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It's difficult not to feel just a little bit sorry for Rubinho actually. He must have thought all his birthdays had come at once when Jean Todt offered him a drive at Ferrari. Maybe he finally thought his chance had come.

Then you get team orders. Rubinho claims that there isn't a clause in his contract that states he has to give way to Schumi, just that he has to follow the instructions of the team. However if he went to Ferrari expecting to be treated to the same equipment and dedication they give to Michael then he's more of a fool than we thought he was. Yes it's difficult to give way to someone else but he must have known that when he joined. It's not like it was a new policy, look at Eddie Irvine.

But still, he seems to think that now the burden of winning the first championship has gone things will be more equal. Then came Austria last year and the decision by Jean Todt to let Michael past, for "the championship". Rubens obliged but didn't like it. Didn't like it at all.

However despite Michael now having won two consecutive Ferrari championships it's difficult to imagine that Rubinho will have things any other way in 2002. For a start if you want to be treated equally in a team you have to prove you're at least as good as your teammante. Rubens isn't.

Last season he was outqualified by Michael an enourmous 16 times in 17 races. Michael beat him over the course of the season by, wait for it, 67 points, that is amazingly more than Ruben's entire points for the season - 56. Hardly looks like a case for equal treatment to us.

Rubens is unhappy with this position and it's not one that is going to be changed, or one that has any reason to be changed. The bottom line is that Rubens is never going to come close to winning a championship, whist Michael Schumacher is still racing. He simply isn't good enough. One win over the two seasons in which Michael gained 18 hardly gives us cause to believe that he's even capable of doing better.

2002 is going to be a massive uphill battle for Mr Barrichello. Michael's not getting worse and those Williams' are looking ominous. Expect him to struggle to finish in the top six. A second win does not look forthcoming.

Expect offers from Arrows, Prost and Jordan to be flooding in around September time. Rubinho your days at Ferrari look numbered.