Five times the Brazilian karting champion, Rubens Barrichello arrived in Europe as a shy 17-year old at the beginning of 1990, having contested only 11 Formula Ford races in his native country. He came to compete in the GM Lotus Euroseries – one of the first rungs on the ladder to Formula One – with backing from Arisco (a Brazilian food conglomerate), which intended to take him all the way to the top. In the comfortable environment provided by Scuderia Salvati Draco, Rubens quickly became the season’s front-runner, winning five rounds and the title. This triumph earned him a seat in Dick Bennetts' West Surrey Racing F3 team for 1991. It was success again as Rubens came through late in the season to win the title when his main rival, David Coulthard, stumbled.
Already the subject of interest from Formula One teams, Barrichello took the next step up to F3000 and, despite the political and financial pressures that beset the Il Barone Rampante team, Rubens was a consistent finisher, achieving third place in the final standings. His seemingly inexorable climb to Grand Prix racing was complete when that great talent-spotter Eddie Jordan placed his faith in the 21-year-old to help wipe away the memories of a disastrous 1992 season.
He soon proved Eddie's wisdom with a stunning drive in the rain-soaked European GP at Donington which saw him run as high as second place until fuel-pressure problems ended his race, though this performance no doubt reflected the benefit of having traction control in the slippery conditions. However, as the season developed he comfortably outpaced his more vaunted (but de-motivated) team mates Capelli and Boutsen, before the uncertainty regarding Rubens' real ability was increased by a succession of partners towards the end of the year. The arrival of Eddie Irvine at Suzuka helped lift the team – and Barrichello – to a new level of performance, and it was felt by many that he needed this sort of competition.
Certainly he started the 1994 season with real intent, before miraculously escaping serious injury in practice for the San Marino Grand Prix. The horrendous events of that weekend must have left Rubens more traumatised than most as he struggled to come to terms with the loss of his friend and mentor Ayrton Senna. Understandably he took a little while to return to his best, and the joy of taking pole position at a rain-soaked Spa was probably the high point of his, and Jordan's, year.
Rumours abounded that Barrichello was a target for McLaren, but in the event he remained with Jordan for 1995, buoyed by the prospect of a works engine deal with Peugeot. Numerous excellent qualifying performances and second place in Canada showed what could be achieved, but a catalogue of mechanical failures were to cost Rubens and his team dear. The 1996 season soon produced the false dawn of a front-row start in Brazil, but after Barrichello slithered off the wet track in the race his year slipped into a downward spiral in which he never really regained his confidence.
Despite his tender years, Jordan felt they could coax no more from the personable young Brazilian, who they felt needed to raise his game to a more consistent level if he was to progress beyond the 'promising' category. An amicable parting led to Rubens' joining the newly formed Stewart Grand Prix team for 1997. The partnership proved a productive one, and his superb second place in the rain at Monaco gave credibility to both team and driver. While the following year was largely wasted in midfield obscurity, Barrichello emerged in 1999 as a much more mature performer. He ran at the front in a number of races and was rightly disappointed not to have been able to give Stewart Grand Prix their first Grand Prix win when Johnny Herbert posted an unlikely victory at the Nürburgring.
Although he was slightly overshadowed by a resurgent Herbert towards the end of the year, Barrichello was still Ferrari's first choice to replace the departing Eddie Irvine for 2000. Being teamed with Michael Schumacher might not have been every driver's cup of tea, but Rubens maintained that it was the best indicator of his own talent. The highlight of his first year with the Scuderia came at the German Grand Prix, when he finally ended his winless F1 career with a well-judged wet-weather success. Again paired with Schumacher for 2001, Barrichello showed well throughout the season, even if a second career victory didn't come his way. The Brazilian came close, however, being thwarted by problems on more than one occasion, although seldom bad enough to prevent him from finishing in the points en route to third overall in the championship.
2002 finally saw Rubens win again – indeed the Brazilian took victory on four occasions, winning at the European, Hungarian, Italian and US GPs. He also secured second overall in the drivers' championship, notching up 77 points – a good effort considering the team was effectively built around Schumacher. Barrichello once again played a supporting role in 2003, although he managed to knock up two more wins following impressive drives at the British and Japanese rounds.
Barrichello's fifth season with the Scuderia found him was again cast in a supportive role and, having signed a contract until the end of 2006, the Brazilian helped ensure that Ferrari won the constructors' championship for the sixth year running. Although Schumacher again naturally took much of the limelight, Rubens had a more than solid year, scoring points in 16 of the 18 races, including 14 podiums, two of which – in Italy and China – saw him on the top step. His reward was second in the drivers' championship, having notched up 114 points, 34 less than Michael, who again took the title, but 29 more than Jenson Button.
In 2005 Rubens dutifully backed Michael Schumacher once more. However the Maranello team dropped the ball in a big way with both their drivers struggling with recalcitrant machines. There was trouble brewing, and it was whilst the Ferrari pair were both scrapping for the minor points placings at the Monaco Grand Prix that Rubens found himself elbowed aside by his team mate in a manner that enraged the normally equable Brazilian. A couple of races later at Indianapolis Barrichello was hung out to dry when Schumacher exited the pits putting Rubens on the grass in a most ‘ungentlemanly’ manner. From that moment it seemed that Barrichello had had enough of stepping aside for his team-mate and he set about finding a drive away from the team he had served so dutifully for six seasons.
Barrichello duly found a warm welcome at Honda to partner Jenson Button in a strong driver line-up that was to prove an interesting match. At first the Brazilian struggled to come to terms with the characteristics of the car and he generally wore a somewhat non-plussed demeanor as the season slipped by. By the fifth round at Rubens finally began to match his steam mates pace, but Button’s win in Hungary hugely overshadowed Rubens largely unobtrusive contribution of thirty points to help Honda take fourth place in the constructor’s standings.
For 2007 Honda produced a car that so disappointing in performance that the team could only six points and slumped into eighth place in the constructor’s table. Even this meager haul came by the efforts of Jenson Button. Despite his illustrious career, the 35-year-old could be forgiven for thinking that his time was up after enduring a dreadful season during which he failed to score even a single point.
Salvation for Barrichello may have been aided by the appointment of the former Ferrari guru Ross Brawn who will no doubt help give the amiable Brazilian a chance to erase the bitter memories of 2007. At the beginning of 2008 season Rubens, having amassed more than 500 World Championship points in a career spanning 15 seasons, was targeting a unique achievement. Standing just a handful of Grand Prix race starts behind all-time record holder Riccardo Patrese, Rubens looks set to become the most experienced Grand Prix driver of all-time.
