Rubens Barrichello is set to become F1’s most experienced driver in the Turkish Grand Prix. Ben wrote a review of his career here yesterday.
Today I wanted to pick out some of Barrichello’s best moments. What was the Brazilian’s greatest Grand Prix? Here’s a few of my picks, nominate yours below.
1993 European Grand Prix
Donington Park
Q: 12 – R: DNF
The race that woke everyone up to Rubens Barrichello’s potential. He drove a cool race in the wet and was in with a chance of finishing on the podium. But six laps from the end he retired – the Jordan team hadn’t put enough fuel in the car. He evetually made it onto the podium for the first time at his 18th attempt in the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix.
1997 Monaco Grand Prix
Monte-Carlo
Q: 10 – R: 2
After growing tired of the slow progress at Jordan Barrichello gambled on a seat with a brand new F1 team in 1997. When the rain fell on the Monaco Grand Prix he took full advantage to bring the car home in an emotional second.
1999 Brazilian Grand Prix
Interlagos
Q: 3 – R: DNF
In my opinion the great under-rated drive of Barrichello’s career to date. His planned pit stop strategy was compromised by a late change to the pit lane exit at Interlagos, and though he took the lead when Mika Hakkinen’s McLaren faltered he dropped out when his engine failed.
2000 German Grand Prix
Hockenheimring
Q: 18 – R: 1
What impressed me about this drive was not how quickly he moved up from a lowly 18th on the grid, slicing past car after car. On the long straights of Hockenheim with one of the fastest cars in the field and a light fuel load that was the least that was required of Barrichello that day. And the race fell into his hands when a protester invaded the track, causing a safety car period.
No, what was impressive was his gamble to stay on slick tyres on a partially wet circuit where the cars ran with minimum downforce. The gamble worked beautifully, and Barrichello scored his long-awaited maiden win.
2002 European Grand Prix
Nurburgring
Q: 4 – R: 1
Of course the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix should have been on here, because he beat Schumacher in a straight fight, but handed him victory within sight of the line. But at the Nurburgring he got the job done and, more importantly, got to keep the win.
2003 British Grand Prix
Silverstone
Q: 1 – R: 1
Bizarrely, another race interfered with by a protester.But here it didn’t work so well in Barrichello’s favour but he nevertheless ripped through the field in spectacular style and made everyone else look ordinary. It was a top-drawer 11-out-of-10 performance quite unlike anything else we’ve seen from him.
What did you think were Barrichello’s best drives?
James B
3rd May 2008, 11:12
I think the German GP wasn’t just Barrichello’s best performance of his career, but I think it THE best ever race, full stop, because it had everything. Rain, Overtaking, First lap accident, mid-race accident and a nutter on the track.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd May 2008, 12:48
I don’t agree – the idiot in question went on the track specifically to disrupt the McLaren’s races and race control allowed that to happen because they used the safety car instead of the red flag. Not F1’s finest moment and I still wonder if someone might try the same at some point in the future to disrupt a race in favour of the team they support. Especially with the idiotic safety car rules being the way they are.
sChUmAcHeRtHeGrEaTeStEvEr
3rd May 2008, 12:56
dont you mean he finished 2nd in monaco 97 for stewart??
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd May 2008, 15:00
Yeah sorry got it write in the heading and wrong in the text! Fixed now.
Daniel
3rd May 2008, 15:12
Fine selection… for sure 1993 European Grand Prix, 1997 Monaco Grand Prix, 2000 German Grand Prix and 2003 British Grand Prix are four races that must be on every "finest Barrichello’s moments" and you didn’t miss any of them…
I would add 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, when he won another race in style, making sure Schumacher would win his fifth title, by avoiding Raikkonen’s win (yes, Michael ended up eight, grabbing the point he needed even without Rubens’ help, but, anyway, he was there to save him)…
2003, by the way, was, in my opinion, his best season, when he faced strong opposition in (as usual) but also out of his own team, and still had many fine results.
To complete the list, I would add 1999 French Grand Prix, not only for grabbing Stewart’s maiden pole (that was partially due to a rainy qualifying), but for resisting during the race against stronger opponents (Williams and Ferrari) and still finishing on the podium (with a deserved 3rd place)
And that’s why I won’t put, for example, 1994 Belgian Grand Prix, where he grabbed his maiden pole, or 1996 Brazilian Grand Prix, when he got an impossible front row start with an under-performing Jordan, because he retired from both of them…
Daniel
3rd May 2008, 15:19
Sorry, Schumacher sixth title, not fifth…
Robert McKay
3rd May 2008, 21:22
Barrichello’s best year overall for me was the 1999 season in the Stewart. He really was able to hustle that little car and made a nuisance of himself to the big three teams on several ocassions, although usually the car decided to expire…
the limit
3rd May 2008, 23:04
I would have to say that Hockenheim 2000 was my favourite Barrichello drive, for several different reasons. The one point that you didn’t make Keith was that in this race, Michael Schumacher crashed out at the first corner, following a collision with Fisichella.
The whole race, from Ferrari’s perspective anyway, lay firmly on the shoulders of Rubens Barichello.
Yes, he was along way back on the grid at the start, and the McLarens were both in their element, but Rubens delivered.
You are spot on about the ‘protester’ on the track, and how the incident blew McLaren’s race strategy, but Barrichello ‘got’ himself in that position, by sheer balls and determination.
It was as if he was saying; ‘Look, Michael isn’t the only one who can drive the car’! The look on Schumacher’s face at the finish proves this. I think the whole Ferrari team realised that they had dodged a bullet that day, in a race that had looked lost after
Schumacher’s crash.
aa
5th May 2008, 10:03
I loved the old Hockenheim.
I also loved the reason to get it ******: It doesn’t accomplish today’s F1 standars… of course! You could overtake there! Preposterous!
Vertigo
7th May 2008, 11:27
I remember Rubens’ first win – it was one of the first races I ever saw, and it was the race that hooked me in. It had everything, skill, tactics, adverse weather, and a genuinely ecstatic winner on the podium. Barrichello is definitely under-rated.
Lovell
23rd August 2009, 15:46
Yes I do agree with everyone here, Rubens has been a very under-rated driver. But the kind of skill he has when he is in the car is at par with some of the Greatest. I almost cried with him when I saw him on the podium in Germany 2000. What a drive. If it weren’t for team orders at Ferrari…who knows what Rubens would have accomplished. I will ALWAYS remain a fan of Rubens ‘Rubinho’ Barrichello.