Should Rubens Barrichello keep up his bid to race again or retire with integrity?
Rubens Barrichello Formula 1’s most experienced driver and an asset is more or less coming to an end to his illustrious career.
At age 39, Barrichello is not the oldest in the sport yet, his team-mate and former champions Michael Schumacher is 42. Though Schumacher is also uncertain about his career beyond 2012 but still has a year with Mercedes to decide. On the other hand Barrichello
is still finding it hard to earn a race seat.
It is not all his fault, although the Brazilian has only been able to secure four out of the five points for his team during the 2011 season. That performance should not hinder his prospects of a future seat as much. The real issue at this point is the midsized
teams are looking to gain sponsors and it puts a sort of price tag on the race seats. Barrichello is at a stage where he will have to pay for his race seat.
Barrichello though mentioned prior to the Brazilian Grand Prix that he would be looking for sponsors as well if that what it took for him to get a race seat. So far he has not been successful but that is not the issue. The issue is it is sort of a disgrace
to see a driver with the extensive experience such as Barrichello to go through such ordeal to gain a race seat.
His 19 season vast experience should be more than enough to ensure him a race seat, a fact that his countrymen Felipe Massa also seconded. Massa publicly expressed his discontent over Barrichello’s dilemma, and said that he should just retire after the conclusion
of the Brazilian Grand Prix, instead of going through the embarrassment of paying for a race seat.
Red Bull driver Mark Webber also said that Rubens Barrichello wanted to pay his tributes for the veteran and expressed that the players should give him a great - send-off after the Brazilian Grand Prix. Though Barrichello did not announce his retirement
after the Brazilian GP and did not receive any tributes even if it turns out to be his last race.
“One of the great heroes of Brazilian motorsport is Rubens Barrichello,” Webber wrote in his BBC column. “He holds the record for competing in more Grands Prix than any driver in history, and he has done so much for our sport on and off the track.”
“Rubens is always willing to stop and give a signature or a photo to fans. He has that family feeling about him, although he still has plenty of mongrel in him in the car. He has had an amazing career,” added the Aussie.
Barrichello is known for his family like persona, and is known for his friendliness with the fans. Webber mentioned this quality of the Brazilian and said it would be a sad day when he retires.
The Brazilian Grand Prix concluded but Barrichello did not announce his retirement from the sport and still gunning for a race seat. His current team Williams though has clearly shown signs that they are not going to stick with him and are on the lookout
for other drivers.
It remains to be seen whether 2011 was the veterans’ last or not, but it is an awful sight to see such an exponent of the game being forced to retire in the way he is being treated.
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