When I first began to follow Formula One, it was the mid-nineties, the high days of the Schumacher - Hill battles. Of course, as a young Englishman, Damon Hill was my driver, piloting the blue, white and gold Rothman's Williams cars against the villainous Schumacher. I was delighted when Hill finally clinched the crown in 1996, albiet in a year when Schumacher was out of contention in an uncompetitive Ferrari. In the years since, the names that I followed on the television screens changed as drivers retired and left the sport: Hill retired in 1999, Johnny Herbert in 2000, Jean Alesi and Mika Hakkinen in 2001. Of the generation of drivers that raced in F1 in nineties, a scant few now remain - of those that do, only Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello raced before 1995; and Schumacher took a three-year break.
That just leaves Rubens Barrichello, the likeable Brazilian who, having proved himself faster than the Stig on Top Gear a few weeks ago, will compete in a record 300th Grand Prix next weekend at Spa in Belgium. It's a remarkable total for a driver who, when Honda pulled out of the sport a season and a half ago, looked as if he may have driven his last race. Of course, the Brawn team then rose from the ashes of the Honda outfit, and Barrichello went on to win two races in the Brawn car, helping the team to win the constructor's trophy. Rubens has certainly still got the skills to compete in F1, and, it has to be said, is having a better time of it this season than his old Ferrari team mate and fellow veteran Michael Schumacher.
Barrichello has seen a lot of change in his F1 career, most notably the switch to narrower cars and grooved tyres in 1998, and the change to the aerodynamically stripped-down cars raced in F1 this past season and a half. He has shown great pace throughout his career, and has always been popular due to his likeable persona. His maiden victory at the old Hockenheim in 2000 must rate as one of the most popular victories in recent times, and one of the most memorable. I'm sure quite a few fans will fondly recall Barrichello's tears of happiness on the podium following the race; it was a joyous scene. Like many drivers of his generation, Rubens spent the peak years of his career in the shadow of the great Michael Schumacher. He, along with fellow racers David Coulthard and Juan Montoya, may well wonder what might have been if Schumacher's domination had not been so complete. Nonetheless, Rubens' career is well sprinkled with victories, notably a battling win at Silverstone in 2003.
At the end of this season Barrichello will have notched up 306 races, and seems likely to continue racing with Williams next season, so a total in the low 320s is within reach. Will Rubens continue beyond that? It depends, but as long as he continues to show the same enthusiasm and pace, the possibilty will remain on the table. From my own perspective, it will quite a sad little moment when the last of the nineties' drivers leaves the sport, so I'm glad to see Rubens still dicing it on the race track. Wouldn't it be great if he got that Williams onto the podium this weekend?
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