MOTORSPORT/Brazilian Grand Prix: Rubens Barrichello arrived at Interlagos yesterday as he has done for the past two years, fêted and celebrated by hundreds of local well wishers who view him as their first and best hope of re-accession into the national elite of Formula One, writes Justin Hynes at Interlagos
He is the only one of three home drivers with a chance of bringing home a Brazilian GP win for the first time since the great Ayrton Senna in 1993. Everywhere else in the paddock though he was being viewed as primarily a support act.
Barrichello toiled away last week in Barcelona, grinding out laps, grinding out test results on Ferrari's new car, the F12002. And for what? For lord and master Michael Schumacher to swoop down and take the new machine from under his nose. This weekend in Brazil, Schumacher will be charged with introducing the new Ferrari to a waiting and worried Formula One fraternity, while Barrichello, not for the first time, is reduced to following a pace behind, in last year's F12001.
On Wednesday, he had abided by the terms of his indenture and with servility insisted that his future was safe at Ferrari for no other reason than that he had been a good team-mate to Schumacher. Yesterday the tetchiness, that Barrichello had insisted had been removed from his make-up, reappeared and when asked how disappointed he was to have been usurped by Schumacher again, the Brazilian spent long moments in icy contemplation of his questioner before replying that he would make do.
"After testing in Barcelona I felt that the new car was better in every respect," he said. "So, for sure, when I knew we were only bringing one new car, to be racing in my home country it feels sad not to have it. But I accept it. It's the best weekend of my year so I have to make the best use of two of the old cars."
He added: "It doesn't, by any means, mean that the race is lost. I've had a good start to the season in qualifying and racing. I have no points yet because of various reasons but I'm feeling good, I'm feeling competitive and I'm going to give 100 per cent in the car I have."
If there is any hope for Barrichello, it will come if the F12002 proves unreliable. The F12001 has enjoyed a remarkable run of reliability, with just five failures in the last 38 starts. It has also remained competitive against Williams. However, bouyed by Ralf Schumacher's victory in Malaysia two weeks ago, Williams come to Brazil with hopes high.
The younger Schumacher was second on the grid here last year, with team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya fourth and while Ralf Schumacher struggled in the race, spinning out on lap 54 after an early collision with Barrichello had hurt his race chances, Montoya, in only his third grand prix, dominated the early stages. The Colombian blasted past an unsuspecting Schumacher into turn one to take the race lead and his blistering pace thereafter would surely have secured his first GP win had he not been smashed into by backmarker Jos Verstappen on lap 38.
The solid performance of Williams' Michelin tyres in Malaysia, after a poor start in Melbourne, will also give Ralf hope of a second victory this season. "After Malaysia we look pretty strong and I'm pretty confident for this and the next race (in Imola)," he said.
Montoya, who finished second to his team-mate in Malaysia, following a first-corner incident with Michael Schumacher, lags just two points behind the world champion in the race for the title. Overhauling his great rivals at Interlagos, as he did with that barracking, bar-room brawl of a move last year, to take victory would be sweet revenge for Montoya for the collision in Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago that earned Montoya a "drive through" penalty and led him to brand the stewards' decision as "bullshit".
The FIA, though, is not taking racing accidents lightly. From this weekend stewards have been handed even more power with a new ruling that in some cases the stewards will have the power to drop the offender 10 places down the grid at the following Grand Prix.
