Europe: Rubens Barrichello Qualifying Q&A


By Phil Huff
August 23 2009

Following his run to third in yesterday's qualifying session for the European Grand Prix, Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello sat down to talk to the media. Amazingly, nobody mentioned Michael Schumacher...

Rubens, after the struggles of the last few grands prix what does this result today say about Brawn GP?

Like the McLaren guys after the shut-down it has been a lot of work. The team had a fantastic approach to it. In order to go forwards we had to go backwards a little bit and calculate some of the stuff. Between myself and Jenson we have had a fantastic job on Friday to do back-to-backs on set-up and things and I think we learned something. It is hot as you can see. The track is good for us. It is good to be back competitive. I wish next year’s rules were already in place as I was fastest in Q2, so you never know how much fuel these guys have. But I hope I have more than them.

Once again you said yesterday that if we continue working in the right direction the car will be good, so how confident are you in the car?

Like I said before to the guys on TV, it was an excellent job by the team when the doors were open to the factory, we were able to evaluate a lot of stuff. Sometimes in life, you know, you really need to go back in order to go forward, so a good job from Jenson (Button) and me on Friday to evaluate things and again, to comment and just to take the best out of the set-up. We did a good job, and the tyres are working again – in Hungary they were not – so here they are working quite well and the car is in good shape. As I said before, I wish next year’s rules were already applied because I would have been on pole without the fuel…

But you’re always quick in Q2.

Well, but that’s why I want to race next year because then I will get pole. It’s the fact that you never know. My Q3 time was really good, was really, really good. The fact is that I chose differently to Jenson. Jenson went for two (sets of) new tyres and I went for just one. I went for a couple of laps and he went for two (runs) of just one lap. I thought that was better, but in fact, with the heat outside, it might have overheated my tyres because the second lap was just on the border line and I couldn’t back off, I just had to keep on trying, but unfortunately I just lost the car in turn eight. So it might have been better to go for two new sets but we will never know. I’m still very happy being able to be competitive, I’m driving well and going for the wins. It was a nice break for a good comeback and a good second half to the season.

Well, it’s an interesting second half, particularly from where you’re sitting on the grid, because you’ve obviously got a championship rival in Sebastian Vettel beside you, but ahead are the two McLarens. Is there a target? Is there a strategy, or just try and win?

Yeah, try to win, that’s all that matters to me. Let’s see what we have in a couple of hours when the fuel loads are put out and see. In one way, I’m not on the very good side of the grid because I think that this year they’ve turned (the grid around) and it’s not very clean, so we need to see what that brings but I hope I have a really good start and I can be with the guys and if I have more fuel, to be able to win. But we never know, it’s going to be a couple of hours before we can say anything.

Are you still in the fight for the championship?

Yes, I hope so. It’s very important in life that you don’t just dream but you believe in yourself and you believe in your work. I think I’ve done a lot of this but there has not been a time in my life which I have loved more than racing and driving now and I think I’m doing a really good job. At 37 I think I have reached the peak of my driving, so I’m really with the driving. There have been ups and downs this year, sometimes very happy, sometimes a little bit unhappy, but I think so, yeah, it would be very, very, very nice to win the championship at 37.

Do you think the messages for Felipe Massa bring you luck, so you can maybe win tomorrow?

Well, there are two separate things, to be honest. It’s the fact that I’m his friend and I’ve been with him last week. He truly deserves a sort of dedication like this and I hope the whole of Brazil is hoping for his best recovery and the fact that he won here so well last year. I watched the race two days ago, just to be up to speed and everything, you end up learning with him, so I’m giving him back something which he really taught us quite a lot. I just hope he’s back soon, more than anything and I hope that these last seven races are good enough for me to get back all the points to get in front.

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