2000 German Grand Prix – record-breaking duck
Barrichello served a long apprenticeship before he landed a top drive. Four seasons with Jordan followed by three with Stewart harvested four podium finishes, before he landed the chance his talent deserved at Ferrari.
Joining as team-mate to Michael Schumacher, around whom the team was centred, would test Barrichello’s resolve over the next six years – but the fact his stint lasted that long says everything about his value as the ultimate team player. And in his first season he broke his winless duck in style – with a little help from a bizarre moment of madness.
A troubled qualifying left him just 18th on the grid, but Barrichello went to work on the old Hockenheim, with its long straights and tricky stadium section. By his first pitstop on lap 17 he was up to a brilliant third before the safety car was called for the most unlikely reason. A disgruntled ex-Mercedes employee chose to make a potentially deadly protest out on the circuit, and you could say he had his revenge: the Merc-powered McLarens lost their huge lead and eventually the victory.
But if Barrichello was gifted his chance, he still had plenty of work to do to earn the win. Rainfall forced most to pit, but Rubens gambled on staying out on dry-weather tyres and slithered through the stadium section on the edge of disaster. It paid off as he led home Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard to win at the 124th time of asking – itself a new record.