With the news, as expected, that Bruno Senna will fill the one vacant seat at Williams for the 2012 season, another Brazilian driver is contemplating what looks like the end of the one of the most distinguished and eventful of all Formula 1 careers. With characteristic good grace and class, Rubens Barrichello wished his successor good luck, but where does he himself go from here?
I first came across the name Rubens Barrichello in 1990, when my interest in motorsport was at its height, and I avidly devoured news of the goings-on in the junior formulae. In winning the intensely competitive GM Lotus Euroseries, the novice exhibited not just a fine turn of speed, but also some of the subtler qualities which separate the potential World Champion from the mass of raw and eager youngsters.
There was more of the same in British Formula 3 the following year, as Rubens engaged in a lively tussle for the title with David Coulthard, eventually emerging triumphant. I seem to recall that he occasionally had some difficulty getting off the starting line, and this made for some entertaining racing, something not always prevalent in Formula 3!
Rubens continued his motor racing education in Formula 3000 in 1992. He did not meet with the instant success enjoyed in the previous categories, and there must have been the fear, seemingly endemic amongst young drivers, of an imminent career plateau. However, any worries proved unfounded, as he was signed up by the Jordan F1 team for 1993.
As soon as he entered the highest echelon of the sport, Rubens showed that he belonged there, with his maturity and natural talent. The 1994 season brought conflicting emotions, with points on the board, but also the trauma of a serious crash in practice at Imola, and the death of Ayrton Senna.
The capricious form of the Jordan team dictated that the following two campaigns did not improve markedly on what had gone before, and Rubens must have been delighted with the chance to drive for the new, but well equipped, Stewart team for 1997. His second place at Monaco was memorable, prompting emotional scenes, including tears from Jackie Stewart himself.
By now, Rubens was regarded within the F1 fraternity as a fast, reliable and technically adept performer, as well as a consummate team-player. It must have been somewhat galling, therefore,that when the Stewart outfit notched up its first victory, at the Nurburgring in 1999, it was team new-boy Johnny Herbert to whom the cards fell, although the Brazilian hid any disappointment with his usual good humour and grace.
Now came the call from Ferrari, and although he was playing second-fiddle to the great Michael Schumacher, at least Rubens had the theoretical possibility to be a contender for race-wins and podiums at every Grand Prix. His outpouring of emotion and joy on the podium at Hockenheim after his first F1 victory was both moving and engaging, and everyone in the sport was genuinely delighted that he had achieved that richly deserved milestone.
The rest of Barrichello's tenure at Maranello brought more Grand Prix wins, but also controversy and debate concerning his precise role within the team, and his relationship with Schumacher. Whatever reservations Rubens may have harboured, he got on with his job professionally and assiduously, reinforcing his reputation as a steadfast and conscientious customer, as well as a "good bloke".
After the dizzy heights and tumult of the Ferrari years, the rest of Ruben's career was perhaps destined to be an anti-climax, but a renaissance of sorts occurred in 2009, with the almost fairytale exploits of the Brawn equipe.
The time with Williams has been frustrating, but Rubens usually managed to maintain his dignity and optimism.
His strenuous efforts to remain in F1 at the end of 2011 indicated that his motivation and desire remained intact, but can he adapt those competitive juices to other, less exalted, forms of motorsport? The DTM, Indycars and endurance racing all remain theoretical possibilities.
If this is indeed the end of Rubens Barrichello in F1, it will feel strange without him. Many fans will not have seen a race without him competing. In many respects he has set a benchmark for how drivers conduct themselves, overcome adversity and maintain motivation and focus.
Whatever the future holds for Rubens, the best of luck to him.
Showing posts with label rubens barrichello. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rubens barrichello. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Bruno Senna to Williams?
One snippet of Formula 1 gossip which escaped my attention in the pre-Christmas frenzy was the report that Bruno Senna visited the Williams team's factory at Grove, with a view to discussing possibilities for the 2012 season.
It had been generally assumed in F1 circles that Adrian Sutil was the firm favourite for the second seat in Sir Frank's team, having been linked with the drive towards the end of the 2011 season. However, the situation now seems a good deal more fluid, with Senna's overtures, and renewed efforts by Rubens Barrichello to maintain his presence in Grand Prix racing.
Looking at all this from a purely driving perspective, the range of options would appear, from the Williams perspective, to be quite enviable, but in reality they are less than inspiring.
Senna has relative youth and enthusiasm, and did show flashes of promise in his 2011 outings, but lacks experience. Barrichello represents continuity, unparalleled experience and a proven track record. There have been doubts about his motivation, but maybe the widespread presumption that his F1 days are over has stung him into renewed vigour? Sutil would, on the surface, seem to combine some of the elements presented by both of the the other two candidates. Solid experience, unrealised and untapped potential, and something still to prove.
Not to be forgotten in all of this is the presence of Pastor Maldonado in the team. Maldonado's performances have not been totally convincing, and part of Willliams' thinking on the second driver must surely reflect this. This would presumably count against Senna.
Of course, all this analysis has so far disregarded the issue of sponsorship. Reports suggest that the three candidates all have access to funds of some description. The ultimate choice of driver may tell us much about the state of the Williams team's finances, and whether their "racers" ethos still remains intact....
It had been generally assumed in F1 circles that Adrian Sutil was the firm favourite for the second seat in Sir Frank's team, having been linked with the drive towards the end of the 2011 season. However, the situation now seems a good deal more fluid, with Senna's overtures, and renewed efforts by Rubens Barrichello to maintain his presence in Grand Prix racing.
Looking at all this from a purely driving perspective, the range of options would appear, from the Williams perspective, to be quite enviable, but in reality they are less than inspiring.
Senna has relative youth and enthusiasm, and did show flashes of promise in his 2011 outings, but lacks experience. Barrichello represents continuity, unparalleled experience and a proven track record. There have been doubts about his motivation, but maybe the widespread presumption that his F1 days are over has stung him into renewed vigour? Sutil would, on the surface, seem to combine some of the elements presented by both of the the other two candidates. Solid experience, unrealised and untapped potential, and something still to prove.
Not to be forgotten in all of this is the presence of Pastor Maldonado in the team. Maldonado's performances have not been totally convincing, and part of Willliams' thinking on the second driver must surely reflect this. This would presumably count against Senna.
Of course, all this analysis has so far disregarded the issue of sponsorship. Reports suggest that the three candidates all have access to funds of some description. The ultimate choice of driver may tell us much about the state of the Williams team's finances, and whether their "racers" ethos still remains intact....
Monday, 28 November 2011
Brazilian Grand Prix 2011
So, the 2011 Formula season has reached its end. Not the most riveting race to sign off with, but there are plenty of side issues and subtexts which are worthy of discussion. In some ways, it is unfortunate that the threatened rain did not materialise in Interlagos, as this would have spiced things up slightly!
Whether Mark Webber could have won if Sebastian Vettel's gearbox maladies had not intervened is a matter of conjecture, but the form from practice and the early laps of the race itself would seem to indicate that the German would have notched up another victory. The nature of the Interlagos circuit worked in his favour, making the problems manageable.
Even though the win in Brazil was fortunate, it was some compensation for the frustrations and setbacks endured by Webber throughout 2011. It still seems mildly extraordinary that he won only the single race in the whole season.
The race ended up being a bit anti-climactic for McLaren, not quite living up to the pre-race hopes and expectations. Jenson Button's late surge on to the podium appeared to vindicate his strategy, but only belatedly. Second place in the championship was reward for Button's consistency and intelligent driving during the season.
Lewis Hamilton's gearbox failure, coming after the euphoria of Abu Dhabi, was symptomatic of his roller-coaster year. Hamilton was in quite philosophical mood after the race, the inference being that he will put 2011 down to "experience" and do his best to come back stronger (and luckier) next year.
One of the major talking points of the race was the coming-together between Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. It did seem that Senna moved over slightly , but by the same token it was an optimistic, and far from straightforward, move by the seven-times champion. I am no expert, but I think that allowances have to be made for the nature of the track layout at that point, which may have contributed to the Renault driver's line. It seems that I was not alone in considering the penalty imposed on Senna quite harsh...
In what may turn out to be his F1 swansong, Rubens Barrichello did not quite have the race that he was looking for on his home turf. However, he did at least exhibit some spirit after difficulties early on.
Of course, Williams are being linked with a move for Adrian Sutil, and some eyebrows may have been raised when Sutil was very impressive in Brazi, battling tenaciously and finally finishing sixth. A job application in all but name? To be fair, Force India as a team were pretty much on form all weekend. The performance cannot have done his Williams prospects any harm, at the very least.
The chances of Kimi Raikkonen joining Williams for 2012 have faded, so it is looking increasingly like it may be a Sutil/Maldonado pairing at Grove next season. Hardly inspiring you might say, and the pressure would be on Sutil to step up to the plate and genuinely begin to fulfill his undoubted potential.
On another Williams-related note, it seems that Patrick Head will be withdrawing from major involvement in the F1 project. Following the case of Ron Dennis, this is another sign of the changing of the guard in Formula 1 generally, with new faces taking over from those who have been so prominent in the past two or three decades.
Just to finish, a word about the Interlagos circuit itself. Watching the television coverage yesterday, I was reminded what a superb track it is, certainly one of the best on the calendar. It remains a breath of fresh air in this homogenized age, with its anti-clockwise direction, elevation changes and quirky mixture of corners.
So, 2011 is over. Roll on 2012!
Whether Mark Webber could have won if Sebastian Vettel's gearbox maladies had not intervened is a matter of conjecture, but the form from practice and the early laps of the race itself would seem to indicate that the German would have notched up another victory. The nature of the Interlagos circuit worked in his favour, making the problems manageable.
Even though the win in Brazil was fortunate, it was some compensation for the frustrations and setbacks endured by Webber throughout 2011. It still seems mildly extraordinary that he won only the single race in the whole season.
The race ended up being a bit anti-climactic for McLaren, not quite living up to the pre-race hopes and expectations. Jenson Button's late surge on to the podium appeared to vindicate his strategy, but only belatedly. Second place in the championship was reward for Button's consistency and intelligent driving during the season.
Lewis Hamilton's gearbox failure, coming after the euphoria of Abu Dhabi, was symptomatic of his roller-coaster year. Hamilton was in quite philosophical mood after the race, the inference being that he will put 2011 down to "experience" and do his best to come back stronger (and luckier) next year.
One of the major talking points of the race was the coming-together between Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. It did seem that Senna moved over slightly , but by the same token it was an optimistic, and far from straightforward, move by the seven-times champion. I am no expert, but I think that allowances have to be made for the nature of the track layout at that point, which may have contributed to the Renault driver's line. It seems that I was not alone in considering the penalty imposed on Senna quite harsh...
In what may turn out to be his F1 swansong, Rubens Barrichello did not quite have the race that he was looking for on his home turf. However, he did at least exhibit some spirit after difficulties early on.
Of course, Williams are being linked with a move for Adrian Sutil, and some eyebrows may have been raised when Sutil was very impressive in Brazi, battling tenaciously and finally finishing sixth. A job application in all but name? To be fair, Force India as a team were pretty much on form all weekend. The performance cannot have done his Williams prospects any harm, at the very least.
The chances of Kimi Raikkonen joining Williams for 2012 have faded, so it is looking increasingly like it may be a Sutil/Maldonado pairing at Grove next season. Hardly inspiring you might say, and the pressure would be on Sutil to step up to the plate and genuinely begin to fulfill his undoubted potential.
On another Williams-related note, it seems that Patrick Head will be withdrawing from major involvement in the F1 project. Following the case of Ron Dennis, this is another sign of the changing of the guard in Formula 1 generally, with new faces taking over from those who have been so prominent in the past two or three decades.
Just to finish, a word about the Interlagos circuit itself. Watching the television coverage yesterday, I was reminded what a superb track it is, certainly one of the best on the calendar. It remains a breath of fresh air in this homogenized age, with its anti-clockwise direction, elevation changes and quirky mixture of corners.
So, 2011 is over. Roll on 2012!
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2011.
A most peculiar thing happened to me today. Around mid-afternoon, I was watching TV, and a racing driver by the name of Lewis Hamilton appeared on my screen, and he was smiling, and even laughing....
It is probably too early to say definitively that the "old" Lewis is back, but his joy and relief following this victory were palpable. He didn't have to do much in the way of wheel-to-wheel racing to achieve today's win, and his cause was assisted by Sebastian Vettel's early departure, but his drive had some genuine authority about it.
Historically, McLaren always keep pushing until the very end of a Formula 1 season, regardless of whether the championship is still at stake. Hamilton and Jenson Button are reaping the dividends of this ethos. Jenson was affected by KERS maladies today, which makes his podium position all the more creditable.
For once, Red Bull seemed fallible, and in addition to Vettel's problems, Mark Webber's own car seemed slightly out of sorts, but he showed his customary tenacity to try to achieve the best possible result.
As for Ferrari, well Felipe Massa drove a solid race up until his late spin. Although this did not make much difference to the final outcome, it will hardly endear him to the team. Alonso showed real application in his valiant pursuit of Hamilton, and second place was almost certainly the best the car was capable of on the day.
One way or another, Williams had a pretty eventful race. Pastor Maldonado incurred the wrath of the stewards on a couple of occasions, and he needs to be careful that he does not acquire a reputation for being an awkward customer.
The performance, at least in the early part of the race, of Rubens Barrichello, will have raised a few eyebrows, and will no doubt prompt much debate. Granted, he was on the back row of the grid, and this indignity may have fired him up, but his drive may also be analysed in the context of recent speculation concerning the Williams team's likely 2012 line-up....
The Abu Dhabi track seems to inspire mixed reactions, but it is hard to deny that it is visually stunning, and personally I quite like its layout. It seems likely to be a fixture on the calendar, in the medium term at least.
And so on to Interlagos, for the 2011 season finale. It is fitting that the campaign ends at a traditional F1 circuit, with a great atmosphere. Will McLaren continue their late season surge? Of course, second place in the drivers' table is still very much up for grabs, so it should be a lively contest!
It is probably too early to say definitively that the "old" Lewis is back, but his joy and relief following this victory were palpable. He didn't have to do much in the way of wheel-to-wheel racing to achieve today's win, and his cause was assisted by Sebastian Vettel's early departure, but his drive had some genuine authority about it.
Historically, McLaren always keep pushing until the very end of a Formula 1 season, regardless of whether the championship is still at stake. Hamilton and Jenson Button are reaping the dividends of this ethos. Jenson was affected by KERS maladies today, which makes his podium position all the more creditable.
For once, Red Bull seemed fallible, and in addition to Vettel's problems, Mark Webber's own car seemed slightly out of sorts, but he showed his customary tenacity to try to achieve the best possible result.
As for Ferrari, well Felipe Massa drove a solid race up until his late spin. Although this did not make much difference to the final outcome, it will hardly endear him to the team. Alonso showed real application in his valiant pursuit of Hamilton, and second place was almost certainly the best the car was capable of on the day.
One way or another, Williams had a pretty eventful race. Pastor Maldonado incurred the wrath of the stewards on a couple of occasions, and he needs to be careful that he does not acquire a reputation for being an awkward customer.
The performance, at least in the early part of the race, of Rubens Barrichello, will have raised a few eyebrows, and will no doubt prompt much debate. Granted, he was on the back row of the grid, and this indignity may have fired him up, but his drive may also be analysed in the context of recent speculation concerning the Williams team's likely 2012 line-up....
The Abu Dhabi track seems to inspire mixed reactions, but it is hard to deny that it is visually stunning, and personally I quite like its layout. It seems likely to be a fixture on the calendar, in the medium term at least.
And so on to Interlagos, for the 2011 season finale. It is fitting that the campaign ends at a traditional F1 circuit, with a great atmosphere. Will McLaren continue their late season surge? Of course, second place in the drivers' table is still very much up for grabs, so it should be a lively contest!
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