Rubens Barrichello admires his son Eduardo at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

In Qatar, you told the media that you would like to do endurance running with your two sons. Have you made any progress on this idea?

No, it is still too early for that. I mean it could happen as early as next year. I do a lot of races myself. After Qatar, I couldn’t go to Spa or Imola. And I have two sons who race, so I have to juggle that too… For example, I’m going back to Brazil because I have a race, but then I’ll go to Hungary to see Fernando, Eduardo’s brother. And I haven’t had the chance to talk about this opportunity and this idea, so it’s a good time for me to walk through the garages and talk.

But, you know, Eduardo manages so well that the best way to get a spot is speed. For example, when you move from Stewart to Ferrari, it’s because they believe in your speed and your ability to win races.

What Eduardo is doing right now is simply incredible. I am very proud. And I think this will give him the chance to progress and perhaps open the door for us, because obviously I don’t want to hinder his career.

His brother is very successful in Euro Formula. But today, I am just a visitor who wants to drive with his sons.

If you were to run one day with your sons, in which category would it be?

I think we are ready physically and mentally for all categories. I believe my children are all prepared for this. I’m 53 years old, but I’ve never stopped racing. So I qualified for the world karting championship this year, and I will go to Bahrain at the end of the year. Therefore, I’ve done a lot of racing, even more than when I was in Formula 1. So, I think we are well prepared.

The only thing is that for the GT3, we need to see the license, because obviously, I am classified as gold, and I have requested a downgrade. They told me that once you are platinum, you remain platinum. From my point of view, you should be classified as bronze once you turn 60. But I don’t know how one becomes silver.

For me, being demoted would be fantastic because my children have two silver statuses, but I don’t know what they will become in the future, but it doesn’t matter. If we have something really competitive, it won’t matter.

Le Mans generates a lot of passion, a lot of love. For the people who know me, who know that I love my children, they will certainly understand what I mean when I want to race with them.

Do you think it’s possible to win Le Mans in GT3 or LMP2 at 55 years old or older?

I think so, yes. Especially if we keep running and maintain a competitive level. Eduardo was my teammate in stock car racing last year, you should ask him. He will tell you whether I was competitive or not.

What is it like for you to see your sons in competition?

I am a very proud dad. For me, it’s special to be a coach. I have the pleasure of being their father, being here, experiencing the moment. I am very impressed by how quickly Eduardo has progressed.

Eduardo told us he was the boss of the motorhome now.

Yes, he put me in the smallest room. I could see he was happy because he is finally the boss. He told me, if you want the big room, you have to sleep with me (laughs).

In 2017 you raced at Le Mans. Have you seen a change in the atmosphere?

There is an incredible audience. A lot of people come here. It’s nice to see all these people here, who moreover are happy with a big smile on their face.

What are your memories of this edition?

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a competitive car. I was driving a Dallara, and we didn’t qualify well. We had good top speed, but we were at a standstill in the corners.

As you can imagine, I gave my best and promised myself that I would return in better conditions. But I drive a lot in Brazil…

Many drivers of your generation have raced for a long time and in a good way, how do you explain this passion?

I fell in love with speed at six years old. It’s still in me. Every time I shift into first gear and pull out of the pits, and then throughout the gears, I love what I do so much. When I qualified for the world karting championship and finished P4, a lot of people called me, even Button called me.

Jensen called me and said, “You’re crazy, man.” Because I was still racing with the boys, not with the Masters. And he said to me, “How can you do that? The other day, I jumped on the kart and felt so bad.”

Personally, I have more time for myself. Outside of Formula 1, I can obviously be a father. I can be an athlete. I can work for my sponsors. I’m simply in love with speed and, of course, the challenge. I think that each time we learn in life, the difficulty is there for us to improve, not to make us sad.

A few years ago, you were invited on the show Top Gear. You had beaten the Stig. For some, this might be anecdotal, but many see it as a real challenge.

The real story is that I was at Silverstone and I was told to go to this place to take on a challenge for Top Gear. I didn’t even know the show at the time. When they put me in this Suzuki Liana, I just floored it.

I didn’t know what they expected from me. The Stig came up to me and said, “I adore you” because I was very fast. I beat his time. After that, many people in England knew me because I was a Formula 1 driver and others knew me because I had beaten the Stig.

After that, it was fun but Nigel Mansell tried, Lewis Hamilton too… And they didn’t beat it. I was proud.