“Alonso is doing amazing”

Rubens Barrichello (May 23, 1972, Sao Paulo, Brazil) continues to enjoy motorsports at the age of 51, competing in the famous Brazilian Stock Car competition, where he was proclaimed twice champion in 2022 and where this year he is 3rd. He left F1 in 2011 aged 39, after 19 seasons in the ‘Great Circus’. And he continues to enjoy his great passion for motorsports competing in IndyCar it’s time Brazilian Stock Car, and later at Le Mans, the SportsCar championship, the Blancpain GT, the Argentine Super TC 2,000, the Italian GT championship and the Porsche Endurance. A globetrotter still active at age 51, setting the best possible example to his two sons, also pilots, Eduardo ‘Dudu’ and Fernando ‘Fefo’. He said all this with Mundo Deportivo in a relaxed conversation, the result of which is the report published by MD this Friday: The Barrichellos, family passion and a common dream.

In perfect Spanish, Rubens Barrichello revealed that his dream is to one day run the 24 Hours of Le Mans sharing a car with his two children. In that sense, ‘Rubinho’ made it clear that Rubens was there for a while. Inevitably, then, ask him about another veteran driver like Fernando Alonso, who at 42 years old is at the highest level in F1 and impressed with one of his best F1 seasons in 2023, with up to 8 podium. Barrichello explained, in excellent Spanish, the result of his years in Europe to carve out a future for F1 “since he was 16 years old”, and his conversations over the years with drivers such as of Fernando Alonso, with an Argentine accent for his two years in TC2000, he pointed out how piloting develops beyond 40 years, surely there are things that pilots can keep for many years.

“How does Alonso continue at the highest level at the age of 42? In the end, it’s all inside us. It’s not outside, not what you’re talking about or anything. This is what we want to do. I love you so much, love pilot. Certainly, when you go from 40 to 50, the physical part… the eyes… you start having a little more problems. But the thinking part and all the exercises I’ve been doing for years can be sustained over time, I’m very trained to continue doing this for years.he argued, using his same example to talk about the much rope that Fernando still left in F1.

“Fernando is doing amazing. It’s great to see”‘Rubinho’ ended up with his children. One of them, ‘Fefo’, made it clear that Fernando’s example on the track was perfect for learning and improving as a driver.

“Of course I pay attention to Fernando”commented Fernando Barrichello, 19 years old, under the watchful eye of his father. “When my father was in F1 I was young. But I always use great people as inspiration, not only inside the car, but also outside, athletes who work hard, who do everything for the sport because of love . I love to see drivers like my father, or like Alonso, who is there at the age of 42, who can go home and do nothing, but he really wants to do what he does. And my father, who sees him at 51 years old racing in Stock Car because he loves it so much. They are a big inspiration for me”said the young ‘Fefo’ for his part.