Jerez: Rubens is comfortably quickest

Rubens Barrichello gave Williams a welcome boost on Sunday as he clocked the fastest time at Jerez - not only for the day, but also the week

Barrichello, whose Williams team have had an on-going fight with their KERS unit over the course of the four-day test, clocked a 1:19.832 early on Sunday morning to set the benchmark time for the day.

His time proved to be unbeatable and with heavy rain falling late in the afternoon, any attempts at a final run for the P1 time were put to rest.

But despite being exceptionally quick, half a second up on the week's previous best time set by Michael Schumacher on Friday, the Brazilian's day was not without problems as he brought out the red flags an hour before the close of play when he stopped between Turns Five and Six.

His P1 time was also a one-off as immediately after setting it, Barrichello's times dropped by almost one-and-a-half seconds.

Second place on Sunday went to Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, who was 0.769s off the pace. He too had a few problems, spinning his C30 off the track and into the gravel during the morning session.

Fernando Alonso, who yet again was the busiest driver on track in his F150th Italia, claimed third place, 1.242s behind Barrichello as he worked on short runs during the morning session. Ferrari later swapped to long-distance heavy-fuel runs in the afternoon.

Sebastien Buemi showed promise in his Toro Rosso STR6, bringing the car home in fourth place while F1 was taken on a walk down memory lane as Bruno Senna stepped into the Lotus Renault R31 for the final day at Jerez.

The nephew of the late Ayrton Senna has been signed as a test driver for the team for this year's Championship and was given the chance to show what he can do. Lotus Renault spent the past two days evaluating Nick Heidfeld and Senna to see who will fill in for the injured Robert Kubica.

Senna brought his car home in fifth place, with a 1:21.400, which was 1.568s slower than the P1 time. But, perhaps more importantly, he brought the car home without any major mistakes and with only one spin, which he managed to keep off the gravel and away from the barriers.

Team Lotus will be happy to see Heikki Kovalainen finish in sixth place despite a water leak, beating the Mercedes GP of Nico Rosberg. The latter's day, though, was once again problematic as a rather frustrated Rosberg broke down on track during the morning's session.

Reigning World Champ Sebastian Vettel was next in line, ahead of the McLaren of Jenson Button. Both teams won't be worried about their apparent lack of pace as it must be noted that times were not what they were seeking as they focused mainly on long-distance runs.

Jerome D'Ambrosio, who spun in the gravel to bring out the day's first red flag, and Paul di Resta, who spun at the same place as the Belgian to bring out the day's last stoppage, completed the timesheets.

And for those wondering, some of the drivers did opt to put in a few laps in the rain late in the day using the intermediate Pirelli tyres. Buemi clocked a 1:36 and a 1:35, Alonso a 1:38 and a 1:40 while Rosberg and Barrichello both did 1:42s.

The next pre-season test is scheduled for Barcelona, beginning on 18 February.

Times
01. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:19.832 103 laps
02. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:20.601 + 0.769 86 laps
03. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:21.074 + 1.242 115 laps
04. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:21.213 + 1.381 90 laps
05. Bruno Senna Lotus Renault 1:21.400 + 1.568 68 laps
06. Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus 1:21.632 + 1.800 43 laps
07. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:22.103 + 2.271 45 laps
08. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:22.222 + 2.39 90 laps
09. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:22.278 + 2.446 70 laps
10. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1:22.985 + 3.153 45 laps
11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:23.111 + 3.279 99 laps

Source: Planet-F1

Barrichello seat still not secure

Rubens Barrichello says he hopes to stay with the Williams team in 2011 amid reports his seat at the team is far from secure.

The veteran of over 300 grands prix said last month that he was '100 per cent' certain that he would be with the team next year but now it appears that both Barrichello and team-mate Nico Hulkenberg have an equal chance of being replaced, most probably by Venezuelan pay-driver Pastor Maldonado.

"I've done a good job this year and I'm focused on the car for next year, so I'm hoping to stay," said Barrichello in a Portuguese interview with Reuters.

GP2 champion Maldonado carries a reported US $15 million of sponsorship from state-owned petroleum company PDVSA, making him an extremely attractive proposition to the Grove based team who are set to lose a number of sponsors including RBS.

And a recent report in Auto Motor und Sport reveals that the Oxfordshire based team does not intend to confirm either Hulkenberg or Barrichello until the winter period.

When asked on Thursday if a deal is in place to keep him, Barrichello said: "That's something you will have to ask Williams."

Doubts into Barrichello's future at the team were raised when engineering boss Patrick Head said Hulkenberg had performed well enough in 2010 to keep his seat.

"I think Nico has done enough, both before he entered F1 and since being in F1, to support the view that he is a justified driver," commented Head in Korea.

Source: ESPNF1

Ferrari congratulate Barrichello for milestone

Ferrari has congratulated its former driver Rubens Barrichello for notching up his milestone 300th Grand Prix this weekend in Belgium.

The veteran Brazilian drove for the Maranello based team between 2000 and 2005, although he often looks back ruefully at the time spent as number two to Michael Schumacher.

But Ferrari's current team boss Stefano Domenicali said 300 career races, to be achieved at the wheel of a Williams at Spa-Francorchamps, is a "remarkable achievement" for the 38-year-old.

"He was part of our team when it was living through a great period in its history and he made a very significant contribution to our success at that time," added the Italian.

Since 1993, Barrichello has also driven for Jordan, Stewart and Brawn, although 9 of his 11 victories were at the wheel of a Ferrari.

"I feel very privileged to have been in the sport for such a long time and it feels great to reach this milestone," said Barrichello, who so far has contested 44 races more than Riccardo Patrese's impressive previous record.

"I still think I am at the top of my game and plan to continue being competitive long past my 300th," he added.

Source: Motorsport

Barrichello poised for 300th Formula 1 race

Rubens Barrichello will make history this weekend by becoming the first driver in Formula 1 to hit his third century of Grand Prix starts. Having begun the adventure for Jordan in the 1993 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, the Brazilian now returns to a circuit on which his first pole position arrived one year later.

Mastering the wet conditions in a topsy-turvy qualifying session at Spa 16 years ago, Barrichello qualified in front of Michael Schumacher’s Benetton and Damon Hill’s Williams; and it is Williams with whom the Paulista hits this significant milestone.

“Spa is a great racing circuit,” he said on Tuesday. “I took my first pole there and have won at Spa while racing in the lower categories, so I’m looking forward to it.

"It’s always a challenging track and I imagine it will be even more so now that we are carrying full tanks.

“It can be quite tricky in terms of car setup because it’s so long and you need to have a car fast enough to take on corners like La Source and Eau Rouge. It really all depends on the aero efficiency of the car as to what your lap time is. Drivers tend to go for quite different downforce levels at Spa, so there’s always opportunities to overtake.

“This race will be my 300th in Formula 1. I feel very privileged to have been in the sport for such a long time and it feels great to reach this milestone. I still think I am at the top of my game and plan to continue being competitive long past my 300th GP!”

Source: GP Update

FIA press conference schedule - Turkey

Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher and Red Bull’s Mark Webber are among the five drivers answering questions on Thursday, while Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali will face the media alongside other senior team personnel on Friday. The line-up in full…

Thursday, May 27, 1500 hours local time (1200 GMT):
Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Karun Chandhok (HRT), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes GP), Jarno Trulli (Lotus) and Mark Webber (Red Bull).

Friday, May 28, 1600 hours local time (1300 GMT):
Ross Brawn (Mercedes GP), Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari), Adam Parr (Williams) and Franz Tost (Toro Rosso).

The qualifying and post-race conferences with the top three drivers will take place immediately after the respective sessions.

Source: Formula1.com

Barrichello plays down steering wheel toss

Rubens Barrichello has denied claims he recklessly endangered his F1 rivals after crashing out of Sunday's Monaco grand prix.

The Brazilian veteran threw his steering wheel onto the racing line after shunting due to a technical problem whilst climbing Beau Rivage at high speed.

The impacts dented the Armco barriers on both sides of the Monaco layout, and in apparent frustration Barrichello, who turns 38 this Sunday, threw his $50,000 steering wheel onto the track.

It was promptly run over by Karun Chandhok, who dragged the expensive debris all the way to the tunnel before it came loose and was run over again by Bruno Senna.

It was a spring from Barrichello's Brawn that last year struck the hapless Felipe Massa on the helmet.

It is also a fundamental rule breach not to re-connect the steering wheel after abandoning a stricken car.

"What was he doing?," Chandhok said of Barrichello. "Charlie (Whiting) actually asked me about it. You see on the video that he just throws it."

But the Williams driver insists: "I threw the steering wheel because I wanted to get out of the car as soon as possible.

"After the shunt I was facing the wrong side of the track and the car was on fire," he argued.

Williams co-owner Patrick Head also defended his driver.

"If you are standing in the middle of a 120mph corner, you tend to think 'let's get out of here as quickly as you can'."

Source: F1 Complete

Barrichello slams Brazilian media after 'crap' comment

Rubens Barrichello has slammed his critics who claim he angrily described the Williams and Virgin cars as "porcarias".

In his native Portuguese, the mild obscenity translates roughly as "piece of junk" or even "crap", after the 37-year-old finished the Malaysian GP a lap down, while his rookie countryman Lucas di Grassi was lapped three times in the Virgin.

"After the race I joked during a press conference with di Grassi that we needed to greatly improve our 'porcarias' to catch up with the new championship leader and our friend Massinha," Barrichello clarified.

"It was totally (in) fun and everyone who was there felt it in exactly the same way. But some others said I had spoken badly of my team.

"While people in his country (India) look on the bright side and applaud Karun Chandhok for finishing 15th, some Brazilians insist on looking at things the other way," he added.

Source: Motorsport

Barrichello: "Hulkenberg tried too hard in Bahrain"

Nico Hulkenberg tried "too hard" during his grand prix debut in Bahrain last weekend, but Rubens Barrichello backs the young German to get up to speed.

22-year-old Hulkenberg, with A1, F3 and GP2 titles all under his belt, was outpaced in qualifying to the tune of a half-second by his Williams teammate Barrichello at the 2010 season opener.

After an early spin, Hulkenberg then finished a lap behind in the race, while the veteran Barrichello scooped the final point in the sister FW32.

Barrichello set the sixth fastest lap of the race, while Hulkenberg's was nearly 2 seconds slower, and the youngster also lost time on the way into the pits.

"Sometimes, Nico wants too much," his manager Willi Weber is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Barrichello, 37, agrees: "Nico is a very good driver, but he is also very young. In formula one you can try too hard.

"It was his first qualifying," added the holder of a record 289 grands prix. "In qualifying it is not just about driving, but also your head, and this is what he has to get used to.

"It would be unfair to expect more," Barrichello said.

Source: F1 Complete

Jerez: Vettel takes over as the rain comes down

Sebastian Vettel set the pace at Jerez on Thursday morning as the rain came down and the red flag count came up.

With light rain falling and more forecast throughout the day, the second day of testing got underway in Portugal with Felipe Massa taking control of the timesheets with a 1:28.879.

Moments later, though, the Brazilian was forced back into the pits as Jerez experienced its first stoppage of the day. Virgin's Timo Glock, who had completed 15 laps in the opening 40 minutes, put his VR01 in the gravel, bringing out the red flags as the marshals went about returning his car to the pits.

Once underway again, Sebastian Vettel made a bid for Massa's P1 slot but had to settle for second place while Ferrari revealed that their driver would have an enforced rest in the pits.

"We have a technical issue: the stop will not be short... Nothing serious but it will take time to sort it out," the team reported.

With the rain coming down harder the drivers put in the laps but without making any impact on the timesheets. In fact, it was the rain that made the bigger impact, bringing out the second red flag due to standing water on the track.

The weather was so bad halfway through the morning that Williams reported that they were even having problems completing pit stop practices with Rubens Barrichello.

"The team are trying to do pit stop practice with RB but it's too wet - only two done so far. Keep your fingers crossed for some dry weather!" they announced.

Barrichello also suffered a minor off, which resulted in the third stoppage of the morning. However, the Brazilian was able to get his car back on track and return to the pits.

With the rain finally letting up, the drivers headed back out with Heikki Kovalainen completing his first timed lap as a Lotus driver.

The Finn had been out earlier in the day, putting in three installation laps before his rather smokey T127 forced him to park in the team's garage.

But after almost two hours in the pits, Kovalainen came out again to clock a 1:36.7, improving to a 1:34.932 before heading back into the pits.

Another late starter was Renault's Vitaly Petrov. He set his first time an hour before the midday break and it was a rather slow 1:42.527 for the Russian.

Meanwhile, back at the front, Vettel and Rosberg both launched attacks on the P1 slot with Vettel, who put in the morning's longest run of 25 laps, taking second place before Rosberg took the position from him. The German was just 0.085s off Massa's P1 time.

A few laps Vettel finally did it, taking the P1 slot with a 1:28.746.

But it was soon back to the pits as Kovalainen brought out the fourth red flag of the morning. The Finn lost control of his T12 and went off at Turn 3, putting his Lotus, minus its front wing, in the gravel.


Unofficial Times
1. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB6 1:28.746 36 laps
2. F. Massa Ferrari F10 1:28.879 +0.133 15 laps
3. N. Rosberg Mercedes GP W01 1:28.964 +0.218 36 laps
4. P. de la Rosa Sauber C29 1:29.691 +0.945 8 laps
5. P. di Resta Force India VJM-03 1:30.344 +1.598 33 laps
6. R. Barrichello Williams FW32 1:31.489 +2.743 47 laps
7. T. Glock Virgin Racing VR-01 1:31.557 +2.811 31 laps
8. S. Buemi Toro Rosso STR5 1:32.678 +3.932 43 laps
9. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-25 1:32.934 +4.188 27 laps
10. H. Kovalainen Lotus F1 T127 1:33.554 +4.808 26 laps
11. V. Petrov Renault R30 1:35.297 +6.551 12 laps

Source: Planet F1

Jerez: A Brazilian battle as the track dries out

Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa tussled for top honours in the morning session at Jerez, where thankfully track conditions improved to allow for plenty of dry running.

A dull and dreary start to the final day of testing saw the Formula One drivers having to contend with the light drizzle at the start of Saturday's Jerez test.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel set the pace in the opening hour, clocking a 1:27.764, before running into problems. The German brought out the red flag when he car ground to a halt and had to be recovered to the pits on the back of a flatbed truck.

The twenty minute break, though, did provide some good news as the rain finally stopped.

With the track drying out just a bit Lewis Hamilton leapt from the bottom of the timesheets into the P1 slot, clocking a 1:26.833, before that was overhauled by Rubens Barrichello.

The Brazilian continued to pile on the pace, extending his advantage before Ferrari's Felipe Massa nipped ahead of him with a 1:27.645.

With conditions improving, Force India reported that it is "dry in Jerez for now. Adrian says it's on the verge of being dry enough to switch to slick tyres."

And that's exactly what he did a short while later. However, Sutil wasn't the only driver to swap to slicks.

Massa also parted ways with his disintegrating intermediate tyres and went quickest by some margin. The Brazilian brought his time down to a 1:23.976.

"Finally we can run on dry tyres..." Ferrari reported on Twitter. "Already 66 laps completed by Felipe who is currently doing a long run."

Massa's ever-improving pace, which eventually saw him drop to a 1:22.641, had the chasing pack swap over to the slicks with Barrichello the next to lead the way with his 1:22.319.

Robert Kubica moved up to third place behind the battling Brazilian's, however, finished the morning 2.054s off the pace while Vettel was fourth.

Pedro de la Rosa and Jaime Alguersuari were next in line, ahead of Hamilton, who completed just 19 laps during the morning session while Sutil was eighth, as Force India opted for an early lunch during which a "planned exhaust change" took place.

Meanwhile, after a brief run in the first hour, during which he set a 1:29.768 and completed seven laps, Schumacher retreated to his Mercedes GP garage where the German waited for conditions to improve.

There was little sign of the seven-time World Champion over the next three hours as he completed only four additional laps, dropping down the order to finish P9.

"Michael will be out again in the not too distant future with the track now looking much improved as thankfully it has stayed dry," his team said.

The final runner of the day, Lucas di Grassi, didn't complete even a single timed lap as he spent all but five minutes of the morning session in the Virgin garage while the team worked on the car.

And working on the car is something Ferrari will have to do as ten minutes before lunch, the Brazilian brought out the red flags when he stopped out on track.


Unofficial Times
1. R. Barrichello Williams FW32 1:22.319 39 laps
2. F. Massa Ferrari F10 1:22.641 +0.322 95 laps
3. R. Kubica Renault R30 1:24.373 +2.054 23 laps
4. S. Vettel Red Bull Racing RB6 1:24.588 +2.269 52 laps
5. P. de la Rosa Sauber C29 1:25.039 +2.720 52 laps
6. J. Alguersuari Toro Rosso STR5 1:25.756 +3.437 67 laps
7. L. Hamilton McLaren MP4-25 1:26.023 +3.704 21 laps
8. A. Sutil Force India VJM-03 1:27.606 +5.287 37 laps
9. M. Schumacher Mercedes GP W01 1:29.768 +7.449 11 laps

Source: Planet F1

Valencia, day 2 - Massa stays quickest in Spain

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa took the top honours for a second consecutive day, as this week’s test at Valencia continued on Tuesday. Massa’s fastest time of 1m 11.722s in the Italian team’s new F10 was over three tenths of a second quicker than the best effort of Kamui Kobayashi, who made his debut for BMW Sauber at the Spanish track.

Exactly two-tenths down on Kobayashi was Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren MP4-25. Hamilton completed 108 laps during the course of the day, as he sampled his 2010 car for the first time. Robert Kubica set the fourth-fastest time for Renault, ahead of Nico Rosberg for Mercedes GP. Both Kubica and Rosberg covered 119 laps.

Sixth quickest was Rubens Barrichello for Williams, while Sebastien Buemi was the day’s final runner in seventh for Toro Rosso. After the gearbox problems that blighted his debut in the STR5 on Monday, Buemi was able to complete 107 laps.

Unofficial Tuesday test times from Valencia:
1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:11.722, 124 Laps
2. Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber, 1:12.056, 96 Laps
3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 1:12.256, 108 Laps
4. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:12.426, 119 Laps
5. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:12.899, 119 Laps
6. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1:13.377, 102 Laps
7. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:13.823, 107 Laps

Source: Formula1.com

Massa in black still quick on Tuesday

Wearing a prototype black carbon helmet for manufacturer Schuberth, Felipe Massa on Tuesday continued to impress at the wheel of Ferrari's 2010 car.

As the Valencia test entered its second day in chilly conditions, the Brazilian led his chasers into the 1m11s and was "extremely satisfied with the car's set up and the tyres' grip", according to the famous Italian team.

Again impressive was Sauber's new C29, this time in the hands of Japanese rookie Kamui Kobayashi, while Lewis Hamilton was a full second ahead of test driver Gary Paffet's Monday time in the McLaren MP4-25.

However, the British team concerned some onlookers when it was seen to again use its green aerodynamic paint, so synonymous with McLaren's problems of 2009.

But McLaren said the paint is now routine, and "no cause for concern".

At the lunch break, Mercedes (Nico Rosberg), Williams (Rubens Barrichello), Renault (Robert Kubica, who is also wearing a black carbon helmet on Tuesday) and Toro Rosso (Sebastien Buemi), followed in the time sheet pecking order.

Source: F1 Complete

Valencia day one - Massa leads the way for Ferrari

If Ferrari’s Felipe Massa wanted to prove he hasn’t changed since his life-threatening accident last July, he did a very good job on Monday in Valencia, topping the timesheets as this year’s opening test got underway at the Spanish track. Massa covered 102 laps in the new F10, clocking a best time of 1m 12.574s.

Second quickest was Pedro de la Rosa for BMW Sauber. De la Rosa, who has opted to forsake his long-held test role at McLaren for a chance to race at the Swiss team, will no doubt be pleased with the maiden showing of his C29, after he ended the day just over two-tenths down on Massa’s Ferrari.

The third slot on the timesheets was taken up by returning seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who made his debut outing for new team Mercedes. Covering 40 laps during the course of the afternoon, Schumacher took over the W01 from team mate Nico Rosberg, who posted the day’s fourth-fastest time during the morning session.

Fifth quickest was McLaren tester Gary Paffett, who was charged with giving the MP4-25 its maiden run and completed 86 laps. Paffett was the last runner to make it under the 1m 13s mark, with Rubens Barrichello ending the day in sixth following his first day in the new Williams FW32. Barrichello covered 75 laps for his new team.

Despite only managing to complete 18 laps after his STR5 suffered a gearbox issue, Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi finished seventh. The final runner was Robert Kubica for Renault. Kubica finished eighth after clocking a best time of 1m 15.000 over his 69 laps in the R30.

Testing continues at Valencia until Wednesday.


Unofficial Monday test times from Valencia:
1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:12.574, 102 Laps
2. Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber, 1:12.784, 74 Laps
3. Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP, 1:12.947, 40 Laps
4. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP, 1:13.543, 39 Laps
5. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:13.846, 86 Laps
6. Rubens Barrichello, Williams, 1:14.449, 75 Laps
7. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:14.762, 18 Laps
8. Robert Kubica, Renault, 1:15.000, 69 Laps

Source: Formula1.com

Massa back on track as testing kicks off

Felipe Massa has returned to the cockpit of a competitive Formula One car for the first time in six months.

Massa was among the first of the drivers on track on the opening day of the first F1 test of the season at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia.

The Ferrari driver required life-saving surgery after an accident in qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix last July. The 28-year-old Brazilian, who now has a metal plate inside his skull to repair the fracture he sustained in the crash, has since made a superb recovery.

Although Massa has driven karts, and most recently a 2008-spec Ferrari in a private test in Barcelona, the moment he pulled out of the garage in the new F10 was his most significant since the smash.

Massa was joined on track by McLaren test driver Gary Paffett, Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa, Robert Kubica in his Renault, Rubens Barrichello for Williams, Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi and Nico Rosberg in the new Mercedes.

It is the first time a works Mercedes has been seen on a circuit since Juan Manuel Fangio won the Drivers' title for the team in 1955.

Mercedes now have a 75% stake in last year's Championship-winning team Brawn GP, with Michael Schumacher coaxed out of retirement to form an all-German line-up with Rosberg.

After a hiatus of more than three years, the seven-time World Champion is scheduled to make his return to action in the afternoon session.

Source: Planet F1

New Mercedes, Toro Rosso & Williams break cover as testing starts

As 2010’s first pre-season test began at Valencia on Monday morning, fans got their first glimpse of the Mercedes GP MGP W01, the Toro Rosso STR5 and the Williams FW32, with the three teams launching their new cars at the Spanish circuit.

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveiled Mercedes’ challenger, in its silver and green livery, while Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari were on hand as the wraps came off Toro Rosso’s Ferrari-powered machine. Williams, meanwhile, chose to hit the track with little pomp or ceremony, Rubens Barrichello giving their Cosworth-powered design its official debut.

Rosberg will be first to sample the W01, the first car produced by Mercedes following their takeover of Brawn GP late last year, before returning seven-time champion Schumacher takes over the car later in the day.

Toro Rosso, with their unchanged driver line-up, hope the STR5 will move them up the grid after the Red Bull-owned team’s tenth-place finish in the 2009 constructors’ championship. Williams, who will field reigning GP2 champion Nico Hulkenberg alongside Barrichello, are out to improve on their seventh place of last year.

Source: Formula1.com