Rubens Barrichello

[Odie Stracs]

Rumour has it via twitter that Rubens is set for a DW12 test next week at Sebring..interesting if true..im sure he'd sell another 15000 for the Brazil event

[00steven]

He would be a welcomed addition to Indycar racing.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Keep in mind that he will never run IndyCar full time, and when some ovals will make their return, his schedule will get a little smaller as he promised his wife to NEVER race on ovals. This means that a road course only schedule would be good for him. But we'll never see him running the Indy 500 I think.

[nigelred5]

Well, Things have been known to change. I know it's an oval, but Indy and Milwaukee are different than LVMS and TMS. I mean really, How could anyone pass on the chance to run Indy if it's on the table in front of you. Lets see how the new car REALLY handles at Indy. If its a squirrelly beast, no way I see him doing it. I think Rubens would find he'll love Indycars.

[heliocastroneves#3]

I know, but Silvana (Barrichello's wife) just won't allow him to run on ovals in common. So it doesn't matter if it's Indianapolis, Texas, Las Vegas or Auto Club. But I think he might have had a talk with his wife about this, and maybe she allows him to do what he loves to do. I'm sure he loves IndyCar racing and he will also prove how great oval racing is. I'm sure he loves those high speeds, and might even think "What I've done all these years in that boring sport called Formula One?"

[FIAT1]

I have met Rubens in Milwaukee ,week before Montreal F1 race some years back and I was very surprised how friendly and approachable he was. I hope he comes to Indycar as we all know he is great racer and this move would help Indycar in every way. Racer of this stature would be amazing news for the new season.

[FIAT1]

Good question, KV maybe? I believe that Chip ,Roger and Indycar brass should not miss this opportunity to have big name like this racing in the series, as he is world very popular racer. This would be a huge for Indycar when they need help the most.

[heliocastroneves#3]

He's a very pleasant person, and he certainly will be one of my favorite IndyCar drivers, because he was one of my F1 favorites. Always found him one of the best 'non champions' in F1. I think he might end up with KV, or maybe a part time ride for this year, to go full time next year. But he has the advantage that he's a former F1 driver. This means many teams might be interested in him. I think with KV he will have the best chance, as his good friend Tony Kanaan will help him with everything and can give him lots of hints/tips about oval racing and how the whole thing works.

[Stuartf12007]

Barrichello destination = KV

[zako85]

I hope he still has what it takes to be near the top. I have not witnessed Barrichello's best moments in F1 myself, but the Williams car he was driving last year was horrible. He will probably be better off driving a KV IndyCar.

[call_me_andrew]

Wife be damned, I think the Indy 500 is the only race he wants to be in.

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Let him do the road and street courses and hire Vitor Meira for the ovals. (Assuming the wife cannot be convinced.)

[heliocastroneves#3]

Vitor Meira is a very good oval racer, he also deserves a full time ride. Just fire E.J. Viso and try to get a team with three Brazilians. Tony Kanaan, Rubens Barrichello and Vitor Meira would be a good team. Kanaan is good on both, Barrichello has A LOT of road racing experience, and Vitor proved already a while ago he's a great oval racer. Viso simply sucks, but brings a lot of money which is probably the reason they keep him.

[Nikki Katz]

I really really want him to get a full time seat. He has no oval experience but he'll learn. He's not really any older than Franchitti. I'm sure there are race wins in him once he gets used to the cars.

If he's promised his wife he won't race on ovals then that's unlikely though. Frankly I'm still a little nervous thinking about watching it again...

[heliocastroneves#3]

Well, from what I just heard... He promised his wife to never start driving in IndyCar in common; so it doesn't matter if it's on ovals or road courses. I think he might have had a talk with his wife about this, and probably he got permission. :)

[zako85]

Call me unreasonable, but I think that it could be a good thing that Barrichello will not be racing on ovals. At his advanced age and experience level, it's not clear whether he needs to take any unnecessary risks when the rewards are likely small, considering his limited or no experience on the ovals.

[FormerFF]

I really think sports car racing would be the better choice. At his age and experience level, I suspect he's lost what Bob Seger called "the fire down below" that would get him to the front. In sports cars being quick and consistent is more important that being willing to take a chance.

[heliocastroneves#3]

I hope he comes to IndyCar... A former F1 driver is what IndyCar needs I think. Sao Paulo might be sold out, if he will drive there.

[Mad_Hatter]

Hmmm, Let's see Ru-beans or Viso?


That's a tough call..........

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Hmmm, Let's see Ru-beans or Viso?


That's a tough call..........

I think Viso is a done deal with PDVSA/CITGO money. Rubens might get a third car.

[DBell]

The latest from Speed:

AUTO RACING - INDYCAR: Barrichello Settling In Quickly At Sebring (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-barrichello-settling-in-quickly-at-sebring/)

The article says it is believed that a budget is in place for a full season at KV for Rubens if he decides he wants to do IndyCar.

[Mad_Hatter]

True, I'd forgetten about Viso attending testing Dr. K, but Right now, we don't have anyone signed for the other two cars. -TK (http://www.racer.com/kanaan-bernard-hopeful-about-barrichello/article/225378/)

[DBell]

Looks like Rubens enjoyed his first day and is really considering IndyCar.

Rubens Barrichello keen on IndyCar move after test with KV Racing Technology - IndyCar news - AUTOSPORT.com (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97231)

I also saw this article at Speed I had missed before because it was in the F1 section.

FORMULA ONE - F1: Barrichello Admits IndyCar Switch Possible (http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-rubens-barrichello-admits-indycar-switch-possible/)

A quote from Rubens in this article:
But is he forgetting his promise to his wife Silvana, that he will not race on America's dangerous ovals?

"It's true and it's an important issue to be resolved," said Barrichello.

"But before I think about it, first I have to know the car. There is always the possibility of running the season but not the ones on the ovals."

If it was up to his young sons, Barrichello said he would sign an IndyCar contract straight away.

"They are jumping for joy at the idea of seeing their father keep racing," he smiled. "If it was just about them then I would be there."


Maybe with his kids so enthusiastic, this promise to his wife isn't as big a hindrance as some make it out to be. I think if Rubens really wants to drive in IndyCar, then he will end up doing so.

[numanoid]

Rubens posted a 1 minute in car video of him driving the DW12.


Twitpic - Share photos and videos on Twitter (http://twitpic.com/8e1fs6)

I'd love to see him in the series

[nigelred5]

Dayumm that sounds good!!! I love the way it sounds off throttle and downshifting.

[mike15]

As I recall Viso is a crasher.

[MAX_THRUST]

Rubens maybe interested in running the 500 now. Interesting. If a Brazilian sponsor does not jump on this and sponsor a car for Rubens I would be surprised. This would raise the profile of Indy car in Brazil, and possibly else where around the globe.

[DBell]

I can't post a link because I saw it at another forum, but Rubens has agreed to extend his test session with KV through today. Someone there had posted a quote from KV on twitter confirming that Rubens is running with them today. A good sign, I think, for those wanting to see Rubens come to IndyCar.

[F1boat]

I really think sports car racing would be the better choice. At his age and experience level, I suspect he's lost what Bob Seger called "the fire down below" that would get him to the front. In sports cars being quick and consistent is more important that being willing to take a chance.

I too think that the WEC or the WTCC would be a better choice for him, but if he enjoys open wheelers most and wants to be close to home, I can see why he prefers Indy Car. But I'd prefer to be a road or street courses only deal. I am not a huge fan of Rubens, but I am kinda fond of him and I want him to be happy and safe.

[heliocastroneves#3]

F1 is boring, because they went too much into safety. If he wants to race IndyCar or NASCAR, he has to race on ovals. Every IndyCar driver wants to win the Indy 500, so I prefer seeing him full time instead of part time, but that's just my opinion. It would be good for IndyCar to have a former F1 driver on the grid.

[FIAT1]

Looks like he took everyone to racing school in testing. Every racer will do fine on ovals as long as they have the car. This year will be fun to watch.

[Blancvino]

Let me get this straight. Some are going ga-ga over a second tier F1 driver in his prime, was a third tier F1 driver in 2011, and now an unemployed F1 driver looking for an Indy Car seat. Interesting. Not exactly parallel with the Nigel Mansell transition to Indy Car, is it?

[garyshell]

Let me get this straight. Some are going ga-ga over a second tier F1 driver in his prime, was a third tier F1 driver in 2011, and now an unemployed F1 driver looking for an Indy Car seat. Interesting. Not exactly parallel with the Nigel Mansell transition to Indy Car, is it?

In fairness,I don't think anyone equated this to Nigel's transition. And I think you are doing Rubens a bit of a disservice in your assessment. While you are right in his driving pedigree, you are ignoring the incidentals. He is a very personable and very well known driver. Both of those traits have a significant cache in today's market for Indycar.

Gary

[ShiftingGears]

Let me get this straight. Some are going ga-ga over a second tier F1 driver in his prime, was a third tier F1 driver in 2011, and now an unemployed F1 driver looking for an Indy Car seat. Interesting. Not exactly parallel with the Nigel Mansell transition to Indy Car, is it?

He's pretty much the same age as Mansell was, and if Mansell wasn't in a car that was 2 seconds a lap faster than every other car in 1992, he would've been the guy who wasn't quite good enough in F1, and the hype wouldn'tve been the same.

[Anubis]

I could see Rubens having a real Indian summer in Indycar, similar to how he flourished at Brawn. It will also do no harm to the profile of the series to have such an experienced and well regarded ex-F1 driver on the books. Were it Tonio Liuzzi or Sebastian Buemi pitching up I could understand people sneering, but come on, Rubens is no hack. The series can't win can it. People moan about GP2 drivers with fat wallets buying rides, then an F1 race winner expresses and interest and gets written off before he's turned a lap in anger.

Edited to add - F1 form is also no indicator, just look at Zanardi. Only notable moment of his F1 career was his gargantuan crash at Spa. Likewise, Bourdais didn't exactly set the world aflame.

[00steven]

It seems Rubens is really liking the atmosphere in the Indycar circle. He stayed for a third day of practice and he wasn't required too.

[Dr. Krogshöj]

The series can't win can it. People moan about GP2 drivers with fat wallets buying rides, then an F1 race winner expresses and interest and gets written off before he's turned a lap in anger.

There is a small body of people, mainly centered around Indiana, that will always complain unless the field is made up by 26 USAC sprint car graduates, the schedule if 100 percent ovals and the cars are front-engined. Don't mind them.

[DBell]

Let me get this straight. Some are going ga-ga over a second tier F1 driver in his prime, was a third tier F1 driver in 2011, and now an unemployed F1 driver looking for an Indy Car seat. Interesting. Not exactly parallel with the Nigel Mansell transition to Indy Car, is it?

I don't know you define "tier". It seems that meaning could change from one fan to another. Instead, make a list of F1 drivers who have won 10 or more races. It won't be a very long list and a handful of World Champions will be missing from it. I can think of 3 WDC's of the top of my head, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt, and Keke Rosberg, who wouldn't make that list. Probably John Surtees and couple of other WDC's would miss that list too. Rubens has had a better career than you give him credit for, especially when you consider that for most of his 19 years in F1, he was driving for teams that were not going to win races.

Rubens is no hack and would still be in F1 if Williams wasn't so desperate for money to survive. He lost his job because he doesn't have a big enough check. IndyCar fans should be able to understand that. Last year's Williams was a third rate car. I don't think Rubens has lost his fire and if he joins IndyCar, I would easily put him in the top group of drivers in the series. It'll be a good measuring stick for some of the drivers to see how they compare.

[FIAT1]

let me get this straight. Some are going ga-ga over a second tier f1 driver in his prime, was a third tier f1 driver in 2011, and now an unemployed f1 driver looking for an indy car seat. Interesting. Not exactly parallel with the nigel mansell transition to indy car, is it?

rubbish!

[garyshell]

rubbish!

Oh come on, don't hold back! What do you REALLY think? :D

Gary

[DexDexter]

I don't know you define "tier". It seems that meaning could change from one fan to another. Instead, make a list of F1 drivers who have won 10 or more races. It won't be a very long list and a handful of World Champions will be missing from it. I can think of 3 WDC's of the top of my head, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt, and Keke Rosberg, who wouldn't make that list. Probably John Surtees and couple of other WDC's would miss that list too. Rubens has had a better career than you give him credit for, especially when you consider that for most of his 19 years in F1, he was driving for teams that were not going to win races.

Rubens is no hack and would still be in F1 if Williams wasn't so desperate for money to survive. He lost his job because he doesn't have a big enough check. IndyCar fans should be able to understand that. Last year's Williams was a third rate car. I don't think Rubens has lost his fire and if he joins IndyCar, I would easily put him in the top group of drivers in the series. It'll be a good measuring stick for some of the drivers to see how they compare.

Barrichello was beaten way too many times by "hopeless" Maldonado last year, that was also a factor which led to him being unemployed.

[FIAT1]

Oh come on, don't hold back! What do you REALLY think? :D

Gary

I would ,but it is hard to follow a legend!

[IceWizard]

Barrichello was beaten way too many times by "hopeless" Maldonado last year, that was also a factor which led to him being unemployed.

Beaten by GP2 champion Maldonado don't you mean? Sure, the sponsorship money might have got him the foot in the door but I think he's shown he deserves another season in F1 on merit.

[Blancvino]

I don't know you define "tier". It seems that meaning could change from one fan to another. Instead, make a list of F1 drivers who have won 10 or more races. It won't be a very long list and a handful of World Champions will be missing from it. I can think of 3 WDC's of the top of my head, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt, and Keke Rosberg, who wouldn't make that list. Probably John Surtees and couple of other WDC's would miss that list too. Rubens has had a better career than you give him credit for, especially when you consider that for most of his 19 years in F1, he was driving for teams that were not going to win races.

Rubens is no hack and would still be in F1 if Williams wasn't so desperate for money to survive. He lost his job because he doesn't have a big enough check. IndyCar fans should be able to understand that. Last year's Williams was a third rate car. I don't think Rubens has lost his fire and if he joins IndyCar, I would easily put him in the top group of drivers in the series. It'll be a good measuring stick for some of the drivers to see how they compare.

Point taken ... But over a 19 year career, even a blind squirrel will find an acorn on an occation. I like the guy personally, but he is a mid-packer at best driver.

[Blancvino]

rubbish!

Id that the best you can do? Sizzle!

[FIAT1]

Id that the best you can do? Sizzle!

Nothing personal dude, but to call him a mid pack driver is bit strong. No one has raced in F1 for that many years in good teams being mid pack talent. I remember when this mid pack driver hat to be called to slow down and let chosen one to win the race. I don't know politics of F1 and circumstances he had to race under , but I know that he would be welcome adition to Indycar at this time when they need talented driver to develop the car and good publicity does not hurt.

[Anubis]

Nothing personal dude, but to call him a mid pack driver is bit strong. No one has raced in F1 for that many years in good teams being mid pack talent. I remember when this mid pack driver hat to be called to slow down and let chosen one to win the race. I don't know politics of F1 and circumstances he had to race under , but I know that he would be welcome adition to Indycar at this time when they need talented driver to develop the car and good publicity does not hurt.

I think the last point is very valid. By all accounts Rubens is bang on the pace already, and his feedback has been a real asset to KV. That can only be beneficial to the team in a season where everyone is starting with a level playing field. The other thing to consider is his passion for the sport. After years of tooling around in a total dog of a Honda, he could easily have walked away, but he kept at it as he still felt he had something to offer. Honda morphs into Brawn and lo and behold, he's a race winner again. I can also remember him hustling a Jordan to places it really shouldn't have been. I'd love to see him in the series in some capacity, as I think he'd be a breath of fresh air and genuinely think he could challenge. With regards his F1 record, it's considerably better than Zanardi, Wilson or indeed Franchitti...

[DBell]

A Rubens update at Speed:

FORMULA ONE - F1: Barrichello To Announce Plans Next Week (http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-rubens-barrichello-to-announce-plans-next-week/)

From what he said, I think Rubens will be driving in IndyCar this year in some capacity, full or part time.

[Blancvino]

Nothing personal dude, but to call him a mid pack driver is bit strong. No one has raced in F1 for that many years in good teams being mid pack talent. I remember when this mid pack driver hat to be called to slow down and let chosen one to win the race. I don't know politics of F1 and circumstances he had to race under , but I know that he would be welcome adition to Indycar at this time when they need talented driver to develop the car and good publicity does not hurt.

Thank you, I just wanted you to articulate your position. We will agree to disagree.

[Blancvino]

I think the last point is very valid. By all accounts Rubens is bang on the pace already, and his feedback has been a real asset to KV. That can only be beneficial to the team in a season where everyone is starting with a level playing field. The other thing to consider is his passion for the sport. After years of tooling around in a total dog of a Honda, he could easily have walked away, but he kept at it as he still felt he had something to offer. Honda morphs into Brawn and lo and behold, he's a race winner again. I can also remember him hustling a Jordan to places it really shouldn't have been. I'd love to see him in the series in some capacity, as I think he'd be a breath of fresh air and genuinely think he could challenge. With regards his F1 record, it's considerably better than Zanardi, Wilson or indeed Franchitti...


At Braun he was second fiddle to Button, and he was far back of Micheal when he was with the Prancing Horses. He was a good F1 driver, not great. I really like the guy. I think he got screwed over on occasion but who doesn't? And brefore you start with Braun situation. Whern Mercedes bought the team, Jenson moved on to Mac and Rubens to Williams ... nuff said. If you are happy he is in IndyCar, great, but a Nigel Mansell he is not.

[garyshell]

If you are happy he is in IndyCar, great, but a Nigel Mansell he is not.

No one said he was, or did I miss something? Can we infer that you are not happy he is coming? What's the possible downside? He will certainly bring attention to the Brazilian fan base (don't forget there is a race there again this year). He does have a bit of name recognition/cache elsewhere including here in the states. I just don't see why it is not a positive thing.

Gary

[MAX_THRUST]

Some so so F1 drivers have done well in CART,back in the days and I think Rubens could do well in Indy Car. If he doesn't then he'll leave, if he does great for TV ratings in Brazil. We shall see soon enough. Bourdais was pants in F1 was great in Champp CAr and not so good in indycar last yeear. Its down to the team as muchas the driver I think, as Bourdais has proved, and Michae Andretti when he left Indy to F1. Good toeam to a crap team at the time in F1.

[garyshell]

Its down to the team as muchas the driver I think, as Bourdais has proved, and Michae Andretti when he left Indy to F1. Good toeam to a crap team at the time in F1.

Huh? Michael went to a crap team in F1? What are you nuts? He teamed with Aryton Senna at Mclaren. Hardly a crap team. Michael was the crap in that equation, refusing to move to Europe during the season. He was an idiot.

Gary

[Blancvino]

No one said he was, or did I miss something? Can we infer that you are not happy he is coming? What's the possible downside? He will certainly bring attention to the Brazilian fan base (don't forget there is a race there again this year). He does have a bit of name recognition/cache elsewhere including here in the states. I just don't see why it is not a positive thing.

Gary


Not at all, I like the guy, but he is not the second coming. I hope he does well. All I am saying is come, race, and douse the fanfare!

[jwhite9185]

Huh? Michael went to a crap team in F1? What are you nuts? He teamed with Aryton Senna at Mclaren. Hardly a crap team. Michael was the crap in that equation, refusing to move to Europe during the season. He was an idiot.

Gary

McLaren were in a downward spiral at that point after Honda left them. Only reason why they won the races they did was because of Senna. When he left at the end of 1993, they did nothing until 1998.

[FIAT1]

McLaren were in a downward spiral at that point after Honda left them. Only reason why they won the races they did was because of Senna. When he left at the end of 1993, they did nothing until 1998.

Mika Hakkinen did a great job after taking Michael seat after Monza in the same car. Michael did not do well because of Michael .

[heliocastroneves#3]

Well, despite he was just... Bad... He still made it to the podium in Italy in that McLaren if I'm right... But Mike Andretti indeed failed in F1.

[FIAT1]

I'm gona try to bring this back to Rubens thread. Go Rubens!!!

[00steven]

Hopefully we have an announcement in the next week or two.

[DBell]

From ESPN:
Rubens Barrichello seeking sponsors for IndyCar move - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/7558716/rubens-barrichello-seeking-sponsors-indycar-move)

Sounds like he's still trying to convince his wife and he needs to find sponsors.

[FIAT1]

F1 zone reporting announcement this afternoon.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Just read on a dutch website Rubens Barrichello has been confirmed at KV to drive full time for the squad. The official announcement might follow in a few days.

[DBell]

Rubens is in, according to Miller at Speed. A press conference is scheduled in Brazil on Thursday. Brazilian construction company Brasil Maquinas is said to be sponsoring him.

Welcome aboard Rubens. I give you a lot of credit for doing this. It would be easy to retire comfortably in Brazil, but you are a racer through and through. It's a shot in the arm for IndyCar.

Danica who?

INDYCAR: Barrichello To Join IndyCar Series (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-barrichello-to-join-indycar-series)

[DanicaFan]

Rubens is in, according to Miller at Speed. A press conference is scheduled in Brazil on Thursday. Brazilian construction company Brasil Maquinas is said to be sponsoring him.

Welcome aboard Rubens. I give you a lot of credit for doing this. It would be easy to retire comfortably in Brazil, but you are a racer through and through. It's a shot in the arm for IndyCar.

Danica who?

INDYCAR: Barrichello To Join IndyCar Series (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-barrichello-to-join-indycar-series)

Im glad to see him in but he will not be as good as Danica nor bring more attention to the series than she did.

[DBell]

Here is another article from Speed on how some of the drivers feel about Rubens coming over. A pretty good read.

INDYCAR: Drivers Keen On Competing Against Barrichello (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-drivers-keen-on-competing-against-barrichello/)



Im glad to see him in but he will not be as good as Danica nor bring more attention to the series than she did.

Sorry D-Fan, I couldn't resist. :p :

A quote from the article:
The impact Barrichello could have on IndyCar’s audience would also be just as impressive.

Using Twitter as an informal measuring stick for media reach, Barrichello has amassed 1.4 million followers. Compare that to Danica Patrick’s 534,000 followers, and with Barrichello on the grid, IndyCar might have not have the major publicity crisis some feared would happen with Patrick’s departure to NASCAR.


Rubens has a lot of fans internationally, plus he's a good person that I think American fans will warm up to quickly. Who knows, if IndyCar can gain traction and grow over the next few years, then we may look back at Rubens coming over as a big turning point for IndyCar. It's been a long time since an international driver of Rubens stature has looked at IndyCar as a viable option. Changing the perception of IndyCar within the sport of auto racing is part of the mountain IndyCar has to climb. Hopefully Rubens coming over is a big step in that direction.

edit: Quick,someone arrange a race at Interlagos. With the Brazilians IndyCar already have, plus Rubens, they should be able to sell that place out.
Oh, I forgot about Bernie...........Never mind. :)

[nigelred5]

Here is another article from Speed on how some of the drivers feel about Rubens coming over. A pretty good read.

INDYCAR: Drivers Keen On Competing Against Barrichello (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-drivers-keen-on-competing-against-barrichello/)





Sorry D-Fan, I couldn't resist. :p :

A quote from the article:

Rubens has a lot of fans internationally, plus he's a good person that I think American fans will warm up to quickly. Who knows, if IndyCar can gain traction and grow over the next few years, then we may look back at Rubens coming over as a big turning point for IndyCar. It's been a long time since an international driver of Rubens stature has looked at IndyCar as a viable option. Changing the perception of IndyCar within the sport of auto racing is part of the mountain IndyCar has to climb. Hopefully Rubens coming over is a big step in that direction.

edit: Quick,someone arrange a race at Interlagos. With the Brazilians IndyCar already have, plus Rubens, they should be able to sell that place out.
Oh, I forgot about Bernie...........Never mind. :)

Rubinho is a Paulista. You don't think having him racing in his hometown, in front of his hometown fans in Sao Paulo is going to be an absolute bursting at the seams sell out already? They can probably go ahead and add another 50K seats... But I agree, they could probably sell out ANOTHER race in Sao Paulo.

I think Rubens will bring a lot of international eyes BACK to Indycars. No, he's not a reigning world Champion coming in to indycars with the cream of the crop indycar tean like Nigel was in 93, but Rubens was still a very well liked driver with F1 fans in North and South America. I would expect many of those same fans that very likely are not regular followers of Indycar to at least tune in periodically.

[FIAT1]

[quote="DanicaFan"]Im glad to see him in but he will not be as good as Danica


I know you're joking?..... right

[numanoid]

Im glad to see him in but he will not be as good as Danica nor bring more attention to the series than she did.

He'll be much better than Danica on the road and street courses. Not sure on the Ovals yet even if he runs them. It's true that he won't bring the attention that Danica did outside of his home country.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Im glad to see him in but he will not be as good as Danica nor bring more attention to the series than she did.

Stop smoking weed mate... :p


Seriously, the man scored 14 poles, 11 wins and two vice championships in his F1 career. What has Danica done? She scored 3 poles and 1 win in her IndyCar career over 7 years, and without winning ANYTHING in ANY feeder series.

I don't think you're Danica FAN, you're just suffering a Danica OBSESSION. Where would this forum go, if everyone just made comments in every topic about their favorite driver... Like I should post in every topic something about Hélio?

I hope IndyCar will never go to Interlagos, as that's an F1 circuit... And every F1 circuit has been screwed up by stupid run-off areas nowadays. If they want to go to another venue in Brazil; Go to Rio de Janeiro and run races on both Autodromo Nelson Piquet and Emerson Fittipaldi Speedway. :)

[DanicaFan]

Im serious. You wait, at the end of the year, I guarantee Danica will have a higher average finish on the races (going by last year's finishes)...oval and streets all included.

[Chris R]

Im glad to see him in but he will not be as good as Danica nor bring more attention to the series than she did.

I think he will be a significantly better racer than Danica... He will not bring as much American attention as Danica did - but I think he will bring MORE international attention... I also think he will bring more relevant attention, which is to say, people who come for Rubens are more likely to remain fans after he leaves/retires whereas Danica's fan base is a little more about sex appeal and pop culture and not so much the racing in an of itself.....

[heliocastroneves#3]

Yes, and that's what IndyCar also needs... More international attention. :)

@DanicaFan: But that might be because of her safe style of driving. When she passed someone for the last time? Has she ever heard about defending her position? She finished ahead Tagliani, Castroneves, Hinchcliffe and Conway in the standings to call some drivers who really did some impressive things last year (well sadly Hélio wasn't that impressive, maybe at Milwaukee), and I'm sure if those guys wouldn't have that much trouble (and if Hinchcliffe would have driven at St. Petersburg), Danica would finish BEHIND them in the standings, and I doubt if she even would finish in the top 15 in points.

Drive safe, finish every race safely and always staying out of trouble; That's the only reason why she could have a higher average finish position, and that's also why she could keep guys like Castroneves, Hinchcliffe, Tagliani and Conway behind her in points. On the ovals Conway might have sucked a little bit, but on every road/street course he could have finished in the top 5 based on his speed. That's also why I think he deserved another chance at Andretti Autosport. To come back about Danica... C'mon, driving for Andretti Autosport and having a best qualifying position of 17th on a road/street course.... C'mon, that's a shame! It has it's reasons why all her team mates won races, and she didn't. Conway won at Long Beach, because he PASSED people, and he was RACING. Marco Andretti won at Iowa, because he was RACING his opponents. Hunter-Reay might have had a lucky win at New Hampshire, but already proved himself as a great racer at Watkins Glen in 2008 and at Long Beach in 2010, where he also had to do some RACING to get the win.

Not to take Danica down, really, but her win at Motegi in 2008 was not because of some racing. She suddenly had the lead and that was it. She's absolutely not an awful driver on ovals, but she is a mediocre driver. There's nothing wrong with being a fan of a mediocre driver, but Barrichello with his road/street course experience in common... And his talent, he will certainly do a better job on the road/street courses. Maybe he doesn't on the ovals, wow that's surprising! Maybe forgotten he is COMPLETELY new to this?

[DBell]

I think he will be a significantly better racer than Danica... He will not bring as much American attention as Danica did - but I think he will bring MORE international attention... I also think he will bring more relevant attention, which is to say, people who come for Rubens are more likely to remain fans after he leaves/retires whereas Danica's fan base is a little more about sex appeal and pop culture and not so much the racing in an of itself.....

A good point. For all the fans she has, it didn't translate into ratings for IndyCar. I've wondered how many of her fans actually watched the races

Allright, no more Danica talk in this thread. (says the guy who started it :D ) Lets keep it about Rubens or it will derail into a Danica thread. Much more interesting to talk about Rubens in IndyCar this year than another one of those threads.

[DBell]

Stop smoking weed mate... :p


Seriously, the man scored 14 poles, 11 wins and two vice championships in his F1 career. What has Danica done? She scored 3 poles and 1 win in her IndyCar career over 7 years, and without winning ANYTHING in ANY feeder series.

I don't think you're Danica FAN, you're just suffering a Danica OBSESSION. Where would this forum go, if everyone just made comments in every topic about their favorite driver... Like I should post in every topic something about Hélio?

I hope IndyCar will never go to Interlagos, as that's an F1 circuit... And every F1 circuit has been screwed up by stupid run-off areas nowadays. If they want to go to another venue in Brazil; Go to Rio de Janeiro and run races on both Autodromo Nelson Piquet and Emerson Fittipaldi Speedway. :)

Interlagos is a terrific circuit and it would be great for IndyCar, but Bernie will never allow it. The Rio tracks don't exist anymore. They announced a few years ago they were going to tear it down to build some sort of Olympic complex. I think a short version of the road course is still active, but it's days are numbered.

[garyshell]

Im glad to see him in but he will not be as good as Danica nor bring more attention to the series than she did.

Could you be any more dellusional? On his worst day he is a better racer than Danica ever hoped to be. You do have one part right, he may not draw as much attention but at least the attention he does draw will be about RACING.

Gary

[garyshell]

Im serious. You wait, at the end of the year, I guarantee Danica will have a higher average finish on the races (going by last year's finishes)...oval and streets all included.

And if you are wrong about this guarantee?

Gary

[garyshell]

Speed alone does not make a race winner or champion. What's the old saying? To finish first, first you have to finish.

To finish first, first you have to finish AND be willing to race.

Gary

[FIAT1]

I hope that this thread of great racer does not end up being closed tread because of former Indycar driver and nascar sensation .

[heliocastroneves#3]

Well, what do you guys expect from Rubens Barrichello? I think it will be very challenging for him (especially the ovals of course), but I think he might surprise us. Can't wait for the opening round at St. Pete, the announcement about Barrichello's plans will follow tomorrow. ;)

[garyshell]

Well, what do you guys expect from Rubens Barrichello? I think it will be very challenging for him (especially the ovals of course), but I think he might surprise us. Can't wait for the opening round at St. Pete, the announcement about Barrichello's plans will follow tomorrow. ;)


He's coming at a good time, when all the teams have a clean slate and no baseline data on the cars at each track. I think his well known ability to offer feedback to the engineers will play well for him and his team. So excited to see this!

Gary

[DBell]

I agree with Gary. The Williams guys couldn't say enough about Rubens abilities in these areas when he first joined them. I think Rubens lifts this team to a new level. Maybe he lifts TK to another level. Sometimes TK says things that make me wonder if he is struggling to keep up his fire for driving. He'll have to have his A game to keep up with Rubens.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Well... IndyCar is of course COMPLETELY different to Formula One, it's a completely different culture. I think TK can help Rubens a lot, even more then other people as TK and Rubens are very good friends for already a while. I can remember they even switched helmets during the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500 in 2006, when both races were held on the same day.

[FIAT1]

Well... IndyCar is of course COMPLETELY different to Formula One, it's a completely different culture. I think TK can help Rubens a lot, even more then other people as TK and Rubens are very good friends for already a while. I can remember they even switched helmets during the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500 in 2006, when both races were held on the same day.

I see your point. I remember Nigel needing help especially on ovals. I can see big ,big challenge for him.

[nigelred5]

I see your point. I remember Nigel needing help especially on ovals. I can see big ,big challenge for him.

oh yeah, he needed LOTS of help :) . I believe he was within .5sec of the lap record in his first test. 2 oval poles, 3 fastest laps, 4 oval wins, a 3rd in the 500 that easily could have been a win, and a broken back in practice for Phoenix in his first season. What he really needed was help with curbing his f1 personality in the states. He's one of my all time favorite drivers, but he's always been more than a bit of a drama queen.

[DBell]

oh yeah, he needed LOTS of help :) . I believe he was within .5sec of the lap record in his first test. 2 oval poles, 3 fastest laps, 4 oval wins, a 3rd in the 500 that easily could have been a win, and a broken back in practice for Phoenix in his first season. What he really needed was help with curbing his f1 personality in the states. He's one of my all time favorite drivers, but he's always been more than a bit of a drama queen.

I remember famed F1 announcer Murray Walker saying he never knew anyone as thinned skinned as Nigel. And Walker liked Nigel. I remember being shocked at Mario's feelings about Nigel when they were teammates. Mario seems to get along at least cordially with just about everyone. Even AJ. They rib each other, but you also hear the respect they have for each other. I thought Mario's strong feelings about Nigel were very telling. But I too liked Mansell as a driver. A driver doesn't have to be warm and fuzzy for me to be a fan, just as long as they don't use dirty, over the top tactics in racing. Then I'll jump ship on them. Yes Michael Schumacher, I'm talking about you.

Thankfully, IndyCar isn't going to have that problem with Rubens. I've seen just about every race of his 300 + F1 races and he's the same guy now as he was in the early 90's. He's going to be a good fit in IndyCar.

[FIAT1]

oh yeah, he needed LOTS of help :) . I believe he was within .5sec of the lap record in his first test. 2 oval poles, 3 fastest laps, 4 oval wins, a 3rd in the 500 that easily could have been a win, and a broken back in practice for Phoenix in his first season. What he really needed was help with curbing his f1 personality in the states. He's one of my all time favorite drivers, but he's always been more than a bit of a drama queen.

Exactly my point. Knowing Nigel accomplisments You do understand that was reply with little sarcasm. Rubens is great racer and is huge positive for Indycar racing period.

[DBell]

It's official.

INDYCAR: Barrichello Confirmed At KV Racing (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-barrichello-confirmed-at-kv-racing/)

[FIAT1]

Excellent.

[Anubis]

Good news. Sao Paulo promoters must be pleased!

You'd need a heart of stone not to like Rubens.

[00steven]

Glad it's finally confirmed! He will be great for the series and contend with Power on road and street courses.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Glad it's finally confirmed! He will be great for the series and contend with Power on road and street courses.

I HOPE he will do that, although IndyCar is completely new to him, I think he will enjoy it and can be very successful. :)

[FIAT1]

Power will have credible challenger and will be interesting that's for sure.

[MAX_THRUST]

Great news....

Remember Jaun Pablo's first season in CART when he was told to be careful on ovals. He was great on them, I remember him sliding the car sideways around one of the 1 mile ovals and the commentators were dumpfounded by it. They all said he would struggle on ovals and he didn't.

Blundell and Dario were not great on ovals but they all won on ovals in the end. I'm sure Rubens will enjoy the challenge, and with his experiance I can't imagine its going to be that hard, I'm sure they will share set ups for him to help him lwarn how to set up a car for an oval. Then he will work out what suits him. Hope this goes well as it will be good for the series.

[Marbles]

In his F1 days Johnny Herbert was posed this question: "You're seriously hurt and you have to choose one driver to get you to the hospital. Who would you choose?" He said RB because, "He would get me there fast and safely." So given that and RB's history in F1, KV Racing should see some whole cars returning to the garage at the end of race.

Is he going to win a race? Possibly, but he's not going to be some Power\Penske killer and I seriously doubt he'll be a championship contender. Isn't Penske already a second up on everyone at first practice?

[I am evil Homer]

I like Blundell, but with all due respect to Mark, Rubens is in a whole other league of class. Really looking forward to cheering him on,

[anthonyvop]

There is no denying he will bring a number of new fans to the series. As I am sure that those who hated the ICS racing out of the US will be quiet on that issue for awhile.

But I have a question.


If (And that is a BIG IF) Barrichello performs well, wins race and takes the Championship what does it say about the quality of drivers in the ICS?

[garyshell]

There is no denying he will bring a number of new fans to the series. As I am sure that those who hated the ICS racing out of the US will be quiet on that issue for awhile.

But I have a question.


If (And that is a BIG IF) Barrichello performs well, wins race and takes the Championship what does it say about the quality of drivers in the ICS?

Not what you are implying it would say, since everyone is on a level playing field and has no baseline data on the new car. If he had done so last year it might have the result you want.

Gary

[heliocastroneves#3]

I don't think it's right to think Barrichello could immediately start winning races and fight for the championship, just because he competed 19 years in Formula One. IndyCar is a completely different form of racing than Formula One. The circuits are completely different, IndyCar is racing on ovals as well and both cars are completely different. I know when many former F1 drivers were going to do IndyCar, they had a lot of success. But the fact that you were a good driver in Formula One, doesn't make you immediately a good driver in IndyCar as well.

Many F1 drivers are overrated, that's why many people think a former F1 driver will always do a good job here in IndyCar. Maybe some good drivers in Formula One would drive in the back of the pack in IndyCar. Especially nowadays that could be possible, as in F1 it's more about your car than about your racing talent actually.

It would say a lot about the level of the IndyCar drivers, if Barrichello could fight for the championship in already his first year in IndyCar, but I don't see that happen. Of course I hope he does well, but it's not fair to call him a championship contender, just because he's a former Formula One driver. He hasn't proved anything yet, lets just wait and see. :)

In the future he might win multiple races and even be able to win a championship, but a completely new thing for him is racing on ovals. If he is good on them, he has a true chance of becoming an IndyCar champion in the future. Because, now we only have 5 ovals on the schedule, but this could be completely different about a couple of years. The F1 schedule is almost every year exactly the same, but IndyCar has had racing schedules which were having a lot of differences compared to the year before.

[big_sw2000]

Personally, i dont think Barichello will do amazing things. It will take a few years to learn. Not sure what F1 people hear watch, but he was never the fastest or greatest F1 driver. Yes he was good, and yes he is a nice guy and yes i will miss him in F1.
As for F1 people going to Indy car and doing well. The only one i can rember was Mansell, and lets face it he was one of the best drivers in any motorsport at the time, there were one or two better than him, but he was fantastic.
And people going from Indycar to F1, in the modern times, none have been sucsefull at all. Michale Andretti, Seb Boudais. Sorry i cant rember any more.
The 2 sports are compleatly diffrent. Lets hope Rubans dose well, it will be nice to see.

[Anubis]

As for F1 people going to Indy car and doing well. The only one i can rember was Mansell, and lets face it he was one of the best drivers in any motorsport at the time, there were one or two better than him, but he was fantastic.

Zanardi and more recently Justin Wilson? Both mid-pack at best in F1, yet both held in high regard in Indycar.

[FIAT1]

How much positive poblucity he created in short time he is a winner already in my opinion.

[garyshell]

How much positive poblucity he created in short time he is a winner already in my opinion.

Abso-freakin'-loutely.

Gary

[anthonyvop]

Not what you are implying it would say, since everyone is on a level playing field and has no baseline data on the new car. If he had done so last year it might have the result you want.

Gary

For the sake of the debate lets say what you say is true then with an "equal" playing field wouldn't that mean then the most Talented drivers would preform the best?

[MAX_THRUST]

Both F1 and Indy Car drivers are proffesional drivers, so all should be good at there own thing. You get paid drivers in F1 as you do in Indy Car so you will always get the spread in each series from really good to average abilities. The thing with F1 is if you are good and have a rubbish car you are never going to shine or get results that reflect your ability. At least in Indy Car you get a level playing field and the nature of the racing means you can come from the back and win as Zanardi did mant times.

The hardest thing for any driver is getting used to the new series they enter, the politics, setting up the car, and as said already the new tracks. Some drivers are better than others in addapting quickly. With the right support they can win. Look at dario's NASCAR experiance. Didn't go so well, gets back in an Indy Car and is top again.

I agree the level playing filed means the top drivers do rise to the top as Justin Wilson has proven by driving for Dale Coyne and giving them great results on occasion against the the top teams.

[garyshell]

For the sake of the debate lets say what you say is true then with an "equal" playing field wouldn't that mean then the most Talented drivers would preform the best?

Well duh, did you figure that out all by yourself? Of course it does, but what you were implying was that it would mean that the current drivers were much lesser beings than those in F1. And had he come in last year and won right out the box against folks who had been driving a particular chassis engine combo for years, it would have shown a bigger disparity between F1 and IndyCar talents. But since this year no one has a baseline, it could only show he is better than the rest, not how much.

Gary

[nigelred5]

I haven't been able to read the barrichello announcement but is he racing the ovals other than Indy? Personally I think people make WAY more about driving on the ovals than is warranted, esPecially for a guy with 19 years of f1 experience. Hell do fine at Indy since hell have tk to help with set ups. I think he will learn enough about the car for Milwaukee and Iowa. Texas Will be interesting to see.

Either way, I'm stoked to see Rubens and his millions of fans in indycar

[anthonyvop]

Well duh, did you figure that out all by yourself? Of course it does, but what you were implying was that it would mean that the current drivers were much lesser beings than those in F1. And had he come in last year and won right out the box against folks who had been driving a particular chassis engine combo for years, it would have shown a bigger disparity between F1 and IndyCar talents. But since this year no one has a baseline, it could only show he is better than the rest, not how much.

Gary

Why so testy? I am asking a relevant question. I know you are a Fanboy but try to tone it down a bit....Jeez!

So considering that everyone will run with a clean sheet of paper so to speak, and this season will be all about the driver(Not my view but lets go with it) then IF Barrichello comes in and dominates it will bear no reflection on the current crop of IndyCar drivers?

[garyshell]

Why so testy? I am asking a relevant question. I know you are a Fanboy but try to tone it down a bit....Jeez!

So considering that everyone will run with a clean sheet of paper so to speak, and this season will be all about the driver(Not my view but lets go with it) then IF Barrichello comes in and dominates it will bear no reflection on the current crop of IndyCar drivers?

Asked and answered.

Gary

[Anubis]

Asked and answered.

Gary

Of course, even if Rubens comes in and is quick in the new car, said car is that much slower than the outgoing car that comparisons aren't really valid ;)

[Nem14]

Keep in mind that he will never run IndyCar full time, and when some ovals will make their return, his schedule will get a little smaller as he promised his wife to NEVER race on ovals. This means that a road course only schedule would be good for him. But we'll never see him running the Indy 500 I think.
Then again.......Maybe he will.

[00steven]

I haven't been able to read the barrichello announcement but is he racing the ovals other than Indy? Personally I think people make WAY more about driving on the ovals than is warranted, esPecially for a guy with 19 years of f1 experience. Hell do fine at Indy since hell have tk to help with set ups. I think he will learn enough about the car for Milwaukee and Iowa. Texas Will be interesting to see.

Either way, I'm stoked to see Rubens and his millions of fans in indycar

Yes, a full season.

I think Rubens will contend a ton at road and street courses and finish around fifth in points. It's good for Indycar, no one can deny that.

[anthonyvop]

Asked and answered.

Gary

If you are just going to be insulting and not be serious why do you insist on getting involved?

[garyshell]

If you are just going to be insulting and not be serious why do you insist on getting involved?

I am quite serious, I already answered the question.


But since this year no one has a baseline, it could only show he is better than the rest, not how much.

Gary

[ArrowsFA1]

As for F1 people going to Indy car and doing well. The only one i can rember was Mansell, and lets face it he was one of the best drivers in any motorsport at the time...
I recall that Jim Clark and Graham Hill did quite well :p

Mansell is always given as the example but he stepped right into the most competitive seat available at Newman-Haas. That said he adapted quickly and won four oval races in 1993, but his 1994 season was nowhere near as impressive. That era saw a far wider variety in chassis & engine combinations and the Penske was the car to have in 1994. Now much depends on the competitiveness of Chevrolet, Honda & Lotus engines.

There's no doubt IMHO that Rubens will be an asset to Indycar. He's in a team with his mate Tony and I suspect that the more relaxed atmosphere, while still being intensely competitive, will suit him very well.