Bathurst Supercars outing on Barrichello’s bucket list

Rubens Barrichello has revealed a long held dream to race a Supercar at Bathurst as he prepares to head to Australia next week to contest the inaugural S5000 round.

The Brazilian 11-time Formula 1 race winner has declared racing in Supercars’ showpiece event at Mount Panorama among his bucket list items to add to his decorated career.

While the ex-F1 star is renowned for his exploits in motorsport’s top tier, where he raced for 19 years winning races for Ferrari and Brawn GP, the 47-year-old has carved out an impressive career in touring cars.

Since joining the Stock Car Brazil V8 touring car class in 2012, Barrichello has won 12 races including the 2014 title.

However, a run at Bathurst remains a career goal with his love of the Great Race and Supercars fuelled by long time friend and countryman Max Wilson, who raced in the category from 2002-2008, while racking up seven Bathurst 1000 appearances.

“I would love to (drive a Supercar),” said Barrichello when asked by Speedcafe.com if he had been tempted to try his hand at Supercars.

“I always tell one of my best friends, Max Wilson, who drove there for such a long time, that I would love to be in Bathurst, and to be able to do that long race with him or with somebody there, so that’s on my bucket list, yes.”

Although entrenched in touring car racing these days, Australia has enticed the likeable Brazilian back to open wheel racing for the first time since a single season campaign in IndyCar back in 2012.

Next weekend will see Barrichello line up on the grid at Sandown for the maiden round of the new V8 powered open wheel S5000 formula.

Having been contacted by the series about the opportunity, he admits it took him less than two minutes to commit to the drive, and is excited to make a single-seater return.

“They (S5000) gave me a call and it took me two minutes to decide; it didn’t take me much long at all,” he added.

“I’m very excited. I’m racing more often now than I used to when I raced in Formula 1 for example. I’m always excited, I never thought I would get to my age and be more excited to race.

“I haven’t driven (an open-wheeler), like, for seven years, so it’s obviously going to take some laps then to get used to it.

“Obviously, I drove the Brawn GP car at Goodwood (Festival of Speed) and it felt like a bicycle, but you never know. I mean, it’s going to take me some laps for me to get used to it.”

Barrichello is expected to head to Australia early next week to begin preparations for the Sandown S5000 opener from September 20-22.