Barrichello: Brawn should have kept drivers
November 28, 2009 by Negative Camber
Filed under People & Events, Top Story
Veteran F1 driver Rubens Barrichello has suggested that Brawn GP owners should have fought to keep its drivers for 2010. The Brazilian F1 pilot, who is moving to Williams F1, told Marca newspaper:
“Honestly, if I were the owner of the Brawn would have fought for the retention of the two pilots, for the work that was done during the season,” said Rubinho. The Brazilian, who at the end of the season Brawn announced he was leaving to form with the Williams team, said, however, that his decision was not motivated by a perceived lack of interest from his former team on hold.
“My decision was taken early, was a childhood dream to drive a Williams, so I signed the contract very rapidly,” he said. The Brazilian also said he was surprised by Button’s decision to change Brawn by McLaren for next season. “Button’s decision took me by surprise, I never imagined that he too would come out,” he said.
A childhood dream? Fair enough but if Brawn GP were overly interested in either Barrichello or Button, I suggest they would still be there. The fact is Brawn GP were open to younger, more lucrative drivers and Nico Rosberg fit that bill. The big question still remains, who will fill the remaining seat? Rumors are still rampant that 7-time champion Michael Schumacher is in line for the seat but for now, one has to wonder if Brawn GP’s lack of fighting for Button or Barrichello is more a sign of economics or just a pure lack of real inerest in either driver.
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Brawn had NOTHING to do with driver retention. Please. You people think this MB deal was done in a pub? Geezus, isn’t it dark in there where you have your head? As for the ” a childhood dream?” remark…you do remember that Rubens idol drove for Williams….right? EVERY Brazilian kid wants to drive for Williams… The ability to win a race sometimes isn’t at the root of desire to drive for a team. Look at Fisi. He’s a Roman. He craps himself every time he gets in a Ferrari. Even though he did poorly, he had a possum eating grin on his face every lap. (You Europeans can Google that term) So MB came in and said…”we own you and here are the drivers we want. Michael is on the SHORT list and we’re trying to get him. Do NOT meet Buttons salary demands” And so here we are….
As with JPM who took Williams back to the front…Rubens and that infusion of money MAY be able to put them closer to the pointy end of the grid. I’m not prepared to say THE pointy end as there is a LOT of work to do and Alonso to get around. But Rubens is a fabulous development driver.
most Brazilian kids I know want to drive for mclaren…
I have to say that it does strike me as strange for Rubens to say he’s surprised his former employers didn’t re-sign him, and then to say his mind was already made up and he was following his dream by joining another team. Aren’t those points of view mutually exclusive?
I am sure his childhood dream would have been to WDC and not drive for Williams.
My childhood dream was to drive for Jaguar. :)
Benz didn’t tell Ross who to sign or who to boot. That was his decision, if you think Benz are that stupid to interfere on that level with a championship winning team then clearly they cannot be the successful company their are today. Nico is a great signing and we have plenty of drivers vying for that other berth. Schumacher is just wild speculation, there’s more chance of Ralf getting that drive next year.
well at least ruben’s “adult nightmare” didn’t come true: MB shows up, buys brawn, keeps boss ross, keeps rubens, brings in good ol’ schumacher, and puts a clause in rubens contract that states his overalls will always contain the words “perpetual number two” across the chest.
When Rubens was moving up in racing, Williams was the best team in F1. I guess that shows how old he is!