Official: Barrichello will compete in the entire 2012 IndyCar season

After several weeks of negotiations—mostly familial—Rubens Barrichello has finally made official his transition to the IndyCar Series, after seeing all doors leading to a twentieth season in Formula One closing in front of him: “I am thrilled, it is something completely new for me,” expressed the Brazilian driver. “I must thank everyone involved, especially Tony [Kanaan] because he has been involved for a long time. I will start as a rookie, but I think I will improve as the season progresses. My main goal is to contribute positively to the team. They have performed very well [in the past], and Tony helped them reach another level last year, so I hope that with my contribution, we can build on that and take the team to a new level. I am extremely happy and have a huge smile on my face.”

Rubens Barrichello’s commitment to IndyCar was, however, more of an open secret, as the Brazilian driver and KV Racing seemed enthusiastic. Still, uncertainty hung over his participation in some oval races scheduled on the calendar, which raised objections from the Brazilian driver’s wife: “She knows that I’m happy, she can see it in my eyes, so she is happy for me,” confides Rubens Barrichello during a teleconference organized with Brazilian journalists, after missing his wedding anniversary to participate in tests at Sonoma last week. “What happened was that one day, we were watching an oval race, and there was an accident. She looked at me and said, ‘You are never going to do that, are you?’ I replied that I didn’t plan to because I hoped to stay in Formula One for 25 years.”

But the Brazilian will not be in F1 in 2012 and still, according to general opinion, has much to offer to motorsport. To convince his wife, he had to resort to cunning: « My kids wanted to see dad race on ovals, so we had some fun. It was a setup. I briefed the boys and they went to see their mother. They asked her if it was true that she didn’t want to see me race on ovals, and she replied that she preferred to see me race on regular circuits. So, in unison, we told her: « Fortunately, mom doesn’t tell us what to do! » It was funny! » Grateful, the KV Racing team wanted to pay tribute, on their Twitter account, to the persuasive power of Rubinho’s little ones: « Thanks to Rubens Barrichello’s children who convinced his wife to let him compete for the whole season. »

The former Williams driver, who thus follows a little more in the footsteps of Nigel Mansell, admits his fascination for oval tracks, which have nevertheless shown, during the final race of the 2011 championship, held in Las Vegas, that they can be dangerous: « Every time we talked about Indy, at the back of my mind I always wanted to know what the experience was like, to know what could go through a driver’s mind at such high speeds » explains the Paulista before admitting that he is taking a leap into the unknown by committing to a full program in IndyCar. « Despite all my experience, I have no idea how to set up a car on an oval. » Before his first oval race, scheduled on the famous Indianapolis 500-mile track, the Brazilian will be able to discover the sensations and challenges offered by ovals during a test session held at the Texas Motor Speedway.

After a test session at the Sebring circuit at the end of January, the Brazilian took the wheel of the KV Racing Technology DW12, powered by Chevrolet, at the Infineon Raceway circuit in Sonoma last week for new tests. On the last day, he was 9 tenths of a second off the best time set by Penske driver and title contender Will Power. However, the Brazilian had already made a strong impression on his new bosses from his first laps in an IndyCar: « I was at Sebring when Rubens first got into an IndyCar. His smile when he got out was a great moment, and it lasted three days. Rubens topped the time sheet of the tests, showcasing his speed and his experience in car setup. Teamed up with his ‘brother’, Tony Kanaan, it promises an exciting and successful season for the drivers, the team, and the fans », says Kevin Kalkhoven, co-owner of KV Racing Technology, in an official statement.

For his part, Jimmy Vasser – the “V” in KV Racing – admits his excitement to see Rubens Barrichello and Tony Kanaan defending his team’s colors: « Rubens is shaping up to be a serious asset and, last year, Tony once again demonstrated his leadership skills and his ability to compete for victory and the title. The arrival of Rubens and the return of Tony, alongside E.J. Viso, give KV Racing Technology a very solid line-up and, I’m sure, a line-up that can fight for podiums and victories. »

Also made official by the KV Racing Technology team, Tony Kanaan is excited at the prospect of working with his “brother”: « We had always dreamed of racing together but never imagined it would actually happen, and certainly not in such a near future or in IndyCar. »

But Tony Kanaan is not the only one showing enthusiasm for Rubens Barrichello’s arrival in IndyCar. Randy Bernard, director of the IndyCar Series, said: “It’s an exciting day for the IndyCar Series and something positive before we start 2012. We’ve always said that one of the most important factors in making the discipline successful is having the best drivers in the world, and nobody who knows motorsports will tell you that Rubens Barrichello isn’t one of them. I think it’s interesting to hear the reaction from other drivers. Their response was: ‘It’s great for us because it’s going to show how good our drivers are.’ There are millions of fans who will want to see how he does.”

Four-time champion of the discipline and cousin of Paul di Resta, Dario Franchitti also welcomes the Brazilian with open arms: « It can only be positive. It raises the level of competition even higher. Besides the guys we already know are tough to beat, it adds the name of a renowned driver to compete against. »