Rubens Barrichello
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Official Website: Official Website
Place of Birth: Sao Paulo
Resides: San Paulo & Monte Carlo
Status: Married to Silvana
Height: 1.72m
Weight: 79kg
Career previous to F1: 1990 GM Lotus Euroseries Champion
1991 British F3 Champion
Races: 163
Wins: 5 (3.1%)
Podiums: 35 (21.5%)
Pole Positions: 6 (3.7%)
Retirements: 74 (45.4%)
Points Accumulated: 272.000
Debut: 14 Mar 1993
Last Race: 09 Mar 2003
First Win: 30 Jul 2000
Last Win: 29 Sep 2002
First Pole: 28 Aug 1994
Last Pole: 18 Aug 2002 |
View a complete listing of Rubens Barrichello's Formula 1 results
Driver History
Following the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994, Rubens Barrichello
inherited the hopes of Brazil's F1 fans. This massive responsibility
together with his admirable yet unrewarding loyalty has meant that
Rubens has largely failed to live up to the promise shown earlier
in his career.
Barrichello began his F1 life with Jordan in 1993 and went on to
be their longest serving driver to date. He recorded a solid first
season, though as a result of unreliable machinery and cruel luck,
he finished in the points just once - at Suzuka. The following year
he began in style with his first podium finish at Aida in the Pacific
GP and a fourth in his home GP at Interlagos.
Rubens' horrific crash during Friday practice for the San Marino
GP in 1994, was to prove a portent of what was to come that fateful
weekend when Senna and Ratzenburger lost their lives. However, Rubens
fought back, taking pole at Spa and finishing sixth overall in the
race.
The next two seasons at Jordan proved fruitless, and in 1997 he
moved to pastures new, signing for the new Stewart team. If things
were frustrating at Jordan, his first season at Stewart must have
been unbearable, with the car beset by problems. In 17 races, Barrichello's
Stewart suffered mechanical failings on 13 occasions although at
Monaco he did manage a 2nd place. 1998 and 1999 saw much of the
same, with the Stewart constantly letting him down at the final
hurdle. It is typical of Rubens' luck, that when the team finally
came good and won a race, it was team-mate Johnny Herbert who took
the victory.
In late 1999, Barrichello revealed that he was to join Ferrari
for 2000 where he would line up alongside Michael Schumacher.
Barrichello did claim his maiden victory in 2000, at the German
GP after a strong drive from 18th on the grid, but there were many
points during the season when he failed to impress. Though he had
joined the team saying he had equal status to Schumacher, it soon
became clear that Rubens' role was as a support, no matter how Rubens
dressed it up.
For 2001 the Brazilian failed to make the top step of the podium
and was made to give up second place at the Austrian Grand Prix
to Schumacher by team boss Jean Todt. Todt gave him the assurance
that if he had been leading he wouldn't have been made to move over...
Rubinho finished 3rd in the Championship with 56 points, coming
second at the Hungaroring, Hockenheim, Monza, Monte Carlo and Sepang.
The 2002 season started with Rubens claiming pole at Melbourne
with the F-2001. A spectacular first corner accident with Ralf Schumacher
took out a large number of cars, and Rubens was to suffer reliability
problems in the subsequent races.
So the points difference between himself and Schumacher was so
great by the time they got to Austria for Round 6 that even though
Rubens had control of the race, Todt still asked him to gift the
win to Michael, resulting in arguably the most controversial F1
incident since the championship finale at Jerez in 1997.
Afterwards an embarassed Schumacher pushed Rubens onto the top
step of the podium, incurring the further wrath of the FIA. Having
just signed a new two-year contract Rubens was incredibly relaxed
about the events and went on to score race wins at Monza, Budapest
and the Nurburgring.
He also won at Indianapolis after Schumacher's attempt at a Ferrari
dead heat spectacularly backfired leaving Rubens the bemused winner.
He finished the year in second place with 77 points.
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