Rubens Barrichello will race again for Williams in the 2011 season. The affable Brazilian is hugely experienced, have competed in more than 300 Grand Prix, and Williams who have for some time struggled to regain their former glory value his input. Ruben has twice finished second in the championship, 2002 and 2004 when driving for Ferrari, and finished third in the driver's championship with Brawn in 09.

Nationality & DoB	Brazilian , 23-05-72
Team	Williams
Car Number	11
Prior Teams	Brawn (09)
	Honda (08, 07, 06)
	Ferrari (05, 04, 03, 02, 01, 00)
	Stewart (99, 98, 97)
	Jordan (96, 95 ,94, 93)
Championships	0
Races	307 (303 starts)
Wins	11
Podiums	68
Pole Positions	14
Fastest Laps	17
First Race	1993 South African Grand Prix
First Win	2000 German Grand Prix
Last Win	2009 Italian Grand Prix

Barrichello, like many F1 drivers began racing in Karts. Barrichello was good, winning the Brazilian title on five occasions. Further success followed in the Formula Vauxhall Lotus series that he won in 1990 and then in 1991 he won the British Formula 3 Championship.

Jordan recruited Rubens to F1 in 1993, unfortunately the Jordan cars had poor reliability in the 93 season, resulting in relatively few finishes for the young Brazilian; however he finished a creatable fifth at the Japanese GP and ended the season in 18th place.

The 1994 season is remembered most for the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at the San Marino GP, Barrichello had also suffered a bad crashed in the Friday practice at the same race meeting. His season overall was good, with a forth in Brazil and a podium at Aida (Japan) and finishing sixth overall in the drivers' championship and importantly ahead of teammate Eddie Irvine. The 1995 season was once again undermined by poor reliability of the Jordan, with the only real highlight for Barrichello a second place in Montreal. Rubens finished the season in 11th place, but still ahead of team mate Irvine.

The 1996 season witnessed a slow decline in the competitiveness of the cars, and in the relationship between Jordan's principle Eddie Jordan and Barrichello. A poor season on the track helped ensure Barrichello changing teams. He contracted with the newly formed Stewart GP for the 1997 season.

The Stewart team struggled with car reliability in 1997, and as a result Barrichello only finished three races. However his second place finish at Monaco meant he was in 13th in the standings at season end, easily beating his team mate. The 1998 season for Stewart was similar to the previous year with the cars reliability at best poor. Barrichello had two fifth places and out performed his team mate. The reliability of the Stewart cars improved in 2009 and Barrichello had three podium finishes, and generally outperformed his team mate, attracting the attention of Jean Todt at Ferrari who signed him for the 2000 season.

Now at a much better team, Barrichello had the opportunity to demonstrate his talent, however, he was driving alongside Michael Schumacher, and regardless of if formal team orders were ever issued, he was, and would always be, the number two driver. Such is not to suggest he could not take a win if circumstances permitted. Further few would argue in a straight race with no favoritism Schumacher would not win every time against Barrichello, Michael was simply better.

Barrichello had a remarkable 2000 German GP, winning the race in wet conditions after starting from 18th place on the grid. The first win was significant in that it was the longest any driver in F1 has waited for a maiden grand prix win. Schumacher won the 2000 drivers' title and Barrichello was forth and helped Ferrari to win the constructors championship. In 2001Rubens continued to drive well with 10 podium finishes, but was comprehensibly beaten by Schumacher who won the title again with Barrichello in third place.

The 2002 season was highly successful for Ferrari, winning the constructors title again, and Schumacher the drivers' championship. Rubens won four races and he finished second in the drivers' standings. His position as number two driver was aptly illustrated in the Austrian GP when he slowed down to let Schumacher pass in the final straight to give Michael a win. (Team orders were banned by the FIA from 2003). In 2003, Schumacher once again won the drivers' title and Ferrari the constructors, Barrichello had two wins at the British and Japanese GP, and finished the season in forth.

Ferrari once again dominated the 2004 season with seven 1-2 finishes. Barrichello was victorious in Italy and China and was on the podium at 14 races. He ended the season with a career equaling best of second in the drivers' championship behind Schumacher.

Barrichello left Ferrari at the end of a disappointing 2005 season, the FIA rule changes relating to tyres had a greater affect of those teams, such as Ferrari, that used Bridgestone tyres. Barrichello finished the season in eighth place, with just two second place finishes during the year.

Joining the Honda team in 2006, he was perhaps surprised to be once again consistently bettered by his team mate Jenson Button. A forth at Monaco was his best result of the season, but he finished the year in seventh place in the championship, one place, but 26 points, behind team mate Button.  The results in 2007 were terrible, the car was just slow and both Honda drivers had a season to forget. Barrichello finished in 20th place. From such a low point things could only improve and in 2008 the results did have an upswing for Honda; Barrichello was on the podium once, at a wet Silverstone. Rubens finished the season in 14th, but the year was notable as he did beat Jenson Button in the standings and the 2008 Turkish GP was his 257thGrand Prix breaking Riccardo Patrese's record and becoming the most experienced driver in F1 history.

The 2008 was also notable because Honda announced they were quitting of F1. After much uncertainty, Ross Brawn arranged a management buyout of the team and announced that Rubens and Jenson Button would drive for the new Brawn team in 2009.

Jenson Button had an incredible start to the season winning six of the first seven races, however, Barrichello was also producing good results, and as the season advanced Button's results faltered, consequently Rubens win at Valencia (the 10th GP win of his career and first for five years) moved him into 2nd place in the championship and with a real chance of catching Button. Winning again in Monza he closed the point's gap further. A sixth place in   Singapore meant Button who had finished in fifth widen the points gap little. A 7th place in Japan to Button's eighth narrowed the gap to just 14 points.

Rubens had to do well in his home Grand Prix to keep his hopes of winning the title alive. Sensationally he qualified on pole with Button starting in 14th and the Red Bull Racing championship contender Sebastian Vettel in 16th. It was not meant to be, a puncture and an amazing drive by Button, resulted in a eighth place finish for Barrichello, and Button's fifth place finished closed the title race. Sebastien Vettel won the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi and finished 2nd in the championship. Barrichello's last realistic chance of glory was over. He finished third in the championship.

Rubens move to Williams for the 2010 season to race alongside the rookie Nico Hülkenberg seemed a sensible strategy for both team and driver. Rubens will know he will never be F1 champion, and Williams would not  have expecting him to win races for them, but his great experience will help Williams develop the car.

The season for Barrichello was less than memorable, however a fourth place finish in the European GP and a fifth place at Silverstone were high points. The car was upgraded for Valencia with a F-duct, and whilst Rubens was unable to qualify better than ninth, Williams pit stop strategy was superb and such put him into a fourth place.

The Belgian GP was Barrichello's 300th race, unfortunately, he had to retire after colliding with Alonso, but it is a remarkable achievement.

Some were a little surprised that Williams dropped Nico Hülkenberg at the end of 2010, but retained the ageing Barrichello who will be partnered by Pastor Maldonado, the GP2 Series champion. Many have predicted Barrichello's retirement but it seems unlikely that he will be competing after the 2011 season.
              

F1 record

Season	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1993	Jordan	16	0	0	0	0	2	18th
1994	Jordan	16	0	1	0	1	19	6th
1995	Jordan	17	0	0	0	1	11	11th
1996	Jordan	16	0	0	0	0	14	8th
1997	Stewart	17	0	0	0	1	6	13th
1998	Stewart	16	0	0	0	0	4	12th
1999	Stewart	16	0	1	0	3	21	7th
2000	Ferrari	17	1	1	3	9	62	4th
2001	Ferrari	17	0	0	0	10	56	3rd
2002	Ferrari	17	4	3	5	10	77	2nd
2003	Ferrari	16	2	3	5	10	65	4th
2004	Ferrari	18	2	4	4	14	114	2nd
2005	Ferrari	19	0	0	0	4	38	8th
2006	Honda	18	0	0	0	0	30	7th
2007	Honda	17	0	0	0	0	0	20th
2008	Honda	18	0	0	0	1	11	14th
2009	Brawn	17	2	1	2	6	77	3rd
2010	Williams	19	0	0	0	0	47	10th