Rubens Gonalves Barrichello

   

The 2008 Formula One season marks a historic milestone for the Honda Racing F1 Team's Rubens Barrichello.

Following a long and distinguished career, which began at the 1993 South Arican Grand Prix, Rubens will become the most experienced Formula One diver of all time, surpassing the current record of 256 Grands Prix set by Riccardo Patrese in 1993.

In view of the lack of consensus regarding which specific race marks Rubens' 257th Grand Prix, Rubens will celebrate the milestone of 257 Grand Prix appearances at the Turkish Grand Prix on 11 May 2008.  Heading into this race, Rubens will have 16 seasons of competition at the pinnacle of motorsport under his belt, in which he has achieved nine race wins, 61 podiums and 13 pole positions. As a result of an accident in Friday qualifying, Rubens did not qualify or race at San Marino in 1994, however he did line up on the grid in Belgium in 1998 and in Spain and France in 2002, despite encountering difficulties which then prevented him from taking part in these races.

Rubens began his Formula One career with the Jordan team at the South African Grand Prix on 14 March 1993, racing against such legends as Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. He spent four years with Jordan before
moving to Stewart Grand Prix for the 1997 season. After three years with Stewart, Rubens joined Ferrari in 2000 to partner Michael Schumacher and begin his association with Honda Team Principal Ross Brawn, then Technical Director at the Ferrari team. Rubens spent six years at Ferrari, achieving nine Grand Prix wins and helping the team to five Constructors' Championships.

In 2006, Rubens joined the Honda Racing F1 Team where he has enjoyed a three-year partnership with Jenson Button and has recently been 'reunited' with Ross Brawn, who joined Honda as Team Principal in
November 2007. Rubens and Jenson, along with Test & Reserve Driver Alex Wurz, currently form the most experienced driver line-up in Formula One.

Honda say Barrichello to set record in Turkey
Apr.21 (GMM)  Honda on Monday clarified that Rubens Barrichello will not celebrate becoming the most experienced driver in formula one history this weekend in Spain.

The sport's official website claims that the 35-year-old Brazilian has entered 256 grands prix; the same number as current record holder Riccardo Patrese, who set the mantle in 1993.

But in a press communique, Barrichello's current team points out that there is a "lack of consensus" amongst pundits as to whether he will officially start a record 257th race at the Circuit de Catalunya on Sunday.

"Rubens will celebrate the milestone ... at the Turkish grand prix on 11 May 2008," Honda announced, amid speculation that Barrichello actually wanted to mark the occasion in Spain.

The pundits' disagreement relates to Imola in 1994, where he was injured in practice, Belgium in 1998 - where he took the original start but was injured and could not re-start - and Spain and France in 2002, where he had problems before the formation laps.

The annual Grand Prix Guide, meanwhile, claims that Barrichello will not reach 257 races at Barcelona or Istanbul, but rather at Monaco at the end of May.

FAST FACTS:

Full name: Rubens Gonalves Barrichello
Rubens won five karting titles in Brazil
1990 - headed to Europe to race the Formula Lotus series
1990 - Rubens wins the Lotus Championship in his first year
1991 - Raced and won the British Formula 3 Championship (Coulthard raced than as well)
1992 - Choose for Formula 3000, finished 3rd
1993 - joined the Jordan Formula One team, scoring 2 points
1993 - running third in the European Grand Prix (in just his third race) before encountering a fuel problem.
1994 - A violent practice crash which nearly killed him at Imola, where
his mentor Ayrton Senna dead 2 days later.
1994 - earned a pole position at Spa-Francorchamps, the youngest driver at the time to earn one.
1997 - Joins Stewart F1
2000 - Signs as Ferrari's second driver (Michael Schumacher being the first). Barrichello called himself "1b".
2000 - achieved his first victory in Hockenheim in his 128th race, the longest wait for a driver's maiden win.
2002 - Team orders allowed Barrichello to earn four victories, team orders also forced the Brazilian to cede to Schumacher some potential victories, such as the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, where he pulled over at the last turn of the race. Such behaviour eventually led to team orders being banned in 2003.
2006 - Joins Jenson Button at Honda F1

- Rubinho failed to finish ten of thirteen Brazilian Grands Prix
- Rubens is married to Silvana and they have two sons, Eduardo (b. 2001) and Fernando (b. 2005)