Rubens Barrichello

Now here's a driver who polarises opinion. A really nice bloke or a bitter man who should have grown a pair at Ferrari instead of bitching about it after he left. The most experienced driver ever in F1 but now, perhaps, past his sell by date? A brilliant car sorter who helped Jenson Button realise his title ambitions at Brawn or someone who failed to take an opportunity when it came his way?

Rubens Barrichello:

314 GP starts
11 wins (No. 25 in the list of GP winners - ahead of Ronnie Petersen but behind Alan Jones)
14 poles
17 fastest laps

Everyone's favourite No.2? The best choice Williams could could have made to lead there team or would they be better off without him?

 

[Galahad]

Judging how he has out-performed Maldonado quite comfortably in the last two races, while before that Maldonado (who here has been questioned by his talent and behaviour) was right up there with him.

Of course he's been fighting hard all season, but why has he managed to put in two great drivers in the Williams just there, while he was quite anonymous before and at times getting overshadowed by Maldonado?

I'm surprised that you think the last two drives were great - to me they seemed much the same as the rest of his year. I haven't noticed Pastor pulling up any trees either, but there you go. His qualifying lap in Brazil was excellent, but partly a result of a gamble on a wet setup, as we discovered at the start.

Rubens has been stronger in races than qualifying, certainly, but he's still shaded Pastor in qualifying more often than not too. His advantage in the races would have been even greater had he not had to make early pit stops to repair damage three times - Malaysia, Monza and India.

 

[Slyboogy]

I'm surprised that you think the last two drives were great

Well I think Abu Dhabi was good considering the car where he started and relative to Maldonado, Brazil he had a good qualifying his race.

His advantage in the races would have been even greater had he not had to make early pit stops to repair damage three times - Malaysia, Monza and India.

I could make a little list of Maldonado being quite unlucky in a fair few races aswell when he was ahead of Barrichello.

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

Can someone help me here.

Is Rubens the last Brazilian to win an F1 Grand Prix? I remember him winning the European GP in Valencia back in 09. I can't remember Massa winning another GP since then. I could be wrong though.

 

[Galahad]

Massa's last win was Interlagos '08 - you're right.

 

[teabagyokel]

Is Rubens the last Brazilian to win an F1 Grand Prix? I remember him winning the European GP in Valencia back in 09. I can't remember Massa winning another GP since then. I could be wrong though.

Yes. Monza 2009. As Il_Leone has reminded us, the last person bar Vetalowebbutham to win a race!

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

Cheers Galahad, knew i wasn't losing my marbles .

 

[Slyboogy]

Cheers Galahad, knew i wasn't losing my marbles .

 

[Road of Bones]

"Vetalowebbutham"!

 

[RasputinLives]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/01/barrichello_back_in_williams_f.html

interesting piece from Andrew Benson - looks like Rubens could be around a while longer

 

[Bus Stop Chicane]

I hope Sutil gets the drive at Williams, Rubens needs to pack it in.

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

What now for Rubens? Is this the end of his F1 career once and for all? Does he now regret not leaving F1 at the end of last season and having a proper fairwell?

 

[Galahad]

It's difficult to see him getting another seat now, barring injury. A sad end to a fine career.

 

[FB]

I think NASCAR would suit him down to the ground, either that or LMP/Sportscars. I bet there would be a queue for his services.

 

[RasputinLives]

I can't believe theres not a queue of F1 teams at his door asking him to come work for them on the technical staff and as a development driver.

Rubens has helped devlop 6 World Championship winning cars and 9 race winning cars in his day which is probably some sort of record. In fact apart from Williams I can't think of a team he's left that haven't been in a better state than when he joined them.

I'd have him on the pitwall looking at data, helping my drivers with their race set-ups, in the meetings over race tactics and back at the factory in the simulators trying new parts and I'd happily pay him a decent wage to do so. The added bonus as well would be that if you ever needed a quick replacement for a race then he'd be on hand and you'd trust him to get result.

Seems a no brainer for me for the big teams as well as the small teams - its not like he's not easy to get on with!

As much as he's had a moan about them and too them I'm sure Ross Brawn and Schumie are talking over the idea right now!

 

[sportsman]

I don't think that we have seen the last of Ol' Ruby in F1.We may not see him in a race seat again true.
I am convinced that he will still be in F1 in some shape or form and also race inother series.
I wish him the best of luck.

Incidently he would make a great job of the FIA F1 commissioners job or whatever its called these days.

 

[FB]

I bet Schumie is praying to his God that Rubens doesn't get a job as a driver steward any day soon

 

[teabagyokel]

I bet Schumie is praying to his God that Rubens doesn't get a job as a driver steward any day soon

RACE CONTROL

Car Number 7 is under investigation by the stewards for an incident in 2002.

 

[Lewywo4]

I bet Schumie is praying to his God that Rubens doesn't get a job as a driver steward any day soon

Especially after this!!

 

[Slyboogy]

Not sure Barrichello can take the credit for all the championship winning cars, 5 of then where at Ferrari at a time where you can spend and test daily and Ferrari was already a championship winning team/car before he joined. Brawn had the jump on everyone due to developing half a season early, and I doubt he came up with the main asset the "double diffuser".

I am starting to find his "driver development" thing blown way out of proportion. Drivers don't build the cars, engineers do. All a driver can do is explain what happens to the car with a certain update or set up, and I am speaking from experience.

But he might not be a bad technical advisor, a role that Schumacher played in 2007-2009 for Ferrari. (was it technical advisor?)

Or he could be a driver Coach.

PS. Just felt like a rant

 

[FB]

But driver feedback is crucial for the engineers to put with their electronic data. The wind tunnel or the simulator may say one thing but when the car gets on the track we all know it may well do something different. Witness Caterham's "1 second" improvements last year. You do have to wonder how good Rubens is as development driver as I think Schumie did the lion's share at Ferrari, Honda made dog after dog with little improvement through the season and the Brawn was fast straight out of the box so what was there to do?

The lack of in season testing has probably hampered Williams so maybe Rubens hasn't been able to show his skills in this area. But then it's a level playing field as none of the other teams have been able to test either (perhaps with the exception of Ferrari and their promo filming!)