Schumacher’s ‘Best’ Ferrari Teammate: Story of Rubens Barrichello

He never won as many championships as Schumacher nor was he considered a top-tier driver. But he was good enough to don the Ferrari car on a race track. Here’s the story about Rubens Barrichello, one of Formula One’s most historic names.

Who Is Rubens Barrichello?

He was born on 23rd May 1972 in Sao Paulo and raised in a car crash in Interlagos. Barrichello would go on to become a multiple Grand Prix winner who narrowly missed the 2009 Formula 1® World Championship. After recording tremendous stats as a rookie at home in Karting, he took the renowned path to Europe to further his career.

However, it was at the European Formula Opel Championship that Barrichello became a big stage sensation. He won the championship for Draco Racing shortly after which he graduated to British Formula 3 the following season.

In British Formula 3, Barrichello’s West Surrey Racing Ralt RT35-Mugen won four times to beat David Coulthard to the title on his first attempt. His next outing was at 1992’s Formula 3000. Barrichello starred in II Barone Rampante’s Reynard 929, ending third after a crash forced him to switch from Judd-power to a Cosworth engine mid-race.

Aged only 20, Barrichello signed to drive Jordan 193-Hart in the 1993 F1 World Championship, becoming the sixth youngest GP driver at the time on his South African debut. He soon proved worthy of his position by starring in the wet at Donington Park and finishing fifth in Japan.

1994 began with a continuation of that promise; Barrichello finished third in the Pacific GP and qualified for pole position in Belgium’s changeable conditions. However, a frightening practice accident at Imola prevented him from starring in a dreadful weekend that claimed the lives of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna.

Barrichello would go on to register more impressive outings in the 1995 Canadian GP, the wet 1997 Monaco, and the European. However, it was his move to Ferrari that would ultimately headline his entire career.

He recorded an emotional first win at a wet Hockenheim, coming from eight on the grid. However, he was largely number two to team mate Michael Schumacher. He challenged that subservience during the 2002 Austrian GP where the F1 saw an inspired Barrichello racing against Schumacher after he qualified on pole position.

However, as both unchallenged Ferraris exited the final corner, Barrichello had to obey pit wall instructions and let Schumacher through to win. It was an order that made Barrichello cry, and invite controversies and condemnation from the wider world. Ultimately, the order inspired an FIA ban on team orders that lasted the rest of the decade.

Although Barrichello would soon become frustrated by his highs and lows while at the Scuderia, he would register nine victories and runner-up spots in the 2002 and 2004 championships, winning five titles in a row. Next, he found himself at Honda in 2006, where he’d continue his five-year title drought until victories at Valencia and Monza, followed by a third in the World Championship signaled a significant return to form.

After 19 seasons and a record 323 GP starts – more than any other F1 player at the time, Schumacher lost his place in the F1 at the end of 2011 to the better-funded and younger Bruno Senna. His last race was the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix. Shortly afterward, he returned to Brazil to participate in the Stock Car Series, winning the championship in 2014 and 2022.

Today, when he’s not competing for Full Time Sports at the Stock Car Pro Series, the former F1 driver is leveraging his reputation and connections to expand the American business of iGaming firm Softswiss, working with the media, or sharing about motorsports on his YouTube channel.

Barrichello’s Friendship with Schumacher

Barrichello reflects on his friendship with Schumacher, in one of the most viable F1 partnerships ever in a recent interview on Beyond the Grid. Like Hamilton was with Mercedes, Ferrari was under the leadership of Jean Todt and Schumacher. Everything gravitates around winning the title with Schumi.

Recalling his time with Ferrari, Barrichello took note of the differences between him and his long-time friend, “He was super, super on high speed like very courageous. The way I drove on the low speed was actually taking more speed out of it than him. I remember so many times Ross (Brawn) telling him that he had to do something different. I became so much better on the high speed because of him. I think we both went to another level of pushing each other so it was good.”

“Mine had to be mental. How do you go to a racetrack knowing that you have a B option of a pitstop, and still be ready to win,” the Brazilian explained.

Owning up to Schimi’s mastery, the Brazilian said, “…he was better than me. He was more complete and Michael didn’t have bad days, whenever he had a bad day or he was vulnerable the team around him prepared him to be back up. They knew how to affect him positively.”

After spending six seasons with Schimi at Ferrari, the Brazilian driver concluded that his teammate wasn’t typically one to help, despite his excellent on-track heroics. But that wouldn’t be much of his conscious fault anyway. Barrichello claimed Schimi “was a bit naïve in a way that he worked his way.” “For example…, you ask him and he says ‘I don’t know which gear I take that corner.’ I got p***ed one day because I couldn’t understand how the hell he doesn’t know what gear and he doesn’t really know, he just doesn’t think, he did it naturally.”

Formula 1 Betting Tips

As the sport’s popularity increases, there has been more attention on F1 betting. More people now wager on F1 races and this number will likely increase in 2025. For those who want to make the best of their efforts, learning some winning tips can help.

If you are in Hungary, Formula 1 betting tips from tipsters and betting experts on MightyTips Hungarian version can significantly boost your winning chances. But if you’d like more insights, here are helpful tips to guide your F1 and motorsport betting sessions:

1. Find out the starting grid
2. Study the circuit’s specifics toward locating who has a higher winning chances
3. View the history of the last winners of the GP in question
4. Consider each driver’s dynamics and the car’s conditions.
5. Avoid systematically voting on a favorite driver
6. Avoid pursuing losses or other irresponsible betting acts during (or outside) qualifying rounds.
7. Avoid betting without doing adequate research or following any of the above tips.

Final Thoughts

After driving for several teams including Jordan, Stewart, Ferrari, Honda, Brawn, and Williams, Barrichello etched his name in F1 history with record races, relatively significant success, and one of the most memorable F1 partnerships to date with Schumacher. He is renowned for making more than 300 grand prix starts and winning 11 races with Ferrari and Brawn GP – giving him plenty to talk about on the latest of Formula One’s “Beyond the Grid” interviews.

Today, Barrichello’s illustrious career is an inspiration to upcoming drivers globally of partnership, consistency, and legacy.