Rubens Barrichello is the last Brazilian to have won a Grand Prix. The former driver, who also holds the record for the most starts by a Brazilian in the premier class, won the Italian GP in 2009. Despite Brazil’s deep love for Formula 1, fans have been waiting for a long time for a new victory. According to Barrichello, there is hope on the horizon; Gabriel Bortoleto is a promising driver, and there is also Brazilian talent in the junior classes.
Rubens Barrichello began his Formula 1 career in 1993 and raced against the legendary Ayrton Senna. After stints with Jordan and Stewart, he ended up at Ferrari, where he worked with Michael Schumacher during one of the most dominant periods in the history of the sport. Later, he collaborated with Honda, Brawn GP, and finally Williams. In 2009, he won his last Grand Prix at Monza, in the season where teammate Jenson Button crowned himself champion.
Since then, no Brazilian has ever crossed the finish line first, despite Felipe Massa, Felipe Nasr, Nelson Piquet Jr., Bruno Senna, and Lucas di Grassi all being active in the sport. Gabriel Bortoleto is the latest Formula 1 driver hoping to put an end to this statistic. Barrichello praised the young driver and pointed to a promising generation of Brazilian drivers.
A Matter of Time
“He (Bortoleto) has a very high likability factor,” Barrichello explained to Pit Lane Chronicle. “He’s really doing well – he seizes his opportunities and takes his time. It’s incredibly beautiful to see. It’s strange to think that I was the last winner for Brazil. That was so long ago.” Barrichello is aware that there is plenty of talent in his home country. “Rafa Camara is also very good, and I hope he enters Formula 1 soon. I’m definitely a fan; he’s a very good driver.” Camara leads the Formula 3 championship with Trident and is part of Ferrari’s training school.
Despite the abundance of talent flowing from Brazil, money is often a limiting factor, as Barrichello knows. “Bortoleto is doing fantastic in Formula 1 and we have plenty of other promising drivers,” he emphasized. “But it remains a matter of money. Financially, Brazil is just not as strong as we sometimes think. That is a problem. At the same time, we see plenty of young talent on the kart tracks. The desire to reach the top of motorsport still exists. It’s just a matter of time before we have more Brazilian Formula 1 drivers.”
