, but he is sure to be in F1 next year.

"No, it is not going to happen," said Barrichello when asked if he was worried about not being in F1 next year. "I feel that in a way that I have to put everything into contest as well. I have to see how competitive everything is.

"A year like this, to be working for another year like this on my 20th year, I need something better. I feel the team is doing better with the engine change and the personnel change and everything, so I can see a good light at the end of the tunnel but I just want to continue because people want me to and they know I can win.

"Other than that, I will stay home and take care of the kids and winning my internet games. I already won this weekend my first virtual race, which is great!"

The veteran racer admitted he would have liked to have a deal for next year already, and says he is working hard to finalise something.

He added: "We are talking day by day. We just need to see. I wish we had done a deal already but it is taking a little longer, but so far there is nothing else to add, I am just working very hard to see what we can do as soon as possible.

"It is very flat in a way. I think that the team is taking everything into perspective, they know what I can offer. There is nothing else I can report, really. I am still waiting."

The Williams driver, who has scored just four points this year, is staying cautious about his chances for this weekend's race at Monza.

"It depends on what we have made as a team for here - the rear wing is that, and if it doesn't work it is the wing, but if it works that is the wing too, so we are very hopeful we made it quite well but we will wait and see for tomorrow. If you walk down the pit lane you see wings that are this big and wings that are small – it is very difficult to know."

[r1ch91]

Rubens Barrichello refusing to treat Brazilian Grand Prix as a farewell to Formula 1
By Jonathan Noble and Matt Beer Monday, November 21st 2011, 13:19 GMT

Rubens Barrichello says he will not be approaching this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix as a farewell race.

The veteran Brazilian looks unlikely to retain his Williams seat for 2012, and faces the prospect of his 326th grand prix appearance being his last as a Formula 1 racer if he cannot find an alternative drive.

But Barrichello insisted he was not regarding Interlagos as his F1 finale.

"I am positive," he said. "I am not going to say goodbye to people."

Although Barrichello has only twice finished in the points in 2011 as Williams struggled for form, he believes performances like his charge from last to 12th in Abu Dhabi earlier this month prove he still has the speed and motivation.

"It is almost like I deserve to be there," he said. "I am not doing this because of the money, I am not doing this because I want to be just one more in F1, I want to do this because I am so competitive and I deserve to be here, after 20 years [in F1] with 40 years of age I want to be there and I am working my balls off to make that happen."

He said he actually felt more upbeat about his prospects than at the end of 2008, when he was uncertain about whether he would be retained by Honda or replaced by Bruno Senna. In the event, Honda pulled out of F1, the team was resurrected as Brawn and Barrichello stayed on for what turned out to be one of his strongest ever seasons.

"That was a worse situation," Barrichello said of his late-2008 uncertainty, "so I am okay to go there once again and try to be there for 2012."

[Anna]

Don't get me wrong, I don't care about the old/young driver thing, Rubens has done a lot and been consistently in F1 over the last decade and I love it! I don't think he should go just because he's old.

BUT the Williams team haven't got better (or worse) by having Rubens there and Rubens will be the one the team center in their plans. OK he's not been there for long but the fact he's not a shoe in to stay... Maybe Williams has a reason for it other than because he's old? Maybe they feel he's not helping the team as much as he should be. I'll be sad if Rubens gets kicked out but I can't say that I'm too surprised if Williams totally shake it up next year.

[Anna]

Massa: I would advise Barrichello to retire

24 November 2011

Rubens Barrichello should make a decision to walk away from F1 after this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix. That is the opinion of compatriot Felipe Massa, who believes the Williams driver should not remain if he is required to find funding.

Heading towards 2012, Williams’ line-up remains unknown, although Pastor Maldonado is likely to stay if apparent issues with sponsor PDVSA are rectified. That leaves a number of drivers in the chase, namely Barrichello and Adrian Sutil, and rumours continue to circulate that 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen is in talks.


“I would share with him the advice to stop,” Massa, who partnered Barrichello when he was Ferrari test driver in 2003, told Brazilian website TotalRace.

“I give him that advice because, for me, Rubens has had an incredible career in Formula 1 and he’s the man with most Grands Prix behind him. He’s won many races and has had a career most drivers could only dream of, competing with some of the best teams there are.

“Advising him to stop wasn’t like, ‘You’re old, you should retire’ – but, after the career he has had, I can’t see him remaining if he needs to go and find sponsorship to run.”

Barrichello entered F1 with Jordan in 1993, making respective switches to Stewart and Ferrari in 1997 and 2000. In 2006 came a move to Honda, which became Brawn GP for 2009, before moving to current team Williams for the 2010 campaign. With 321 Grand Prix starts to his name, he is the most experienced driver in the sport’s history. He has won 11 races, with the first coming in 2000 and most recent two years ago.

[Anna]

2011 end of term report – Rubens Barrichello


4 points, 17th in the drivers’ championship

Friday 9 December 2011 - 16h16, by Sandrine Bouchard
Rubens Barrichello endured a really tough time in 2011 and had one of the most disappointing seasons of his long career in Formula One. The Williams driver could score only four points and finished 17th in the drivers’ championship. He now faces a nerve-racking winter as he is still without a drive for 2012.

Season review

In 2010, Rubens Barrichello took 10th in the standings and scored 47 points. He was hoping for more of the same in 2011 and extended his contract with the Williams F1 team. Unfortunately, the season turned into a disaster for the experienced Brazilian.

The start of the season set the trend with a collision and a retirement in Australia. He suffered another mechanical retirement in Malaysia. He scored his first points at Monaco and added two more units to his tally in Canada. This was the last time he managed to finish in the top ten.

In qualifying, he never made it through to Q3. His best starting position was 11th, in Turkey and at Monaco. He fought hard to score a 14th place finish in the season’s final, in front of his home crowd.

Conclusion

With four points, Rubens Barrichello finished the year in front of his rookie teammate. He was really consistent in 2011 and took the maximum out of his car. However, he was hoping for much more than that.

With 323 Grand Prix starts under his belts, the Brazilian brings a lot of experience with him and was outspoken several times this season. He sometimes criticized the teams’ technical approach and welcomed the restructuration implemented mid-season… with the departure of technical director Sam Michael and the hiring of Mike Coughlan.

Nonetheless, Barrichello may not benefit from these changes as he hasn’t been confirmed yet by the team. He has done all he could to convince the Grove-based team to retain his services and incessantly repeated he still had the motivation to compete in F1. This is why he refused to think of the Brazilian Grand Prix as the final race of his career.

Highs
19th season in F1
Still motivated
Valuable experience

Lows
Outshone by Maldonado in qualifying
Some disagreements with the team
Would do everything to stay in F1

Nextgen-Auto.com marks:
Olivier Ferret : 12/20
D.Thys : 13/20
Sandrine Bouchard : 13/20
Jean-Michel Setbon : 11/20
Average mark on the forum Nextgen-Auto.com : 10/20
Total : 59/100

[Anna]

Talking through the year with Rubens Barrichello


Rubens fill us in on his memories of visiting 18 countries in eight months

Sunday 18 December 2011 - 11h50, by Olivier Ferret
You can’t spend the best part of a year travelling around the world competing in the Formula One World Championship without picking up a few memories along the way. With the season now over and thoughts turning towards spending Christmas with their families, we asked Rubens Barrichello for his favourite off-track moments of 2011.

Rubens Barrichello has an unhealthy obsession with Belgian fries. This revelation comes out totally unexpectedly as Rubens recounts his off-track memories of 2011, his eyes lighting up as we go through the circuits before landing on Spa.

The track is popular amongst the drivers for its awesome layout but, for Rubens, it’s all about the fries.

“We always go to a great restaurant in Belgium – the french fries there are amazing! – and I just think about going to Spa and eating these fries, although I can’t have mayonnaise with them, too fattening!”

Rubens’ season almost didn’t get started when he found himself stuck in Argentina, with no apparent way to get to Australia for the opening Grand Prix of the season.

“For the first time in 19 years my plane didn’t leave,” he said. “I was stuck in Argentina and there was a strike at the airport and no flights going anywhere. I got into Australia on Wednesday night so I was quite jet-lagged! After that we went to Malaysia and China, for those races I had an old friend with me who wanted to come with me and experience these two places. He loved Malaysia but in China he said the traffic was too bad and that I could invite someone else to go with me next time!

“In Turkey I used my new motorhome for the first time, which was a truck turned into a motorhome. It was really nice to stay in there although it was strange that the satellite TV picked up Brazilian channels but not the European ones!”

Rubens celebrated his 39th birthday at the Monaco Grand Prix, picking up two points on track in the process, then headed to Canada which is popular in the extended Barrichello family! “Montréal is the one that all my friends want to come to, they go partying and I go racing! It’s a great event and has a good atmosphere, the people are really friendly and it was one of the races I scored points in so I have good memories of there.”

After Canada it was back across the Atlantic for a lengthy European road trip of races, starting with the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

“There is a really good restaurant near to the hotel I stayed in on the beach, we keep on going there every year and their tapas and seafood is great. There are good memories for me in Valencia because it is a race I won in the past.

“In Britain I took part in the AT&T Williams Golf Challenge which was a really great day, and everyone knows I love my golf! In Hungary my kids came to stay with me and we played soccer with Nico Rosberg outside our motorhome which they loved. When they come to races it is so special – they had a great time and they loved playing with Nico."

A return to Italy is always special for an ex-Ferrari driver: “People still remember me from my Ferrari days and it’s always really busy there. Italy has great food, great wine, great everything and I always try and stay there on Sunday after the race to have a few glasses of wine and catch up with old friends.”

With a run of long-haul races rounding out the year, Rubens got time to get driving in Japan - on the golf course! - before heading home to Brazil for the last race.

“I stayed in Tokyo for three days after the race and I love it there. We did all sorts of different things, I played golf with a friend and you end up meeting some colleagues from the paddock there so we can catch up. The Japanese people suffered so much this year with the earthquake and tsunami but we love going there every year.

“When we come to Brazil I am always happy. The kids are always around and my wife Silvana says that this weekend is always like looking after three kids with her being the mommy! For me Brazil is a perfect way to end the year.”

[Anna]