While it can be fun to enjoy being in the spotlight because of someone else, it can get tiring really quickly. A lot of drivers have seen the reality of being a second driver in a team. And it was the same for Rubens Barrichello with Michael Schumacher. While the first driver always gets prioritized, the second drivers have to thread on the star driver’s glory.
This case has been for a lot of drivers on the grid, like Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. At certain times, the need to overshine the star driver can start growing. The same case was for Michael Schumacher’s teammate, Rubens. For Rubens, watching the star Ferrari driver steal his thunder was unexpected. The Brazilian was driving for Ferrari under Jean for a long time.
In his time with the red team, he improved increasingly and was ready to take charge of bringing home Championships. However, that is when Schumacher made his entry. As soon as he joined, he went on to win five consecutive Championship titles with the team. Although Barrichello agreed that Schumacher was better than him, he did not enjoy watching him being in the spotlight.
Michael Schumacher Becomes a Villain in Rubens Barrichello’s Story
Not too long after, Rubens talked about his experience as a teammate to Michael Schumacher. While everyone enjoyed Schumacher’s company, it was not the same for the Brazilian. When he was asked about his time as his teammate, although he praised Michael, he did not have many good things to say.
On his episode of Beyond the Grid Podcast, Rubens Barrichello talked about the unfairness he faced. Jean Todt’s favoritism towards Michael Schumacher cost him a fortune on his team. When talking to the Podcast he said,
“I didn’t want to sign. My contract said nothing about that. For my benefit, I accepted so many things. There were many things I did not accept, but some I did because I saw I was growing there. For six years I saw I was going forward and my time was coming.”
He had given up a lot to stay on his team and move ahead to become a Champion. However, all his dreams came crashing down when Schumacher walked in and won everything in front of him. Additionally, he said, “So it was tough for someone new to come in and say ‘ok give me the freedom’.”
Rubens also confessed to his time alongside Michael. According to him, he never helped out the Brazilian. He also never received any support from the Germans. There also used to be times when he was not invited to group meetings between the star and Jean.