Overheard at Watkins Glen – 3 (Barrichello to the IRL?)
The 36-year-old Brazilian is openly fighting for his Honda seat and for his future in formula one, as the Japanese team courts potential successors to the longest driving career in F1 history.
 |
| Barrichello says no to the IndyCar Series |
Reports from South America recently pointed at an opening for 2009 at the Honda-powered Penske Indy car team, stating that a test run at the Homestead track in Florida has been lined up.
"Someone invented that story," Barrichello said in Shanghai in interview with Eurosport Motormagazin.
"Because of my friendship with Tony Kanaan, I had the opportunity to go to the Indy 500. Then my wife told me that was the only thing she didn't want me to do, (racing on) the ovals."
Barrichello does not totally rule out a future career on the American racing scene.
"It would be tempting to drive for a team like that of Roger Penske, but there is nothing to it (currently). I don't have his phone number and we have never talked about it.
"I have only read about it on the internet, and, as you can imagine, I was pretty surprised!"
10/14/08 (GMM) Rubens Barrichello is set to test an Indy car following next month's Interlagos race, which could turn out to be the last grand prix of his long formula one career.
The 36-year-old Brazilian said at Fuji last weekend that the "silence" at Honda is becoming "tiresome", as he bids to remain with the Japanese team in 2009.
Honda, however, seems more likely to sign either Fernando Alonso or Bruno Senna as Jenson Button's teammate next year, raising the prospect of F1's longest-running driver career coming to an end.
It was already rumored that Barrichello's best option outside of formula one was the premier Brazilian stock car series, which houses former Brazilian F1 racers Tarso Marques, Luciano Burti, Ricardo Zonta and Antonio Pizzonia.
But the South American motorsports portal Grande Premio claims that Barrichello is to test a Honda-powered Penske Indy car next month, possibly at the Homestead track in Florida.
10/13/08 According to motorsports portal Grande Premio, soon to be ex-Honda F1 driver Rubens Barrichello will test an Indy car in November, possibly at the Homestead road course.
Arranged by IndyCar engine supplier Honda, the test will see Barrichello in a Team Penske car and given the uncertainty regarding Helio Castroneves’ future in the wake of the two-time Indy 500 winner’s tax evasion indictment, it could be a perfect fit for all involved.
07/04/08
We are hearing that Tony Kanaan may not be back at Andretti Green Racing in 2009 and that Brazilian Honda F1 driver Rubens Barrichello, who is at the twilight of his career in F1 and is likely out after this year, will move stateside and take Kanaan's ride at Andretti Green Racing. Another option could be a swap that would see Marco Andretti go to F1 to take Barrichello’s seat and Barrichello taking Andretti's seat at AGR. We doubt that will happen until such time as Andretti proves himself by winning regularly in Indy Cars and takes home the championship.
As for Kanaan, he and Graham Rahal could be under consideration to replace Ryan Briscoe at Team Penske with Briscoe possibly moving back to Penske's ALMS program. Mark C reporting from Watkins Glen