Barrichello to drive for Caterham in Abu Dhabi?

[Agent Orange]

The latest, according to the major German daily Bild, is retired F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello, who apparently recently found enough sponsorship to contest the Austin, Interlagos and Abu Dhabi races as his "great farewell performance"

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/barrichello-coul...

Anyone else find this a bit sad and a sorry state of affairs? If true what does he hope to achieve?

[Agent Orange]

BritishRacinGrin said:

I find it a bit sad that people find it a bit sad. This isn't a 'comeback', this is an ex-F1 driver seizing an opportunity to race in F1 again because why not? Bit of fun. If you're a racer you want to race and if you've raced in F1 I imagine you want to do it as much as you possibly can. To be in the position to re-visit it and be part of the circus with your old pals one last time... a privilege.

Is the suggestion that an outing in an uncompetitive car is going to somehow 'blight' Ruben's career?

So F1 - the pinnacle of motorsport has a place for drivers to come back for a bit of fun?

Don't believe it'll blight Ruben's career. I do believe it'll blight F1.

Why not get Mansell back for the British GP in 2015? Even if all he did was tootle around in the back it would at least be fun. Sorry I don't get it. This isn't a masters or historic series.

His F1 career is over. Time for him to move on.

[Agent Orange]

BritishRacinGrin said:

Rubens only retired at the end of last season, he's still race fit, he has experience in KERS equipped cars, Pirelli tyres, modern F1 in general... and we're talking about a one-off here, for a team who needs that experience not a hot-headed kid straight out of the simulator with only a day and a half of testing.

He retired end of 2011 but it's not that I doubt Ruben's abilities.

It's the combination of a team running around with begging bowl to fans for crowd funding, limping from race to race and finally relying on a long since retired driver to pay his way so they can race to hopefully claim the 2 points to give them a nice large $$MM bonus.

Hence why I suspect Marussia are now planning to "race" at Abu Dhabi to cover the Caterham threat.

It all adds up to a very sorry state of affairs for F1 with Ruben's now being right in the middle of that if he drives.

[Agent Orange]

BritishRacinGrin said:

So when you started this thread with Barrichello in the title, the 'sorry state of affairs' concerns F1 as a whole and the fact that Rubens is driving is not really your issue with it? This is really just another 'F1 is doomed' thread, only with Rubens in the title?

Then what's the thrust of this sentence? I presuming you're referring to Rubens...

Agent Orange said:

what does he hope to achieve?

The Caterham team is a somewhat sad and shambolic affair. I can understand your point that he might want one last hurrah (don't we all!) but to do it will this team? Why? Paying for a drive in a st team to tootle around in last place?

Feels sad to me but seems I'm in the minority and we should instead applaud him.