29.08.2003 FERRARI ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION INTO BARRICHELLO'S CRASH IN HUNGARY
After an accurate analysis of the available data and after studying film of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari has ascertained the most probable cause of Rubens Barrichello’s accident in the event. When he found himself very close to the car which preceded him, Barrichello twice hit the kerbs at an unusual angle of impact at the chicane between Turns 6 and 7. The impacts put excessive stress on the leading arm of the upper wishbone of the left rear suspension. This part then broke under heavy braking on the main straight at the start of lap 20.
Rubens Barrichello is back home in Sao Paulo to make the most of the remaining week of the testing ban, spending time with his family.
Last Sunday at the Hungaroring, the whole world held its breath when the Brazilian shot off the track into the barriers, after a left rear suspension breakage on his F2003-GA. Fortunately, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro man emerged without any serious injury. “I’m fine, apart from a little bit of back pain, which I guess was due to the impact,” he said. “Considering the size of the accident, I think that’s pretty good, because for a moment during the accident, I thought it could have been a really bad one. The car did slow down a lot on the tarmac, but I effectively had no brakes. So for a second it was very scary, as I did not know what at happened and I felt the brake pedal go down, without slowing very much. Thoughts rush through your head so quickly in that situation.”
The revised first corner at the Budapest track had been the subject of discussion at a drivers’ meeting earlier in the weekend. “We felt that the corner might be better for overtaking, but that they could have done a better job in making the escape area a bit bigger. ‘Here I go!’ I thought. I’m going to be the one who tests it first! Although Barrichello puts his lack of injury down to the wrapped tyre barrier and the strength of his car, he was less impressed with the attention he received once the dust had settled. “I was angry that there was nobody there to assist me. In fact, when Firman had his accident the day before, I noticed there was no one there trying to steady his neck, which is normal procedure. I thought I should not get out of the car immediately, because it was a big impact. I was angry, which is why I threw the steering wheel away. No one came up to the car to ask if I was OK. We drivers must do something about this. I started checking myself out: my feet were alright and I had no pain in my legs. Then I realised I would have to get out of the car myself, because when I looked behind me, there was a lot of debris from my car and another car could have crashed into me. After that, I had to walk a long way back to the pits and nobody offered to help. A photographer told me to go through the grandstand, but I realised he was only trying to get a photo!”
Barrichello’s state of mind is unaffected by the crash. “The only feeling I have is that I want to get back in the car, and I hope to be doing that on the first day of the Monza test next week. In my mind, I have already pressed the “reset” button. In F1, the only scary thing is when you become a passenger and that was the case in Hungary for a couple of seconds. It was scary then, but the barriers did a good job.”
And
the rest of the season? “In Budapest, there was no way I could have beaten
Alonso, but I would have finished close to the Williams. But we did not
look competitive. The weather played a big part there, as it favoured the
other guys. Monza can also be quite hot, so we will have to make a good
tyre choice, find a good set-up and we also expect to have some new parts
for the car. Indianapolis and Suzuka might be better for us, as the temperatures
are generally cooler there. In the last few races I have been qualifying
well, so it is a shame I did not finish the last two races, as I could
have still been in with a chance of the championship.”
