30/11/2008
NEWS STORY
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Rubens Barrichello may have not secured an F1 seat for 2009, but remains king of the Kart events at the end of the season in Brazil.
Two weeks after winning the Granja Viana 500 Mile for the eighth time, the F1 veteran won the International Challenge of Go-Kart Champs, in front of 12.000 supporters who attended the race promoted by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. Lucas di Grassi was second in the aggregate results that left the host with the last spot in the podium.
Barrichello won the first race, ahead of Di Grassi and Brazilian Stock Car ace Thiago Camilo. With a reversed Top 8 positions grid, Massa won in the second, beating Felipe Giaffone and Di Grassi in the process. Michael Schumacher collected a 4th place in the first heat, but was prevented from continuing in the second after being hit from behind by Camilo. “He was probably touched by someone, which is very often in races like that,” said the German. Asked if could come back next year, Schumacher seemed optimistic. “Why not? I love the atmosphere here and the people’s participation.”
The event was promoted under the shadow of a tragedy that shocked the Santa Catarina State, whose capital is Florianópolis. Over 100 people died and more than 54,000 families were left homeless after the flooding and earth slides caused by heavy rains last week. “We have been able to raise funds and donations for those people who lost everything and could not come to see us”, said Massa, who donated himself $25,000, who urged his colleagues to follow his example and they did not let him down. Schumacher has promised to give $10,000.
Barrichello praised the supporters for the ovation he received after taking the chequere flag. “I must confess that I was worried about the attendance. I thought they might not come this year, given the recent events. "To hear my name shouted again was superb and gives me an extra push to go on with my plans of continuing to race in Formula 1.”
The Brazilian admitted that he whas not been called yet to attend the test session at Jerez which gets underway next week. “Monday is the first day of the week, let’s wait until tomorrow”, he joked.
Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi did not take part of Heat 2 after he injured his ribs in the first race.
Heat 1
1) Rubens Barrichello, 34 laps in 24:25.119 (average 83,70 km/h)
2) Lucas Di Grassi + 1s211
3) Thiago Camilo + 5s722
4) Michael Schumacher + 15s332
5) Felipe Massa + 20s996
6) Allam Khodair + 23s177
7) Felipe Giaffone + 23s522
8) Xandinho Negrão + 28s826
9) Ricardo Zonta + 40s205
10) Max Wilson + 51s060
11) Tony Kanaan + 1 lap
12) Luciano Burti+ 1 lap
13) Alexandre Barros + 1 lap
14) Roberto Pupo Moreno + 1 lap
15) João Paulo Oliveira + 2 laps
16) Popó Bueno + 2 laps
17) Luis Tedesco + 3 laps
18) Marcos Gomes + 7 laps
19) Vitor Meira + 8 laps
20) Luca Badoer + 8 laps
21) Vitantonio Liuzzi + 10 laps
22) Jeff Gordon + 10 laps
23) Antonio Pizzonia + 12 laps
24) Tarso Marques + 13 laps
25) Ricardo Mauricio + 17 laps
26) Mario Moraes + 33 laps
Best lap: Michael Schumacher - 41.537
Heat 2
1) Felipe Massa, 37 laps in 26:10.694 (average 84,97 km/h)
2) Felipe Giaffone + 0s179
3) Lucas Di Grassi + 1s041
4) Xandinho Negrão+ 2s219
5) Rubens Barrichello + 5s262
6) Max Wilson + 11s056
7) Antonio Pizzonia + 12s487
8) João Paulo Oliveira + 29s114
9) Tarso Marques + 35s596
10) Popó Bueno + 37s251
11) Mario Moraes + 1 lap
12) Vitor Meira + 1 lap
13) Roberto Pupo Moreno + 1 lap
14) Thiago Camilo + 2 laps
15) Ricardo Zonta + 2 laps
16) Marcos Gomes + 3 laps
17) Luis Tedesco + 4 laps
18) Luciano Burti + 4 laps
19) Tony Kanaan +9 laps
20) Alexandre Barros+ 13 laps
21) Allam Khodair + 18 laps
22) Jeff Gordon + 20 laps
23) Michael Schumacher + 26 laps
24) Ricardo Mauricio + 29 laps
25) Luca Badoer + 31 laps
Best lap: Rubens Barrichello, 41.650
Final standings
1) Rubens Barrichello, 36 points;
2) Lucas Di Grassi, 35;
3) Felipe Massa, 31;
4) Felipe Giaffone, 26;
5) Xandinho Negrão, 21
6) Thiago Camilo, 18;
7) Max Wilson, 16;
8) Michael Schumacher, 13;
9) Allam Khodair, 10;
10) Antonio Pizzonia and João Paulo Oliveira, 9;
12) Ricardo Zonta, 8;
13) Tarso Marques, 7;
14) Popó Bueno, 6;
15) Tony Kanaan, Mario Moraes and Roberto Pupo Moreno, 6;
18) Luciano Burti and Vitor Meira, 4.