Rubens Barrichello
A Formula One stalwart whose relentless speed and 322 race starts made him the sport's most experienced driver, yet ultimate championship glory remained just out of reach.
Born 1972 (age 54)·Brazilian racing driver·Birthday: May 23·Generation X
Biography
Rubens Barrichello's career is a study in longevity, resilience, and unfulfilled potential. Bursting onto the F1 scene as a prodigiously talented young Brazilian, he carried the hopes of a nation still mourning Ayrton Senna. His early years at Jordan and Stewart were marked by flashes of brilliance in uncompetitive cars. A move to Ferrari in 2000 placed him alongside Michael Schumacher, casting him in a supporting role where he dutifully contributed to constructors' championships but was often asked to defer his own ambitions. His 11 Grand Prix victories, including an emotional first win at Hockenheim in 2000, proved he had the raw pace. After Ferrari, he found a late-career resurgence with Brawn GP, nearly winning the 2009 title. His record for most Grand Prix starts stood for years, a testament to his enduring passion and skill behind the wheel.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Rubens was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rubens Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Rubens's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He holds the record for the most Formula One Grand Prix starts in history, with 322 entries between 1993 and 2011.
- He won 11 Formula One Grands Prix, including a dramatic first victory at the 2000 German Grand Prix.
- He finished as runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship twice, in 2002 and 2004 with Ferrari.
- After F1, he won the Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series championship twice, in 2014 and 2022.
Did You Know?
He is the godfather to the son of his former Ferrari teammate, Michael Schumacher.
He survived a near-fatal crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the same weekend Ayrton Senna died.
He holds the record for the most consecutive race finishes, with 81 from the 2004 Chinese GP to the 2008 Italian GP.
His nickname 'Rubinho' is a Portuguese diminutive meaning 'Little Rubens.'
“If you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver.”
