Barrichello Makes One Dream Come True

Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello made one childhood dream come true today and looked forward to ending a long-running nightmare in Sunday's Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix.

"Ever since I was a kid, all I wanted to do was to be here in a competitive car, waving at the crowd from pole position," he said after securing pole at Interlagos for the first time in his career.

"It feels fantastic, even though I haven't done anything yet," said the 30-year-old, congratulated by teammate and World Champion Michael Schumacher.

"I've had a tough time here."

Barrichello was the first Brazilian since the late Ayrton Senna in 1994 to take pole in his home race and is also the only Brazilian since Senna to have a won a race since the champion died in 1994. But he has never done so at home, failing to finish for the last eight years at a circuit that is just a stone's throw from his grandmother's house.

The young Barrichello grew up listening to the Formula One cars roaring around the Sao Paulo circuit, enthralled by the turbocharged Renaults of the 1980s and watching the Brazilian champions of old.

Emerson Fittipaldi won in 1973, Nelson Piquet in 1983 and Senna in 1993. Barrichello awaits his turn in 2003.

"A bit too much pressure," said Barrichello. "Formula One has turned me into a person who doesn't believe much in the sense of the past. You've got to believe in the real things.

"I have a competitive car. I think I've chosen the right strategy for tomorrow. We will know that tomorrow and I am confident that we can do well tomorrow."

Barrichello said he had concentrated on not making mistakes and had asked the team not to display his sector times on his steering wheel display.

"Today I wanted to be on my own out on the track," he said, despite the hollering of thousands of fans as he went out for his timed run. "I'm sure and I hope that people are buying tickets right now for tomorrow. That's something that I guess is going to happen."