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Rubens Barrichello To Test Indy Car At Sebring

 
1,149 views Jan 27, 2012

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With his Williams seat gone away and the balance of the grid slots closed as well, the longest serving driver in Formula 1 is starting to look at his options. 

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello will take his first laps in an IZOD Indy car at Sebring International Raceway next week in an exploratory test session with KV Racing Technology, where his good friend, 2004 INDYCAR champion Tony Kanaan drives a Chevrolet/Dallara/Firestone machine. 

Barrichello has a two-day test scheduled on Monday and Tuesday to see if he really does have an interest in driving the new Indy car. 

Even as he congratulated Bruno Senna on taking the Williams seat, Rubens also said, "Things are wide open because I still have lots of speed on me; just like an old friend said, racing is in my blood."

Already in the Orlando area and enjoying karting outings with his children, Barrichello is still hesitant to compete on ovals, as his wife asked him not to do so.

It's conceivable the veteran could take the same route four-time Champ Car titleholder Sebastien Bourdais did in 2011 and compete only on the road and street courses in 2012, helping to develop the new Dallara safety cell with KV Racing and Kanaan. The team could find a stand-in for the oval races. 

If the Indy cars get his blood flowing, perhaps Barrichello might be the next Formula 1 driver to cast his lot with INDYCAR? After all, there are only four ovals on the current schedule--although a fifth is rumored if The Milwaukee Mile can get a good promotional agreement in place--and the Indianapolis 500, one of those oval races, is always a great draw for any driver.

Throughout a Formula 1 career stretching from 1993-2011 without interruption, Barrichello, driving for a total of six teams, has 322 starts, 11 victories, 68 podiums and 14 pole positions. He also set fastest lap in 17 contests. Barrichello has 658 career points, and is extremely capable of outpacing his teammates.



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