Rubens Barrichello facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rubens Barrichello
Barrichello in 2022
Born	Rubens Gonçalves Barrichello (1972-05-23) 23 May 1972 (age 53) São Paulo, Brazil
Spouse(s)	Silvana Giaffone Alcide ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2019)​
Children	Eduardo Barrichello Fernando Barrichello
Stock Car Pro Series career
Debut season	2012
Current team	Full Time/Cavaleiro Sports
Racing licence	FIA Platinum (until 2022) FIA Gold (2023–)
Car no.	111
Engine	Toyota
Starts	259
Championships	2 (2014, 2022)
Wins	20
Podiums	55
Poles	12
Fastest laps	11
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Brazilian
Active years	1993–2011
Teams	Jordan, Stewart, Ferrari, Honda, Brawn, Williams
Entries	326 (322 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	11
Podiums	68
Career points	658
Pole positions	14
Fastest laps	17
First entry	1993 South African Grand Prix
First win	2000 German Grand Prix
Last win	2009 Italian Grand Prix
Last entry	2011 Brazilian Grand Prix
IndyCar Series career
15 races run over 1 year
Best finish	12th (2012)
First race	2012 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg)
Last race	2012 MAVTV 500 (Auto Club)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
YouTube information
Years active	2014–present
Genre	Entertainment motor racing journalism
Subscribers	1.91 million
Total views	503.82 million
Associated acts	Alex Barros Gerson Campos Cassio Cortes
Subscriber and view counts updated as of 18 October 2024.

Rubens Gonçalves Barrichello (born on May 23, 1972) is a famous Brazilian racing driver and a broadcaster. He currently races in the Stock Car Pro Series for Full Time Sports. People often call him "Rubinho", which means "little Rubens" in Portuguese.

Barrichello raced in Formula One from 1993 to 2011. He finished second twice in the World Drivers' Championship in 2002 and 2004 while driving for Ferrari. He won 11 Grand Prix races during his 19 seasons in Formula One. In stock car racing, Barrichello has won the Stock Car Pro Series championship two times, in 2014 and 2022, both with Full Time Sports.

Rubens was born and grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. He started his racing journey in karting, winning many national titles. In 1989, he moved up to more advanced racing categories. The next year, he went to Europe and won his first championship in the Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries. He then won the 1991 British Formula Three Championship with West Surrey. In 1992, he moved to International F3000 and finished third in his first year.

Rubens Barrichello's Early Life and Karting Success

Rubens Barrichello's family on his father's side came from Italy. His mother's family was from Portugal. Both his father and grandfather were also named Rubens. Because he shared his father's birthday, he became known as Rubinho, meaning "little Rubens". This nickname stuck with him.

He won five karting championships in Brazil. After that, he went to Europe to race in the Formula Vauxhall Lotus series in 1990. He won that championship in his first year. The next year, he won the British Formula 3 Championship, beating David Coulthard. He almost joined Formula One, the highest level of single-seater racing, when he was just 19 years old. Instead, he raced in Formula 3000 in 1992, finishing third. In 1993, he joined the Jordan Formula One team.

Formula One Career Highlights

Racing with Jordan (1993–1996)

Barrichello driving for Jordan at the 1993 British Grand Prix.

In his third Formula One race, the 1993 European Grand Prix, Barrichello started 12th in very wet conditions. He quickly moved up to fourth place and even ran in second before a fuel problem forced him to drop back. His car often had mechanical issues in 1993, so he didn't finish many races. However, he often drove faster than his more experienced teammates. He scored his first points in Japan, finishing fifth.

The 1994 season started well with a fourth place in Brazil and his first podium finish (third place) in Aida. These results put him in second place in the driver standings early on. However, he had a serious crash during practice at the San Marino Grand Prix. He hit a wall and his car flipped, knocking him out. He later said that the medical team saved his life. This race weekend was very sad, as two other drivers, Roland Ratzenberger and Barrichello's mentor Ayrton Senna, died in separate accidents. Rubens was deeply affected by these events.

Later in 1994, he achieved his first pole position in Belgium, meaning he started the race from the very front. He also led some laps in Portugal. His pole position in Belgium made him the youngest driver to achieve this at the time. He finished the season sixth overall in the championship.

In 1995, Barrichello finished second in Canada. However, the Jordan cars were not as reliable as before. He lost points in three races due to crashes or mechanical problems. He finished the season in 11th place. The 1996 season had high hopes with new sponsors, but Jordan became less competitive. Barrichello's relationship with the team owner, Eddie Jordan, became difficult, and he left to join the new Stewart Grand Prix team.

Time with Stewart (1997–1999)

Barrichello at the 1997 Canadian Grand Prix.

Stewart's first season in 1997 was tough, with many reliability issues. Barrichello only finished three races. His best result was a second-place finish in Monaco. In 1998, Stewart still struggled, but Barrichello consistently performed better than his teammate.

The 1999 season was much better for the Stewart team. Barrichello started third in his home race in Brazil and even led some laps before his engine failed. He also took pole position in France during a wet qualifying session. He achieved three podium finishes that year, in San Marino, France, and Europe. His strong performances caught the attention of Ferrari's boss, Jean Todt, and Barrichello signed with Ferrari for the 2000 season.

Driving for Ferrari (2000–2005)

Barrichello in his Ferrari at the 2002 United States Grand Prix.

In 2000, Barrichello achieved his first Grand Prix victory at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim. He made a brave decision with his team to stay on dry-weather tires even when it was raining on part of the track. This risky move helped him win the race, even though he started from 18th place. This was the longest any driver had waited for their first win in Formula One history at that time. He had a strong first season with Ferrari, often finishing on the podium. He helped his teammate Michael Schumacher win the Drivers' Championship and Ferrari win the Constructors' Championship.

In 2001, Barrichello finished third in the season standings with 10 podium finishes. He didn't win any races but continued to support Schumacher, helping Ferrari win another Constructors' Championship.

Barrichello continued to succeed with Ferrari in 2002, winning four races and finishing second in the Drivers' Championship, his best result yet. However, this year was also known for a controversial moment at the Austrian Grand Prix. Ferrari's team orders told Barrichello to let Schumacher pass him on the final straight to win the race. Schumacher and Barrichello swapped places on the podium, and Schumacher gave Barrichello the winner's trophy. This incident led to the FIA (the sport's governing body) banning team orders from 2003 onwards.

Barrichello's position at Ferrari was clear after he let Michael Schumacher win at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.

In 2003, Barrichello finished fourth overall, winning races at Silverstone and Suzuka. He again played a key role in helping Schumacher and Ferrari win both championships. In 2004, he finished second behind Schumacher, winning two races in Italy and China. He ended the year with 14 podium finishes.

The 2005 season was difficult for Ferrari because of new tire rules. Barrichello's best results were two second-place finishes, including one at the United States Grand Prix where most cars retired due to tire issues, leaving only six cars in the race. He finished eighth in the standings, his lowest with Ferrari. He left Ferrari at the end of 2005 to join Honda.

Racing with Honda (2006–2008)

Barrichello at the 2006 Canadian Grand Prix.

In August 2005, Barrichello announced he would join Honda for the 2006 season. His lucky number is 11, and his new teammate, Jenson Button, kindly let him use it. Initially, Button was faster, and Barrichello felt the car didn't suit his driving style. After some changes, he became more competitive. He nearly got a podium in Monaco but finished fourth after a penalty. He finished the 2006 season seventh in the drivers' standings.

In 2007, Barrichello did not score any points, which was unusual for him. The Honda car was not fast enough. Despite this, Honda confirmed he would stay for the 2008 season. This allowed him to break Riccardo Patrese's record for the most Grand Prix starts.

In 2008, he scored his first points since 2006 in Monaco and then again in Canada. The 2008 Turkish Grand Prix was his 257th Grand Prix, officially breaking the record for most F1 starts. At the British Grand Prix, in heavy rain, he finished third, his first podium since 2005. However, the rest of the season was challenging. In December 2008, Honda announced they were leaving F1, which created uncertainty for Barrichello's future.

Joining Brawn GP (2009)

Barrichello at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix.

Just weeks before the 2009 season began, the team manager, Ross Brawn, bought the Honda team and renamed it Brawn GP. This saved the team and Barrichello's spot. During pre-season testing, both Barrichello and Button showed amazing speed, much faster than other teams.

In the first race in Australia, Barrichello qualified second behind Button. Despite a poor start, he recovered and finished second. He continued to perform well, often outpacing Button in qualifying. In Spain, he led the race early on but finished second. In Monaco, he again finished second behind Button.

At the 2009 European Grand Prix in Valencia, Barrichello won his 10th Grand Prix. This was his first win in five years and the 100th win by a Brazilian driver in Formula One. He moved up to second place in the championship. He also won his 11th race in Italy, gaining more points on Button in their fight for the world title.

In Brazil, Barrichello took pole position in a rainy qualifying session. However, a tire puncture during the race cost him a chance to fight for the championship in the final race. Button finished fifth to become champion. Barrichello finished the 2009 season in third place in the championship.

Years with Williams (2010–2011)

Barrichello driving for Williams at the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix.

In 2010, Barrichello signed with Williams, becoming the first driver in Formula One history to compete in over 300 Grand Prix races. In pre-season testing, Williams showed good reliability but was not as fast as the top teams.

He scored points in several races throughout 2010. In Valencia, he finished fourth, his highest finish of the season. This result also made him the highest-scoring Brazilian driver in Formula One history, passing Ayrton Senna's career points total. He celebrated his 300th Grand Prix in Belgium but retired from the race. Before that race, he was chosen as the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Barrichello at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Williams confirmed Barrichello would stay for the 2011 season. He had a challenging year with many retirements and finishes outside the points. His final race in Formula One was the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he finished 14th. In early 2012, Williams decided to replace him with Bruno Senna.

IndyCar Racing (2012)

After leaving Formula One, Barrichello tested an IndyCar for KV Racing Technology in January 2012. He officially joined the team for the 2012 season. He raced in his first Indianapolis 500 in May 2012, finishing 11th and winning the "Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year" title. He achieved two top-six finishes during the season and ended the year in 12th place in the championship.

Stock Car Pro Series Career

Barrichello's car in Stock Car Brasil in 2014.

In 2012, Barrichello joined the Brazilian racing series Stock Car Pro Series as a guest driver for the final three races. Since 2013, he has been a regular driver for the Full Time Sports team. He chose the car number 111 because his lucky number, 11, was already taken.

In 2014, Barrichello became the Stock Car Brasil champion, winning two races and getting four other podium finishes. This was his first championship win in 23 years! He continued to race strongly, finishing second overall in 2016 with three wins. In 2022, he won the series for the second time, with three victories.

Other Racing Adventures

Rubens Barrichello has also competed in other types of racing. In endurance racing, he finished second at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2016. He also raced in the Australian S5000 series in 2019.

His Helmet Design

Barrichello's special helmet design worn at the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix where he celebrated his record-breaking 257th Formula One race.

Barrichello's helmet is mostly white with orange-red shapes and blue cylinders on top, similar to those on the helmet of former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi. It also has a golden star in the middle. When he joined Ferrari in 2000, his teammate Michael Schumacher changed his helmet colors to avoid confusion, as their original designs were very similar.

He sometimes changed his helmet design for special races. For example, at the 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix, the shapes on his helmet looked like the Brazilian flag. For his 300th Grand Prix in 2010, his helmet again featured the Brazilian flag colors. In 2006, he swapped helmet designs with his friend Tony Kanaan for a race, and Kanaan wore Barrichello's helmet in the Indianapolis 500. He also wore special helmets to honor Ingo Hoffmann and Ayrton Senna.

Personal Life and Family

Rubens Barrichello lives in São Paulo, Brazil. He used to own a private jet to travel between races.

He once held the fastest lap time by a Formula One driver on the Top Gear test track for their "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment. His lap time was 1:44.3, which was 0.1 seconds faster than "the Stig" (the show's mysterious test driver).

In February 2018, Barrichello had a health scare when he was rushed to the hospital with headaches. Doctors found a non-cancerous growth, which was successfully removed. He shared in an interview that he got divorced in 2019.

Rubens Barrichello's sons, Eduardo and Fernando, are also racing drivers. Eduardo is currently competing in the 2024 Stock Car Pro Series, and Fernando is racing in the 2024 Euroformula Open Championship.

Career Summary

^† As Barrichello was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
^* Season still in progress.

Images for kids

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  Barrichello driving for Jordan at the 1995 British Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello qualifying for the 2005 United States Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello driving for Honda at the 2007 British Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello driving for Honda at the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello at the 2009 Turkish Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello at the 2009 German Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello won his second Grand Prix of the season in Monza.

See also

In Spanish: Rubens Barrichello para niños