Formula One news
Barrichello: Things happen for a reason
12 July 2009Rubens Barrichello has talked of how motivation never ran out in the Brawn, formerly Honda, team whilst going through tough times in the past two seasons. Now heading both the drivers' and constructors' championships, the Brackley-based team are title challengers as the most experienced driver in F1 explains their contrasting fortunes.
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Having moved from Ferrari at the end of 2005, Rubens Barrichello first raced for the Honda team at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix of 2006, although no season was particularly dazzling with a selection of problems. With no points scored in 2007 for the first time in his career and only one podium finish to shout about last season, the turnaround for the team has been nothing short of a fairytale.
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| Barrichello has outqualified Jenson Button for the second consecutive race this weekend |
"We had such a bad car for the last couple of years," recalled the Brazilian when speaking with The Independent, "but the motivation was always very high. You change your approach - when you have a bad car you know that, for you to win, it's going to be pretty much impossible so you've got to think that things happen for a reason, you've got to keep on going; there are things that happen to you in life where you've got to keep on learning - life is altogether a learning thing."
With retirement rumours beginning to circulate before this season and compatriot Bruno Senna waiting in the wings, what affect did this have on 'Rubinho'? "I could say, 'What do I do?'," he continued. "The answer is: you do nothing. You just keep on working and eventually good things are going to come your way."
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| A race win for Rubens in Germany would be his first since 2004 |
With pre-season rumours placing Senna Jr. alongside Jenson Button, Barrichello was eventually chosen by the team as experience was a key to survival. "I talked once a week to Ross (Brawn, team owner)," Barrichello continued. "He kept on saying, 'I'm doing all I can'. It was almost like he was saying 'I want you' but he didn't quite say that. He just said 'keep fit', that's all, but that 'keep fit' gave me my dream and my dream was to have a car to race.
"I tell you, I almost thank God for the situation I had; I didn't have the contract, but I thank him for what I believed in. It was such a mentality game." The 'game' continues this afternoon in Germany as Rubens starts second on the grid to Mark Webber at the Nürburgring, with the second Brawn and Red Bull cars of Button and Sebastian Vettel directly behind.
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