Rubens Barrichello has described his return to the podium in the British Grand Prix as ‘magic', adding that he is convinced that there are still ‘plenty more' good times to come from
Honda in the future.
The experienced Brazilian has long had a good relationship with
Silverstone – the celebrated ‘Home of British Motor Racing' – having competed there with success in the junior formulae and six times finished inside the top four in
Formula 1 prior to this year's race. Indeed, one of the most famous grands prix in recent memory was the Brazilian's victory around the Northants circuit for
Ferrari back in 2003, when he took pole position and fastest lap too for good measure.
After lining up only 16th on the starting grid, the veteran of a record 258 starts in the top flight may have had few hopes of a strong result this time around, but when he woke up to see the rain lashing the ground, his eyes would have undoubtedly lit up.
It was a gamble on extreme wet tyres, however, that ultimately made his race – as Barrichello lapped consistently up to eight seconds a lap faster than any other driver on the track – and his third-place finish marked his first rostrum appearance in more than 50 outings.
“How magic is this?” the 36-year-old enthused afterwards. “It's a great feeling to be back on the podium today, after such an exciting race where the weather conditions really helped us to get the best out of the car. The most important decision of the race for us was switching to the extreme wet tyre when the heavy rain started to fall at half-distance.
“I had a real moment at Club, going off at high-speed and almost hitting the wall, and that made me realise that we needed to make a quick decision. After fitting the extreme wets, I was able to overtake the cars in front easily which was a great feeling. Making such a crucial decision at a key time comes from experience and from the team having the confidence in me to make the call.
