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civic_stylez
08-02-2005, 12:24 PM
Rubens Barrichello will leave Ferrari at the end of the current Formula One season, the Italian team said Tuesday.

Barrichello's place as number two driver to Michael Schumacher will be taken by fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa.

"Rubens Barrichello will leave Ferrari at the end of the 2005 season, bringing to an end a fruitful and successful collaboration that started in 2000 and helped bring us five constructors' championships," said a statement posted on Ferrari's official website.

Barrichello, 33, is being widely tipped to replace Takuma Sato at BAR Honda next season to partner Jensen Button.

Speaking on Sunday after the Hungarian Grand Prix, BAR sporting director Gil de Ferran, a close friend of Barrichello's, hinted the Brazilian was a target. "I think Rubens is a very good driver but we have no comment about the driver line-up for next year yet," he said.

Winner of nine Formula One races in his career, Barrichello has grown increasingly tired of living in the shadows of seven-time world champion Schumacher, who has committed to see out his contract which ends in 2006. Barrichello began his Formula One career with Jordan in 1993 and went on to be their longest serving driver to date. He enjoyed a solid first season but an unreliable car and some poor luck meant he finished in the points just once.

The following year he enjoyed his first podium finish at Aida in the Pacific GP and a fourth in his home GP at Interlagos. He suffered an horrific crash during practice for San Marino in 1994 but bounced back to take pole at Spa and finished sixth overall in the race.

The next two seasons at Jordan were fruitless and in 1997 he moved to the new Stewart team. Beset with car problems he endured a frustrating time there and in late 1999 he announced he would be joining Ferrari for the 2000 season, the year he won his first Grand Prix in Germany.

Source AFP