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Rubens made his F1 debut with Jordan in 1993, and remains the team's longest serving driver.
A solid first season was marred by a string of technical failures, but Rubens went on to score his first points in Japan, finishing fifth.
1994 got off to a good start, with a fourth place in the opening race of the season followed by a first podium at Aida, but disaster was to strike at Imola.
A horrific Friday practice crash put Rubens out of the race, and was an indication of what was to come that fateful weekend. Barrichello's countryman Ayrton Senna was killed during the San Marino GP and Rubens found himself carrying the hopes of Brazil on his shoulders.
It was a heavy load to bear, and Rubens struggled at times throughout the remainder of the year. Retirements continued to plague his races with Jordan, and he eventually moved to Stewart in 1997, scoring an impressive podium at the Monaco GP where he finished second.
Barrichello's big break came in 1999 when he announced at the end of the year that he had signed to partner Michael Schumacher at Ferrari. Life with the Italian team got off to a perfect start for Rubens, who finished second in his first race for the team, but he was soon to discover the frustrations of being a number two.
Victory came in the 2000 German GP, and an emotional Barrichello sobbed his heart out on the top step of the podium.
Life at Ferrari was becoming difficult, and although Rubens was thanked for his part in helping the team achieve its two world championships, many insiders believed that the Brazilian's contract would not be renewed at the end of 2001, but it was.
Ferrari again had cause to celebrate in 2001, but Rubens was angered by the decision to make him move over for his team mate during the Austrian GP, adamant that he could give Schumacher a run for his money if it were not for team orders. That said, Rubens was unable to match the pace of his partner for much of the season and was actually under pressure from Coulthard and the WilliamsF1 drivers, eventually finishing third in the championship, albeit it with less than half the points scored by his team-mate. That said the Brazilian suffered some appalling luck and more than his fair share of retirements.
2002 began with a string of retirements due to technical problems, that never seemed to afflict Michael's car, and accidents. Ahead of the Austrian GP Rubens surprised everyone by re-signing with Ferrari for a further two seasons, but by the end of the weekend he was probably wishing he hadn't.
Despite starting from pole and leading for most of the race, Rubens was ordered to hand the victory to his team-mate just yards before the finish-line. The incident caused outrage in the media and many fans and insiders to wonder at the Brazilian's apparent lack of self-respect.
Rather than let its two drivers race, Ferrari issued team orders which favoured Schumacher, though the Brazilian was handed a couple of token wins.
Many will feel that 2003 was Rubens' best ever season, the Brazilian taking a couple of very convincing wins in Britain and Japan. On the other hand whilst Schumacher seemed never to suffer mechanical failures - during races at least - Barrichello suffered a number of high-profile failures.
Rubens' win in Japan was crucial for it secured Ferrari's fifth consecutive Constructors' Championship, somehow it seemed fitting that the Brazilian finally get his moment of glory having played such an important part in the team's revival.
Despite talk that Rubens would be dropped for 2004 in favour of fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa, he retained his seat for a fifth season.
In all honesty, Rubens is a frustrating driver, and one wonders how, in years to come, he'll look back on his F1 career, and in particular his time with Ferrari.
Certainly, he has been part of one of the most successful teams in the history of motorsport, but in many ways he's similar to Brad Dexter in The Magnificent Seven. Everyone remembers him, but its Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn and even Eli Wallach, that everyone really remembers.
There were a few inspired moments for Rubens in 2004, not just the wins in Italy and China, but also qualifying at Indianapolis, when he out-paced his teammate, despite a heavier fuel load. However, for the most part it was business as usual, with Rubens playing support to the headline act.
There were many who hoped that in 2005, the popular Brazilian might step out of the shadows, and finally give Michael a fight, or at least be allowed to. That said, even though most F1 people are of the opinion that the German would beat his teammate nine times out of ten, the F2005, and Bridgestone, ensured that we never got to find out.
The season got off to a promising start when Rubens finished second to Giancarlo Fisichella in Australia, but in many ways this proved to be one of the year's highlights.
There were good finishes in Europe and Canada, but despite what the statistics say, Indianapolis is where it all went wrong. The Brazilian was still smarting from a last lap attack from his teammate in Monaco, a move that many would put down to the German's 'never-say-die attitude, but Rubens' believed was unnecessarily risky. Then came the near collision at Indianapolis, when, following his pit stop, Schumacher almost forced the Brazilian off track - this at a time when only six cars were racing.
A couple of months later, following weeks of rumours, it was officially confirmed that after six seasons, and nine wins, Rubens was leaving Ferrari and joining BAR, soon to be Honda.
Having lived in Michael Schumacher's shadow for so long it was unthinkable to believe that Rubens might opt to play a similar role to Honda's 'golden boy', Jenson Button. With a wealth of experience, and in (Sporting Director) Gil de Ferran, a close friend, when Rubens was recruited it was because he was a 'proven winner'.
It took the Brazilian some time to get used to the way things worked at Honda, not merely the company philosophy but also such things as the RA106's traction control.
In the early stages of the season there were times when it looked as though Rubens was totally out of his depth. He was regularly out-qualified by his teammate, and also trailing in terms of points.
It was at the Nurburgring that Rubens first out-qualified Button, coming home to finish fifth. Thereafter, the Brazilian appeared to gain confidence, and though he added to the Japanese team's points tally he suffered a string of engine failures.
Having qualified third in Hungary, ahead of his teammate who forfeited ten places having suffered an engine failure in free practice, Rubens was in with a chance of scoring his maiden win for the team, but it was not to be. Button, starting from fourteenth on the grid took his maiden Grand Prix win and Honda's first of the modern era.
Looking at end of season statistics one sees that although Rubens and Button out-qualified one another nine times, it was the Englishman who scored the Japanese team's only win of the season and gave it its only pole. Furthermore, the Brazilian trailed his teammate by twenty points in the Driver's Championship.
Nonetheless, Rubens retains his place in 2007, the second year of his two year deal.
In his final days at Ferrari it appeared that he had lost his sparkle, lost the edge, and gotten a little lazy. We said at the time that Honda, and a young-ish 'hot shot' like Button might be just what was needed to give the popular Brazilian a much needed kick up the arse, forcing him to demonstrate that he still has the hunger.
There were glimpses in 2006 when it appeared that he still retains the hunger, but they were all too brief. Like Giancarlo Fisichella, Rubens is a man for whom 2007 will be make or break.
On the basis of the final seven races of 2006, in which his team scored 54 points - only 10 less than Renault - Rubens must have thought that in 2007 he would add to his, and Honda's, tally of wins. He was wrong. For the first time in his F1 career, the Brazilian ended the season pointless, his best finish being ninth place at Silverstone.
The RA107, described pre-season by teammate Jenson Button as a "piece of shit", proved to be just that. However, whereas the Englishman managed to get into the points on three occasions, scoring an against all odds fifth in China, Rubens struggled with a car that wouldn't do what he wanted it to do, such was its woeful handling.
On only one occasion did the Brazilian make it into the final phase of qualifying, but this was Monaco, known for its freak results. In Hungary, where he qualified eighteenth, the Brazilian was left for dead by Adrian Sutil in the Spyker.
Whereas many thought the Brazilian might retire, or even be dropped by Honda at the end of the year, Rubens was retained for 2008, partnering Button for a third successive season.
The good news for the Brazilian was that he would be reunited with former Ferrari Technical Director Ross Brawn who joined the Brackley outfit in late 2007. The bad news was that the Englishman arrived too late to have any significant impact on the 2008 car.
It was another poor car, not helped by the fact that the Honda powerplant was now among the least powerful on the grid. As Brawn and the team opted to write off the season, focussing all their efforts on the 2009 car, Rubens was determined that he would be around for the new car and therefore set about doing the best he could with the banger that was the 2008 version.
Having been overshadowed by Button in 2007, the situation was reversed a year later, with Barrichello scoring the majority of the team's points and generally giving a good account of himself.
His season got off to a good start in Melbourne where he finished fifth. However, he was subsequently disqualified for jumping the red light at the end of the pitlane.
While most statisticians - including Pitpass - dispute it, Rubens claimed that the Turkish Grand Prix marked his 257th F1 race, beating the long-held record of Riccardo Patrese. However, there was little else to celebrate that day as he finished fourteenth, one lap down on the leaders. At Monaco however, and again in Canada he scored points, at one point leading the Montreal race courtesy of an unscheduled appearance by the Safety Car.
The highlight of the season however, had to be Silverstone, where a shrewd choice of tyres saw Rubens visit the podium for the first time since Indianapolis 2005.
The were further strong performances in Singapore and Japan, but for the most part he was struggling, the RA108 clearly not up to the job.
He finished the season in fourteenth position, and while many believed the Brazilian had raced his last Grand Prix, others weren't so sure.
With the news on December 5 that Honda was to quit F1 it appeared that Rubens long career in F1 might indeed be at an end, especially with claims in the media that Bruno Senna - who tested for the Brackley team at the end of 2008 - was being backed by a consortium preparing to buy the team.
Rubens remained quiet, avoiding the press as much as possible, but when Honda announced that the team had been sold to Ross Brawn and the Englishman confirmed an unchanged line-up, the Brazilian could conceal neither his joy nor his frustration.
"People said I was done, that nobody wanted me," he wrote on his website. "There was one who wrote that Bruno Senna had already signed for three years with the team, an absurd story where the desperate (reporter) tried to get a beat without having any basis or source.
"The important thing is that during this period of hard times I kept my faith, worked my body hard and kept quiet, speaking only to the team's personnel.
"To say that I was sure when I declared at the Brazilian GP that that race was not my last one would be too much," he admitted, "but something told me it wasn't."
Although Brawn only participated in two tests before the season opener in Melbourne the out-of-the box pace was astonishing. By the time the grid lined in Australia the opposition had closed the gap but not enough to prevent the Brackley team scoring a 1-2 at the first attempt.
While Rubens performed well, fully justifying Brawn's decision to retain him, Button was outstanding taking six victories in the first seven races.
Watching the Briton build his championship lead some pointed to Rubens and claimed that the Brazilian was doing what he'd done at Ferrari, playing the role of faithful support to the team leader. However, while the veteran didn't have the pace of his English teammate it wasn't long before he was wondering if there was more to the situation than met the eye.
By the time of the Spanish GP, Rubens was openly questioning the team claiming bias towards his teammate, a move that Ross Brawn treated with masterful diplomacy. It happened again in Germany but once again the English veteran was on hand to calm the situation.
As it happened, while Button dominated in the first half of the season, it was Rubens who had the edge in the second. From the British round onwards it was clear that the BGP 01 struggled in cooler temperatures, however, the Brazilian proved more able to deal with the problem than his teammate.
Victories at Valencia and Monza - his first wins since 2004 - allowed Rubens to close the gap to his teammate, however, 11 points from the final four races meant it was not to be, with the Brazilian ultimately finishing third in the championship.
While there much doubt as to whether Rubens would secure a drive in 2009 there was no such problem going in to 2010 with Williams confirming the Brazilian as its number one on the day after the Abu Dhabi GP.
Having completed the most Grands Prix in the history of F1 (286) and the most laps, Rubens goes into his eighteenth season in the knowledge that he has earned the right to be there having silenced the sceptics with some bullish performances in 2009.
Statistics - at the end of 2009 Season
Drivers' Titles: 0
Seasons in F1: 17
Grand Prix: 286
Wins: 11
Points: 607
Poles: 14
Fastest Laps: 17
Best result in 2009: 1st (2 times)
Best qualifying 2009: Pole (Brazil)
Worst qualifying 2009: 13th (Hungary)
2009: Out-qualified Jenson Button 10 times
2009: Out-qualified by Jenson Button 7 times
2009: Completed 977 out of 988 laps (98.9%)
2009: Finished 16 times from 17 starts (94%)
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