---

Formula One: Brazil bursting with Barrichello Mania on eve of Grand Prix

24 March 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

SAO PAULO, Brazil- A sellout crowd will fill the grandstands March 26 in the hopes of seeing hometown hero Rubens Barrichello win the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"I was born here!" Barrichello said. "Near the circuit! I was probably only 6 years old when my grandfather gave me my first go-kart. He used to live just outside that (Turn 1) grandstand. So I have lived all my life here. During my first four years in school I studied in Interlagos.

"As I was telling Michael (Schumacher), sometimes where I wave to somebody in the grandstand, it is not because he is a fan but because he is a friend. I might remember him from school or something.

"I am really close to the public here. I am an Interlagos guy."

Interlagos is the Sao Paulo suburb that plays host to the Brazilian Grand Prix at a track called the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, named after the ace Brazilian Formula One driver who died in an airplane crash in 1977. The track is also known as Interlagos, which is Portuguese for "between the lakes."

The F1 season opened two weeks ago in Australia, where Michael Schumacher and Barrichello finished first and second, respectively, in their Ferraris. That marked the 47th time Ferraris have finished one-two in a Grand Prix, but it was the first time since Ferraris have swept the top two places in a season opener since Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi took first and second in the 1953 Argentine Grand Prix.

For Barrichello, who has yet to score his first Grand Prix victory, a win at home on Sunday would be a dream come true. He has raced in the Grand Prix here seven times and led for 23 laps last year, but his only finish was a fourth in 1994.

"In 1994," Barrichello recalled, "where I had a terrible qualifying and the race just came my way with fourth place. In 1996 I was fighting Michael (Schumacher) when I spun off, and last year there were engine problems. I find myself fighting myself here, and reliability."

But this year Barrichello enters the race with a competitive car and with a strong mental attitude.

"Coming here to my home race," Barrichello said, "I think I have improved both as a man and as a driver. It works my way now. It really helps to see my own public here at my own circuit. When people ask me about the pressure (of racing with Ferrari in Brazil), I can honestly say that its actually less than ever before.

"In the past I was trying to do exactly what I am trying to do now, but the difference is that now I have a competitive car. That equalizes the pressure and the performance. It used to be much more difficult to be trying to do something without the right car in which to do it."

Barrichellos teammate, Schumacher, has a superb finishing record in his eight races in Brazil. He has won the race twice, finished second once, third four times and fifth once.

Having Barrichello as the center of attention for the particular race is OK with Schumacher.

"Its good, because he does all the work!" Schumacher said. "He is the focus of the local people, and that allows me to get on with my work. I think he is good enough to win by himself: He doesnt need any help from me."

As in Australia, the Ferrari team is expecting its main competition to again be West McLaren-Mercedes drivers Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard. Both McLaren drivers retired from the Australian Grand Prix with engine problems.

Schumacher believes that this is the closest Ferrari has been to McLaren at the start of the season for several years.

"We are there," Schumacher said. "We are competitive. It was one of our targets to be there right from the beginning, and I believe we have fulfilled that. But we havent overtaken the McLarens. You cant expect that, because they have done as good a job as we wanted to do. But in recent years we werent able to get close to McLaren in the early stages of the season. This is the first year we have been competitive right from the beginning."

Hakkinen is hoping to win in Brazil. He won the Brazilian Grand Prix last year and went on to win the World Championship. The last six consecutive winners of the Brazilian Grand Prix have gone on to win the championship.

Sundays capacity crowd will number 62,000 fans. The organizers have added 10,000 grandstand seats since last year.

"The people here are just as excited about this race as I am," Barrichello said. "This is one of the few circuits where we can overtake, so I think you will see a good show this weekend."

Text provided by Paul Kelly

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.