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 Sports
Racing licence	FIA Gold
Car no.	111
Engine	Toyota
Starts	252
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 is a famous Brazilian racing driver. He is often called "Rubinho". He was born on May 23, 1972. Rubens raced in Formula One from 1993 to 2011. He finished second in the World Drivers' Championship twice. This was in 2002 and 2004 with the Ferrari team. He won 11 Grand Prix races during his 19 seasons in Formula One.

Rubens is also a two-time champion in stock car racing. He won the Stock Car Pro Series in 2014 and 2022. He raced for the Full Time Sports team. After his Formula One career, he also competed in the IndyCar Series. Today, he is a sports broadcaster and co-hosts a popular YouTube channel about cars.

Rubens' Early Life and Racing Start

Rubens Barrichello was born and grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. His family has roots in Italy and Portugal. Both his father and grandfather are also named Rubens. This is why he got the nickname Rubinho, which means "little Rubens" in Portuguese. He even shares his birthday with his father!

Rubens started racing karting when he was very young. He won five national karting titles in Brazil. Then, he moved to Europe to race in bigger series. In 1990, he won the Formula Opel Lotus Euroseries. The next year, he won the 1991 British Formula Three Championship. He almost joined Formula One at just 19 years old. Instead, he raced in International Formula 3000 in 1992. He finished third in that championship. In 1993, he joined the Jordan Formula One team.

Rubens' Formula One Career

Rubens Barrichello had a long and exciting career in Formula One. He raced for several top teams.

Racing for Jordan (1993–1996)

Barrichello driving for Jordan at the 1993 British Grand Prix.

Rubens' first Formula One race was in 1993. His car was not very reliable that year. He often had to stop racing early. But he was usually faster than his teammates. He scored his first points in Japan, finishing fifth.

In 1994, Rubens started strong. He got his first podium finish in Japan, coming in third. This put him second in the championship early on. However, he had a big crash during practice at the San Marino Grand Prix. He was knocked out but thankfully recovered. This race weekend was very sad for Formula One. His mentor, Ayrton Senna, died in a crash. Rubens was deeply affected by this.

Later in 1994, he achieved his first pole position in Belgium. This meant he started the race from the very front. He was the youngest driver to get a pole position at that time. He finished the season in sixth place overall.

Barrichello driving for Jordan at the 1995 British Grand Prix.

In 1995, Rubens finished second in Canada. But his Jordan car was not as reliable as before. He lost points in several races due to mechanical problems. He ended the season in 11th place.

The 1996 season had high hopes. But the Jordan team became less competitive. Rubens' relationship with the team owner, Eddie Jordan, became difficult. At the end of 1996, he left Jordan. He joined the new Stewart Grand Prix team.

Racing for Stewart (1997–1999)

Barrichello at the 1997 Canadian Grand Prix.

Stewart's first season in 1997 was tough. Rubens' car often broke down. He only finished three races. But he achieved a great second-place finish in Monaco. This was a highlight for the team.

The 1998 season was also difficult for Stewart. Rubens got two fifth-place finishes. He consistently performed better than his teammate.

In 1999, the Stewart team improved a lot. Rubens started third at his home race in Brazil. He even led some laps. He also got a pole position in France. He finished on the podium three times that year. His strong performance caught the eye of the Ferrari team boss.

Racing for Ferrari (2000–2005)

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

Rubens joined Ferrari in 2000. He became teammates with the legendary Michael Schumacher. That year, Rubens won his first Grand Prix race in Germany. He started 18th but made a brave choice to stay on dry-weather tires in the rain. This helped him win! This was the longest any driver had waited for their first win. He often finished on the podium and helped Ferrari win the Constructors' Championship.

In 2001, Rubens finished third overall. He had 10 podium finishes. He continued to support Schumacher, who won his second championship with Ferrari.

The 2002 season was very successful for Rubens. He won four races and finished second in the Drivers' Championship. However, there was a controversial moment in Austria. Ferrari told Rubens to let Schumacher pass him to win the race. This caused a lot of discussion. The drivers were fined, and Formula One later banned such "team orders."

Barrichello's No. 2 status at Ferrari was made obvious after he moved over to let Michael Schumacher win at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.

In 2003, Rubens finished fourth. He won races in Britain and Japan. He played a key role in Ferrari winning more championships. In 2004, he finished second behind Schumacher. He won races in Italy and China. He had 14 podium finishes that year.

The 2005 season was not as good for Ferrari. Their tires were not as effective as their rivals'. Rubens' best results were two second-place finishes. He finished eighth in the standings. After this season, Rubens decided to leave Ferrari.

Racing for Honda (2006–2008)

Barrichello at the 2006 Canadian Grand Prix.

In 2006, Rubens joined Honda. His lucky number is 11. His teammate, Jenson Button, let him use this number. Rubens initially struggled with the car. But after some changes, he became more competitive. He finished fourth in Monaco. He also exchanged helmet designs with his friend, IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan, for the Monaco race. He finished seventh overall in 2006.

The 2007 season was tough. Rubens did not score any points. His car was not fast enough. But Honda kept him for 2008. This allowed him to break the record for most Grand Prix starts.

Barrichello driving for Honda at the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix.

In 2008, Rubens broke the record for most Formula One starts. His 257th Grand Prix was in Turkey. He scored his first points since 2006 in Monaco. He also got a podium finish in Britain, coming in third in a very wet race. Honda announced they were leaving Formula One at the end of 2008. This made Rubens' future uncertain.

Racing for Brawn GP (2009)

Barrichello at the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix.

Just before the 2009 season, the Honda team was bought by Ross Brawn. It was renamed Brawn GP. Rubens kept his spot on the team, partnering Jenson Button. The Brawn car was surprisingly fast.

In the first race in Australia, Rubens finished second. He had a bad start but recovered well. He also set the fastest lap in China. In Spain, he led the race at the start. He finished second in Monaco. During this race, he also broke Michael Schumacher's record for most laps completed in Formula One history.

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

Rubens won his 10th Grand Prix in Valencia. This was his first win in five years! He dedicated his win to his injured friend, Felipe Massa. He then won his 11th Grand Prix in Italy. He was fighting for the championship with Button. He finished the 2009 season in third place overall.

Racing for Williams (2010–2011)

Barrichello driving for Williams at the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix.

In 2010, Rubens joined the Williams team. This meant he would become the first driver in Formula One history to compete in over 300 Grand Prix races. The Williams car was reliable but not as fast as the top teams.

He scored points in several races. In Valencia, he finished fourth, his best result of the season. He also became the highest-scoring Brazilian driver in Formula One history, passing Ayrton Senna's points total. Rubens celebrated his 300th Grand Prix in Belgium. He was also chosen as the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Barrichello at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Rubens continued with Williams in 2011. He had a tough season with many retirements and finishes outside the points. His last Formula One race was in Brazil, where he finished 14th. In early 2012, Williams told him they would replace him.

Rubens' IndyCar Career

After Formula One, Rubens decided to try IndyCar racing. In 2012, he joined KV Racing Technology. He raced in his first Indianapolis 500 race. He finished 11th and won the "Rookie of the Year" award for new drivers. He finished the IndyCar season in 12th place.

Rubens' Stock Car Pro Series Career

Barrichello's car in Stock Car Brasil in 2014.

Rubens returned to Brazil in 2012. He joined the Stock Car Pro Series (formerly Stock Car Brasil). He chose the car number 111 because his lucky number 11 was already taken.

In 2014, Rubens became the Stock Car Brasil champion! This was his first championship in 23 years. He won two races and had four other podium finishes. He continued to race in the series, winning again in 2022. He has won at least one race every year since 2019.

Rubens' Helmet Design

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

Rubens' helmet is mostly white. It has an orange-red oval shape on the back and around the visor. There's also a blue circle on top with light blue lines and a golden star. These blue lines are similar to those on the helmet of former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

When he joined Ferrari in 2000, his teammate Michael Schumacher changed his helmet colors. This was to avoid confusion because their original helmets looked very similar. Rubens sometimes changed his helmet design for special races. For example, he used the Brazilian flag colors or paid tribute to other drivers.

Rubens' Personal Life

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

He once held the fastest lap time for a Formula One driver on the Top Gear test track. He was faster than "the Stig," a mysterious test driver on the show. This made the show's host, Jeremy Clarkson, joke that the Stig hated Rubens!

In 2018, Rubens had a health scare. He went to the hospital for headaches. Doctors found a harmless tumor, which was removed.

Rubens' sons, Eduardo Barrichello and Fernando Barrichello, are also racing drivers. They are following in their father's footsteps!

Images for kids

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  Barrichello driving for Jordan at the 1995 British Grand Prix

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  Barrichello at the 1997 Canadian Grand Prix

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  Barrichello in his Ferrari at the 2002 United States Grand Prix

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  Barrichello qualifying for the 2005 United States Grand Prix

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  Barrichello's No. 2 status at Ferrari was made obvious after he moved over to let Michael Schumacher win at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello at the 2006 Canadian 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 Chinese 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

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  Barrichello driving for Williams at the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix

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  Barrichello at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

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  Barrichello's car in Stock Car Brasil in 2014.

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

Racing Career Overview

Rubens Barrichello has had a long and successful racing career across many different series. Here's a quick look at his achievements:

See also

In Spanish: Rubens Barrichello para niños