Rubens Barrichello a Winner at 256

The story Surrounding Rubens Barrichello becoming the most experienced F1 driver ever isn’t a new story by any means. Throughout April many spins were written, but largely focussed on which race would be number 256 and how he may end his career as a big disappointment to Brazilian fans. Funny how controversy and the negative rule in the media, how the real story gets pushed aside as a trade in for readership. Now, a week before the Turkish Grand Prix, I say congratulations to Rubens Barrichello.

Yes, there is some confusion over just how many races he has qualified as having competed in. Statistics from the Grand Prix Guide have the Turkish Grand Prix as his 255th because it doesn’t consider Barrichello to have started the tragic 1994 race at San marino where Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenburger died and he himself almost died in a crash in Friday practice. The 2002 Spanish Grand Prix is another sticking point, a race he qualified for, but after encountering problems on the race formation lap, did not actually compete.

There are a few more discrepancies, and if you want to be picky, you may never agree on which race is the 256th. This is the reason the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix has been selected as THE race and that’s just fine with me. When he does compete in this race, Rubens will be surpassing Ricardo Patrese with his 256th grand Prix.

“As a boy, when I looked over the wall at Interlagos to look at Formula One, I always wanted to be there and to be a race winner.”

“I never thought I was going to be the longest driver in F1 history.”

Here’s a brief look at his career to date. He began his Formula One career with Jordan at the South African Grand Prix on March 14, 1993, and raced as a rookie against the likes of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. 1994 was a very difficult year for Rubens with the death of mentor Ayrton Senna and his life threatening crash at the same race in Imola, but the quiet unassuming Barrichello bounced back proving his worth in F1 with some great driving in the following weeks that had him securing poll at the Belgian Grand Prix.

In 1996, after his relationship with Eddie Jordan began a downward spiral, Barrichello left Jordan for Stewart Grand Prix. The next 2 seasons were bitter sweet for Barrichello where he finished only 3 races in 1997 with a horribly unreliable car and the best he could do in 1998 was 2 5th place finishes. It was in 1998 however that his place as a solid F1 driver was carved when he consistently beat team mate Jan Magnussen who was then replaced by Jos Verstappen who he consistently beat as well.

In 2000 came his big break when he was signed by Ferrari as backup to Michael Schumacher. A race winner and regular podium finisher, 2000 was his best year yet and he finished 4th in the drivers’ championship all the while supporting Michael Schumacher.
2001 he again supported Schumacher to the title and along the way finished 3rd in the drivers’ championship.

2002 was the year of proof that Barrichello was with Ferrari to do one thing and that was help Schumacher win titles. This proof came at the Austrian Grand Prix when Barrichello, sure to win the race slowed dramatically and let Schumacher pass him and win the race. Now that embarrassment to Rubens and F1. On the podium, Michael and Rubens changed places and Michael gave the winners trophy to Rubens as ‘damage control’ and maybe a sporting gesture, but even that was marred when both drivers were fined for disrupting podium protocol.

2003 was a much better year and Barrichello finished fourth in the drivers’ championship with 65 points, which included wins at the British Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix.

2004 was Barrichello’s best year in F1 when he consistently finished second to Michael Schumacher and won the Italian Grand Prix and Chinese Grand Prix finishing with 114 points and 14 podiums.

2005 spelled the last year for Barrichello at Ferrari when the act of submitting to Schumacher race after race finally got to him. He left and signed with Honda.

A new team and a difficult car frustrated Barrichello who said the car didn’t suit his style of driving. He didn’t fair well at all in 2006 falling short of what was expected of him even with a struggling Honda team. In 2006, his best result was 4th in Monaco (a podium lost because of speeding in pit lane), but 4th was still the best ever finish for Honda.

2007 as we know was a complete disaster for Honda and the RA107 didn’t give Barrichello or Jenson Button anything at all to compete with.

In the end, his best years in racing were as nothing more than Schumacher’s guard. Many including me see that as a tragedy and a waste of the best years of his career, but for most of his years at Ferrari, Barrichello didn’t appear to feel that way. In one interview in Monaco after signing a new 2 year deal with Ferrari, he said he was very happy where he was and what his role was. His family was financially secure, he enjoyed racing for Ferrari and being out on the track. This didn’t last however, and after seeing many many opportunities to win for himself slip away because of Ferrari team orders, he had enough and at the end of 2005 moved to Honda.

I’ve always seen Barrichello as a quiet unassuming racer, never getting too much in the spotlight and rarely finding himself involved in any controversy either on or off the track. Without Barrichello and his unselfishness, Michael Schumacher would never have won the titles he did and he owes a great deal to him.

Whatever ceremony there is to mark Rubens achievement (if there is one), Michael Schumacher himself should be front and center to congratulate Rubens for his great run in F1 and for being so instrumental in his own career.

An F1 career starting with Jordan in 1993, 5 years with Ferrari as Michael Schumacher’s right hand man, and now winding down his career with Honda, he really has done everything but win a championship and for Rubens, there’s no complaint.

Some say Rubens was never all that and was only an average driver at best. I disagree. For me he’s hall of fame quality, of that I have no doubt.

If you enjoyed this story, make sure you subscribe to F1-ToGo RSS feed!