B-A-Rrichello!
Rubens Barrichello, an evangelist amongst drivers for having sacrificed his own career for the sake of Ferrari (read: Michael Schumacher) has finally decided to convert, signing a "multi-year" contract with BAR. Rubens will give way to Felipe Massa, another Brazilian driver who will now don the Scuderia cap, knowing fully well that he is in for atleast one season as the Number 2 man. Rubens will join BAR after having contributed to five Constructor's (read: Constructor's and Driver's) championships.
Rubens Barrichello, considered a great driving talent, took the traditional silk-route taken by all great Brazilian champs. He was a Brazilian Kart champion who went on to win his maiden GM Lotus Euroseries and then whizzed into British F3 Champioships inspite of financial problems. And like his mentor (the late Ayrton Senna) he won there too, and no one was surprised when Eddie Jordan decided to give him a run in 1993.
"Rubino" showed talent, running as high as third at Donnington (European GP) in just his third race. He glittered in other races like Monza and also at the erstwhile Estroil and Adelaide circuits. And inspite of being linked with McLaren for the 1994 season for the seat left vacant by his mentor, Barrichello remained at Jordan,loyalty personified. He left Jordan a couple of years and several "might-have-been" performances topped by a blistering second at Canada in 1995.
Having served the fledging Jackie Stewart team that was later packaged as "Jaguar Racing", Rubens Barrichello swapped seats with Eddie Irvine for a Ferrari drive. What Rubens must have known even at that time was that Ferrari was a team that revolved around one man : Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari had undergone quite a fantastic change in the four years that Michael Schumacher had been with the team before Rubens joined. Todt led the initial ressurection, putting the team together after Enzo's death. And in 1996, a young colt, aged 27, already with a title under his belt made a decision to join the team, a team that could hardly be called top-brass during the time. The package that Ferrari signed for included Michael and his Benneton buddies, a stunning team that would consistently deliver for the better part of the next decade.
Perhaps a driver always likes to drive the best car, but then, a diligent person does not drive for the same team which also employs a man whose records suggest that he has won 39 GP's and a couple of World Championships more and still expect to be treated the same. Barrichello was/is hardly comparable to the German maestro. A true example of that would be the 2005 season in which Michael has managed to rake in a staggering fifty-five points in the thirteen races that have happened so far. The F2005 is a mediocre car, and Michael being the master that he is, has managed to take the car beyond its limits. Barrichello, on the other hand is a true reflection of the idiom "The driver can only be as good as the car is."
Rubens joined Ferrari and called himself "1B" instead of number 2. A couple of days after he renewed his contract with Ferrari, Rubens faced the ignominy of Austria 2002, where he was ordered to slow down his car to let Schumacher pass and take victory. A visibly shaken Barrichello was just reminded of what his fate would be for as long as he partnered Schumacher. Perhaps the last straw in Barrichello's decision was Monaco 2005, when Schumacher over took him in the last lap to come in seventh.
BAR presented Barrichello with an opportunity to lead a team, perhaps his last chance of leading a competitive team. And Barrichello decided to jump ship. Afterall, no driver likes to be remembered as another's assistant, no matter how great the other might be. And had Barrichello remained with Ferrari, the world would have seen him as Michael's minion, a teeth-less driver who sought a safe second rather than as a driver who contributed to five championships.
The decision has been made, Ferrari would get Massa and Rubens might just get to lead the BAR team, bringing with him the impeccable Ferrari discipline, one which once saw him sail for fifty-eight races without a single retirement.
Long live Barrichello!
Rubens Barrichello, considered a great driving talent, took the traditional silk-route taken by all great Brazilian champs. He was a Brazilian Kart champion who went on to win his maiden GM Lotus Euroseries and then whizzed into British F3 Champioships inspite of financial problems. And like his mentor (the late Ayrton Senna) he won there too, and no one was surprised when Eddie Jordan decided to give him a run in 1993.
"Rubino" showed talent, running as high as third at Donnington (European GP) in just his third race. He glittered in other races like Monza and also at the erstwhile Estroil and Adelaide circuits. And inspite of being linked with McLaren for the 1994 season for the seat left vacant by his mentor, Barrichello remained at Jordan,loyalty personified. He left Jordan a couple of years and several "might-have-been" performances topped by a blistering second at Canada in 1995.
Having served the fledging Jackie Stewart team that was later packaged as "Jaguar Racing", Rubens Barrichello swapped seats with Eddie Irvine for a Ferrari drive. What Rubens must have known even at that time was that Ferrari was a team that revolved around one man : Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari had undergone quite a fantastic change in the four years that Michael Schumacher had been with the team before Rubens joined. Todt led the initial ressurection, putting the team together after Enzo's death. And in 1996, a young colt, aged 27, already with a title under his belt made a decision to join the team, a team that could hardly be called top-brass during the time. The package that Ferrari signed for included Michael and his Benneton buddies, a stunning team that would consistently deliver for the better part of the next decade.
Perhaps a driver always likes to drive the best car, but then, a diligent person does not drive for the same team which also employs a man whose records suggest that he has won 39 GP's and a couple of World Championships more and still expect to be treated the same. Barrichello was/is hardly comparable to the German maestro. A true example of that would be the 2005 season in which Michael has managed to rake in a staggering fifty-five points in the thirteen races that have happened so far. The F2005 is a mediocre car, and Michael being the master that he is, has managed to take the car beyond its limits. Barrichello, on the other hand is a true reflection of the idiom "The driver can only be as good as the car is."
Rubens joined Ferrari and called himself "1B" instead of number 2. A couple of days after he renewed his contract with Ferrari, Rubens faced the ignominy of Austria 2002, where he was ordered to slow down his car to let Schumacher pass and take victory. A visibly shaken Barrichello was just reminded of what his fate would be for as long as he partnered Schumacher. Perhaps the last straw in Barrichello's decision was Monaco 2005, when Schumacher over took him in the last lap to come in seventh.
BAR presented Barrichello with an opportunity to lead a team, perhaps his last chance of leading a competitive team. And Barrichello decided to jump ship. Afterall, no driver likes to be remembered as another's assistant, no matter how great the other might be. And had Barrichello remained with Ferrari, the world would have seen him as Michael's minion, a teeth-less driver who sought a safe second rather than as a driver who contributed to five championships.
The decision has been made, Ferrari would get Massa and Rubens might just get to lead the BAR team, bringing with him the impeccable Ferrari discipline, one which once saw him sail for fifty-eight races without a single retirement.
Long live Barrichello!
posted by Koushik V S at
9:28 AM
1 Comments:
rubens barichello is a good chap ... but if he could never become world champion in a ferrari .... fat chance oh him doing it in BAR... mclaren maybe .. if the engines lasted... renault maybe too if the get a more powerful engine ... but BAR ... gimme a break!
ofcourse the good thing is that he will partner jemsen buttocks .... anyone looks good next to an ass ...
--pr
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Anonymous, at 5:05 PM
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