F1 to One
with Rubens Barrichello - Jordan.
F1 Racing, October 1996.

Q: Are you going to leave Jordan?
A: I don't know yet. There are some discussions going on but there are far more rumours than talks. I'm not sure.

Q: Have you spoken to Arrows/TWR?
A: I'm not going to say we haven't talked, but it's too early to say anything. But, like Eddie Jordan, we can see that Tom Walkinshaw is a winner.

Q: After four years, would you stay at Jordan?
A: Why not? Look at Nelson Piquet, he stayed at the same team (Brabham) for seven years and won the title twice. One day it was good, one day it was bad.

Q: What about your relationship with the team?
A: That has always been good. The question is whether we will have the performance we should have, or not.

Q: What are Jordan's strengths?
A: They have the ability to laugh and the atmosphere is good.

Q: And their weaknesses?
A: Sometimes they lack organisation. Sometimes I think they are like a boy trying to be an adult. They have only been in Formula 1 for five or six years and if you compare this to the big teams they are doing very well. But if you have a boy of 18-years-old who is getting £50 a month and suddenly he gets £1000, for sure in the first year he will spend the money in places he shouldn't. But then he learns and things get better. I think that is what's happening.

Q: Will you go to Indycars?
A: It's not what I want. Brazil is interested in having me there because of the television fight. There are eight Brazilians in Indycar, but the three Brazilians in Formula 1 have a bigger audience. They think that if I went there it might swing the figures. If I can't find a good car maybe I should, because when you've had the same thing for four years in F1, you want more. I'm sure people like Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert want the same. They have been in F1 a long time without the chance to go for wins.

Q: Do you think you can ever win an F1 race?
A: I know I am capable of doing it. I want to stay and try but my manager, Geraldo Rodriguez, went to the Indycar race in Vancouver to investigate my options.

Q: Have you been deeply frustrated this year?
A: I think we've had chances to be on the podium and for various reasons we haven't done it. So far the year has been better than 1995. The engine is a lot more reliable and things are going better. But we have lacked performance at the last five or six races. It is disappointing because we should be going better.

Q: What's the problems with the car?
A: The engine is very strong but part of the reason we are going so quick in a straight line could be the lack of aerodynamic downforce. It could be. I'm not saying for certain because we're not sure, but no downforce means no drag either.

Q: Is the car getting better or worse?
A: I think it's getting better, but the others have made even more progress. McLaren, Benetton, and Ferrari have all improved.

Q: Does not winning hurt?
A: It's been tough. In my third race with Jordan, at Donington in 1993, I almost finished on the podium. I have never had the chance to finish first but you have to adjust your sights. In the first year, qualifying 14th was like pole for me. In '94 I had chances to qualify in the top four or five and I had pole at Spa. Last year was frustrating. I had to rediscover myself and how to approach F1. This year has been better. With the package I have, I think I have achieved the maximum. And that's the feeling you need to have.

Q: Do you get on with your team-mate Martin Brundle?
A: After Irvine, I thought another British team-mate would be a bit of a problem. In fact it never has been. Martin is the nicest guy I have ever had as a team-mate. He shares everything and he understands that I do as well. He is experienced, I learn from him and it has been very good. I hope he says the same about me!