Barrichello fired up for Brazilian Grand Prix

The 28-year-old Brazilian is desperate to put one over his world champion team mate, especially on home turf at Interlagos. Barrichello has been rapped over the knuckles by Ferrari's technical director Ross Brawn, however, after his highly public outburst about being overtaken by Schumacher in Malaysia.

Brawn said: "Rubens has to be more careful about what he says. Michael can be hard on the team when he has to, but he does it behind closed doors."

But despite his unhappiness about the manner in which Schumacher passed him at Sepang, Barrichello is buoyant about his chances in Brazil.

"I don't remember a time when I have looked forward to a race so much," he told British national newspaper the Sunday Times. "This Ferrari is the best car I have ever driven. I have never driven better and I have proved that in how close I have been lapping in relation to Michael. It's going to be a very, very special weekend for me and I think I have done my homework."

Barrichello says he will not let the Malaysian GP incident with Schumacher - where he felt the German ignored his plan of holding station in the wet on intermediate tyres - have any effect on his efforts in Brazil.

"I was a bit upset after Malaysia," he admitted. "But you have to see that against my career as a whole. Last year I had to put up with a lot of critics who said I had made a big mistake joining Ferrari, or even that I didn't deserve to be at Ferrari. I was under a lot of pressure.

"Now I know my worth and I know what I can do for Ferrari. I know I can win."

Barrichello has rubbished suggestions that Ferrari will dump him at the end of the season, and thinks he is pushing Schumacher harder than ever this season.

"Ferrari knows there is nobody who could do a better job next to Michael than me," he said. "Excuse my lack of modesty but, after Mika Hakkinen, I'm the driver who was most threatening to Michael in 2000 and have been so far in 2001. And I've got room for improvement.

"It was a mistake to think I could beat Michael straight away. I'm sure I can beat him, but I have to remain calm."