One of the most amiable drivers on the grid during an impressive 19-year tenure, Rubens Barrichello was, at one stage, the most experienced Formula 1 driver in history, and still holds the record for the most consecutive Grand Prix entries at 326. Between 1993 and 2011, the Brazilian raced with Jordan, Stewart, Honda, Brawn GP, Williams and, of course, Ferrari, racking up 11 wins and two runners-up spots in the overall standings before bidding the F1 circus adieu at the end of 2011. After a standalone IndyCar season in 2012, the Brazilian has since cut his teeth in the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series, amassing 19 wins to-date and securing the overall title with Full Time Sports in 2014 and 2022. He even went Stateside again to finish 2nd overall at the 2016 Daytona 24 Hours. 

 

At the 2023 Hankook 12H MONZA, ‘Rubinho’ made his 24H SERIES debut with Q1 Trackracing. While we could easily have inundated him with questions about driving for the Scuderia, about nearly signing for McLaren, about that Phoenix-like season with Brawn, and THAT race in Austria, we instead went ‘Under the Lid,’ and discovered that Rubens Barrichello’s best racing moment, interestingly, is yet to come.

 

Images – Nico Mombaerts / Ferrari Media

SNAPSHOT! Rubens Barrichello’s 24H SERIES debut12H MONZA 2023 - Race Results

Name?

“My name is Rubens Barrichello.”

Age? You can lie about that if you want…

“No no, I’m proud to say that I’m 51! My mind is very, very young and I’m still rolling a lot of speed, so I’m proud.”

Where and when was your first ever car race, and how old were you?

“Well, my first go-kart race was when I was six, but my first-ever Formula Ford race” – the 1989 Brazilian Formula Ford 1600 season opener – “was when I was 16, and I was in Brazil.”

What is the best moment of your racing career so far?

“My best moments are when I’m with my kids. I have Fernando, who’s 17, and Eduardo who’s 21. I have two favourite memories: I won my first-ever Stock car race [in 2014, at the Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiânia], and then I won a very important race at the same track, four years later. They were both 12 – separated by four years – and they were both with me on the top of my car celebrating!”

Does the Barrichello family race together sometimes?

“Yes. They are both racing in the [Porsche Endurance Series – Carrera Cup] in Brazil, and they are teammates. I’m racing in another car, and my dream is to one day race at some ‘temple’, such as Monza for example, or Le Mans or Daytona, with all of us in the same car.”

Apart from the Nürburgring, which is your favourite circuit and why?

“My favourite circuit has always been Silverstone, but the older circuit. Of course I love Interlagos in Brazil, but my favourite has always been Silverstone. I just love the layout.”

Describe the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you at a motor race …

[Pause] “Well, the strangest things that have happened to me is when people have invaded the track. My first-ever win in Formula 1 [at Hockenheim in 2000] was when someone came on the track to contest a problem with Mercedes. That was very, very strange.”

 

*Bizarrely, three years later, the 2003 British Grand Prix was interrupted by another track invader. Barrichello went on to win that race too!

Describe your helmet design to us, and what it signifies…

“The colours are because I used to love Ingo Hoffmann, who is a Brazilian driver that drove in Formula 1. I loved the orange he used on his helmet, so that was my first choice. But the layout has always been the same ever since my first-ever race. So, people know me for that. I change sometimes a little thing here and there – on this helmet right now, I have the Brazilian flags – but I designed this when I was eight years old, and I’m proud that I still have it.”

What is your greatest strength?

“I think it’s perseverance. When we have a dream, it doesn’t come straightaway. You have to keep working, and I think I’m pretty good at that.”

If Hollywood made a movie about you, which actor would play you and why?

“If Netflix came into Formula 1 when I was racing with Ferrari, I would have been in Hollywood already! Plus, I have a 19-year career in F1, I was a main player, and so much has happened, so… am I allowed to choose me?!”*

 

*So far in our ‘Under the Lid’ series, drivers have chosen Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jason Statham, Matthew McConaughey, Angelina Jolie (that was Jasmin Preisig’s choice), Cameron Diaz (Laura Kraihamer), and even Jon Lee Miller (from, yes, Jon Miller!). But very few have been up for the challenge themselves, so we’ll definitely give Rubens a pass here!

What would you like to achieve before retiring?

“A 24-hour win with my kids. They’re very, very competitive: Fernando is racing Formula 4 in Spain, and Eduardo is Pro Stock Cars in Brazil.” – Prior to that, Eduardo raced in Formula 4 United States and finished 2nd overall in the U.S. F2000 National Championship before switching to the Carrera Cup in Brazil. – “So, for sure, I have two very competitive kids who I’d love to race with.”

Tell us a random fact about yourself that your fans might not know…

[Pause] “I like to sleep quite a bit! If I can sleep at a motorhome at a race circuit, I love it, because it gives me another half-hour. I do wake up quite a bit in the middle of the night because there’s usually a lot on my mind. Having said that, I’m a pretty good sleeper.”

Finally, this is your first race with CREVENTIC. How are you enjoying your weekend so far, and do you think we will see you back in the 24H SERIES again?

“I would love to come back! I’m enjoying every moment of the racing. Obviously I’m with two friends – two gentlemen drivers who race the Porsche Carrera Cup in Brazil [Eduardo Menossi and Marcos Vinicius Neves] – and I think it’s fantastic. A lot of drivers, even though they know my age, they look at me and keep on saying, ‘oh my God, he’s still fast!’ So I always enjoy coming to a new series and showing my potential!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can also check this article out in our Hankook 12H ESTORIL magazine, available for digital download below.

 

12H ESTORIL magazine - download

share this content on:

Related news

View all news

News | July 14, 2023

My first 24H SERIES race. Tracy Krohn, Portimão 2017

Continue readingNews | July 11, 2023

WTM Racing: Estoril weekend “perfect performance” for new Ferrari

Continue readingNews | July 11, 2023

Haas RT: “the pace to win was there” in Estoril

Continue reading