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Thursday June 18, 2009

Barrichello aims to spoil Button’s big day

LONDON: Rubens Barrichello will do all he can to wreck team-mate Jenson Button’s British Grand Prix homecoming at Silverstone on Sunday.

“I think I will given Jenson a run for his money,” said the Brawn driver, 26 points adrift of the runaway Formula One championship leader, looking forward to one of his favourite tracks.

“At the end of the day, after 17 years, there is no emotional side to this,” added the 37-year-old Brazilian, who has competed in more grands prix than any other driver.

“If I have the chance (to win), I would not think twice. If you ask Jenson, although we get on well, he would say the same thing. He would win in Brazil without thinking twice.”

Button, after scoring just three points with Honda last year, is on an amazing roll and can become the first British driver to win seven of the first eight races of the season.

It will also, in all probability, be his last chance to win a grand prix at Silverstone with the British round due to be hosted by Donington Park next year.

The Englishman has never finished higher than fourth in nine appearances at his home race while Barrichello, who made his debut in 1993 with Silverstone-based Jordan, won with Ferrari in 2003.

The Brazilian has finished on the podium a further four times there and twice qualified on pole position.

“He was always extremely strong at Silverstone, I think because of his early career when a lot of time was spent here,” said team boss Ross Brawn, who was with Barrichello at Ferrari as technical director.

“He just seems to fit with the track, he likes the track and it suits his driving style.

“It’s not a track that’s particularly sensitive to brakes, and that’s an area that often he finds quite critical on the car, so I expect him to go very well this weekend,” added Brawn.

“And he’s hugely motivated despite the challenge of beating Jenson this year.”

Despite the obvious importance to Button of winning his home race, Brawn emphasised there would be no ‘team orders’ and both drivers were free to race each other.

“We haven’t changed our approach at all on that,” he said. “I just don’t want them to hit each other, and I can’t even stop that. If it happens, it happens.

“I don’t expect them to do a 50-50 overtaking manoeuvre where they are both put at risk.

“For the rest of it, they are free to race and I think that helps with the atmosphere in the team. I think on balance it is a positive thing.” — Reuters

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