Grapevine: Barrichello Responds to Rumours
Rumours linking Brazilian Rubens Barrichello to BAR have become so loud that the Ferrari driver will soon need earplugs to drown them out
The speculation has been simmering for weeks but former champion Nelson Piquet turned up the heat at the Hungarian Grand Prix by telling Brazil's O Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper that a deal was done.
If true, it would mean the first change in Ferrari's Formula One line-up since the start of the 2000 season, when Barrichello joined from now-defunct Stewart as teammate to Michael Schumacher.
Brazilian Felipe Massa, out of contract with Sauber, is considered the most likely replacement for Barrichello -according to the rumour-mill.
The only problem was that nobody at the Hungaroring, least of all Barrichello himself, would confirm the veracity of the report on Saturday.
"The fact is that I have nothing to say, more than I already said - that I have a contract with Ferrari and that's it," he told reporters.
"Rumours are going mad and it seemed that at one race they come to me to ask me, at the other they just fell back a little bit. It's just going up and down. I think in Brazil they wish to see a change, so that's why they keep on saying it.
"I haven't actually talked to Nelson so if that's the story, he should stick to his son's career more than keep on saying things about the others."
Piquet's son and namesake competes in the junior GP2 category, a supporting series at Grands Prix weekends.
Race Winner
Barrichello said he was quite happy where he was but was evasive when asked whether he was still intent on staying at Ferrari.
"At the moment nothing has changed from previous weeks. The stories come from all over the place and you guys know more than I do...in all honesty, I have nothing to say."
BAR technical director Geoff Willis said nothing had been decided about their line-up, mainly because of the uncertainty over Briton Jenson Button who has signed a contract with Williams but wants to stay.
However Barrichello could equally replace Japan's Takuma Sato, who is one of just two drivers still without a point this year.
Willis agreed that BAR needed to have two race-winning drivers for next season, a category that Barrichello would clearly fall into with his nine victories for Ferrari.
The Brazilian is also a good friend of BAR's new sporting director Gil de Ferran, the Brazilian who won the Indy 500 and CART championship in the United States.
"Gil has always been a friend of mine," said Barrichello. "That's what I think started all the rumours because of this friendship.
"But if he has to give a place to all of his friends, BAR will need five or six cars on the grid next year."
Alonso Happy for Schumacher to Win
Schumacher: Tyres Made All the Difference
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career
How a 30cm metal wire triggered open warfare in the F1 paddock
Porpoising has become the key talking point during the 2022 Formula 1 season, as teams battle to come to terms with it. An FIA technical directive ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix and a second stay appearing on the Mercedes cars only served to create a bigger debate and raise tensions further