Rubens Barrichello’s 257th F1 Grand Prix
The 2008 Turkish Grand Prix will mark 257th F1 Grand Prix for Rubens Barrichello. This will make Barrichello the most experienced driver in F1 history, surpasing the 256 mark set by Riccardo Patrese. There has been questions about when exactly will Barrichello reach the record mark but I am not going into the details of the confusion. It has been done excellently elsewhere (see this post). The deal now is that 2008 Turkish GP is the one, so let’s leave it there.
Rubens Barrichello seems to have been around F1 forever. He entered the F1 circus in 1993. Here are some other names that were on grid in 1993 - Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher, Riccardo Patrese, Jean Alesi, Martin Brundle, Gerhard Berger, Johnny Herbert, Mark Blundell, Michael Andretti, Mika Häkkinen, Alex Zanardi, Eddie Irvine, Aguri Suzuki. Perhaps with an exemption of Michael Schumacher all these names remind me of a totally different F1 era… He scored points in his debut season. The first podium came in his second F1 season, 1994 Pacific Grand Prix.The same season he however had his most serious accident - the heavy crash during 1994 San Marino Grand Prix Friday practice (video inside the post) - and was lucky to walk away. Later that year he was on pole position for the first time. The points, podiums and pole position came quickly but for his first Formula 1 race win he had to wait longer than anyone before him - till 2000 German Grand Prix. Eight more race wins (all with Ferrari) followed. The last race he has won (as it stands) was the inaugural 2004 Chinese Grand Prix. The last time he made it to podium was the infamous 2005 United States Grand Prix where he only had Jordans and Minardis to beat …
Here is little summary Barrichello’s F1 career:
Milestones:
1993 South African Grand Prix - F1 debut in Jordan
1993 Japanese Grand Prix - first F1 points (5th place)
1994 Pacific Grand Prix - first F1 podium (3rd place)
1994 San Marino Grand Prix - serious accident in Friday free practice (video)
1994 Belgian Grand Prix - first F1 pole position
1997 - moves to Stewart Grand Prix
1997 Monaco Grand Prix - first podium for Stewart (2nd)
1999 French Grand Prix - first pole position for Stewart
2000 - moves to Ferrari
2000 German Grand Prix - first race win
2001 - 3rd place in drivers standings
2002 - 2nd place in drivers standings (career best)
2002 Austrian Grand Prix - the chequered flag farce handing win to Schumacher (video)
2004 - 2nd place in drivers standings (career best)
2004 Chinese Grand Prix - his last F1 race win to date
2005 United States Grand Prix - 2nd - his last podium to date
2005 - 8th place in drivers standings, worst in Ferrari
2006 - moves to Honda
2006 Monaco Grand Prix - 4th his best result in Honda to date
2007 - scored no points for the first time in his F1 career
2008 Turkish Grand Prix - will became the most experienced F1 driver with 257 GPs to his name
Stats:
F1 career: 1993 - ?
Best season: 2002, 2004 - 2nd
Wins: 9
Podiums: 61
Pole positions: 13
Fastest laps: 15
Points: 519
Barrichello made himself heard he would like to make it 300 races mark. That would mean at least 2 more seasons in F1 (2009 - 2010). Is he going to get them ?
Photo: Honda F1 Racing
tags: Tags: 2008, Ferrari, Honda, Jordan, Rubens Barrichello, Stewart, Turkish GP
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May 5th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Today TV Globo made a interview with him.
He said he’s not going to quit F1. Also he said his decision to leave Ferrari was on USA Grand Prix, which he won. He said many stuff happened that day. He said Schummy didn’t wanted to pass him. And others stuff.
He see Honda as challenge. And want’s to keep doing the good job and hope to be a Title Contender in nexty seasons.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Strange .. Barrichello won US GP in 2002 but he raced with Ferrari till 2005 …
Yes, I am sure he has no plans to quit F1, the question is if he would be able to stay.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Well, I’m talking about that USA shame GP…
Vik’s last blog post..Culpar os outros
May 6th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
oh, OK, I think there Rubens finished 2nd, not 1st
May 6th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
And now I get what you meant … I was a bit slow, sorry
Here is the transcript from the interview you mentioned:
“The team invited me to slow my pace so that Michael could get closer to me and to pass me,” Barrichello said.
“In this moment I knew that the time had come for me to go. That race in the United States was crucial,”
May 8th, 2008 at 11:28 am
[...] no shark fin on Toro Rosso yet - there will be no hole in the nose of Ferrari car for this race - Rubens Barrichello will celebrate his 257th F1 GP - there will be no changes to the safety car rules - the weather forecasts do not expect rain on [...]
May 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Barrichello has for me been an interesting driver to watch. I would like to see him make the 300 race mark, but I don’t think he will. I think I may have felt almost as bad about Barrichello being told to let Michael Schumacher pass in the US grandprix. I lost interest in the rest of the 2002 from that event as I think it was a terrible way to finish a race.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
[...] (courtesy of Honda Racing F1) of Rubens Barrichellos’ 257th race special helmet and [...]