German GP : Q & A Rubens Barrichello

Rubens Barrichello won at the Nurburgring in 2002 and he’s only failed to finish at the track in 14 starts. Here are his thoughts on the eve of this weekend’s German Grand Prix.

Rubens, you have an enviable record at the Nurburgring. What are your hopes this weekend?
RB: I really like the track and I’ll be giving my very best to score some more points for the team.

The weather forecast is changeable over the weekend. Is that something you relish?
RB: I love driving in the wet, but if it rains too hard – and we had some very heavy downpours on Thursday – there’s no way we can race. Rivers form quite easily here and it’s a very slippery track.

The FW33 wasn’t that competitive in the wet at Silverstone. Why was that?
RB: We were trying a different suspension configuration for the high-speed corners and it wasn’t suited to the wet. We had no grip and we were using the tyres too much.

In recent races, the pace of the car has been better in qualifying than in the race. Why is that?
RB: One race it’s one thing and the next race it’s something else. Fundamentally, we still have the same problem as last year, which is that we wear the rear tyres too much.

What can you tell us about your contract negotiations with AT&T Williams for 2012?
RB: My first choice is to stay with this team next year. Adam [Parr, chairman] and I emailed each other after Silverstone and we agreed to talk about it here, in Germany. I look forward to that.

I’m at a good place in my career because there isn’t the same pressure that I felt from 2008 to 2009, when I didn’t have a drive for four months over the winter. All I want for next year is to have a competitive car, which will allow me to use all of my knowledge and experience to get to the very top and try to win the world championship.

How optimistic are you about AT&T Williams’ chances in 2012?
RB: I can see the situation getting better. The Renault engine will be good and there are three or four issues with this year’s car that I’ve already spoken to Mike [Coughlan, chief engineer] about. He and I talk the same language, so the car can be better next year. By how much, we’ll only find out in February.

Finally, what are your feelings about the death of Sid Mosca?
RB: I was very sorry to hear of Sid’s passing yesterday. He painted my first helmet. He was so nice to me in the early days of my career because he saw that I was winning championships, but I didn’t have any money and he agreed to paint my first helmet for free. We miss you, my friend.