Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Analysis: Barrichello Answers Critics with Pole

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello sped from last to first on Saturday to answer his Formula One critics and put Ferrari on pole position for Sunday's British Grand Prix.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello sped from last to first on Saturday to answer his Formula One critics and put Ferrari on pole position for Sunday's British Grand Prix.

A day after Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn defended his driver following an abject first qualifying run, in which he beached his car in a gravel trap, Barrichello came good at Silverstone.

As teammate Michael Schumacher made a costly error, qualifying fifth after running wide, Barrichello enjoyed his second pole of the season and eighth of his career. He had to wait for it, starting second in the single lap qualifying format some 50 minutes before Schumacher, who was fastest on Friday.

"It was just agony waiting for everyone to finish their laps," he said. "It was much more difficult than any other time because it was just waiting, waiting."

There was irony in his success, with a throwaway comment made by the German after first qualifying looking likely to come back and bite him.

"It seems that Rubens is not giving you much help this year," an Italian reporter had asked Schumacher on Friday. "Did he ever?," La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper quoted the German as replying, flippantly.

Barrichello has scored 39 points to Schumacher's 64 but Schumacher may need some assistance from a man who has moved over for him in the past on Sunday. Schumacher starts behind his main title rivals, McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen and younger brother Ralf in the Williams.

Ferrari are just three points ahead of Williams in the constructors' standings and Schumacher has an eight point lead over Raikkonen.

No Fuel

Barrichello is the only driver from the top three teams who has yet to win this year. He has led several times, notably in Brazil until his car ran out of fuel.

While Schumacher is famed for his good fortune, the Brazilian seems to act as a lightning conductor for all the bad luck floating around. But he likes Silverstone and arrived determined to disarm his media critics.

"It is a chance for me to do well. I have seen a lot of stories in the press along the lines of 'Rubens is not doing well this year' and I disagree with that," he said this week. "I always try my best, I am not a sleeper."

Brawn agreed on Friday: "There is a very fine line between success and failure in this business as we have seen from last year to this.

"There are far more people capable of filling the top six positions in the race so if you make a little mistake or error at the moment then you lose it. Last year, Rubens started this race in last position and came second. You can't do that at the moment and if you have a glitch or a problem then you are out of the running."

"Rubens is a very good driver and is obviously being compared to Michael, who is exceptional -- exceptional for the last several generations," said Brawn. "So he has a tough job in that respect but we are happy with Rubens's performance."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Toyota Not Going After Gascoyne
Next article Fisichella Prepared for Steppingstone Season

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe