MOTORSPORT: Barrichello for Bathurst

Rubens Barrichello is looking to remove a big-ticket item from his personal bucket list by racing an S5000 single-seater at Mount Panorama in 2020.

If things work out, the former Ferrari and Brawn winner in Formula 1 will also be on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix meeting next March.

Barrichello has been captivated by Australia’s fastest new race cars after competing in the inaugural S5000 races at Sandown Park and says only calendar clashes at home in Brazil, where he has a full-time drive in the country’s Stock Car series, will stop him returning down under next year.

In the past he had been keen to compete in a Supercar at Bathurst but had been held back by his Brazilian commitments, but they will not affect any involvement in S5000.

So, with the Australian Racing Group signing deals for the AGP and also the fifth event at Bathurst next December, Barrichello is waiting to see the Stock Car calendar in around a fortnight before fast-tracking his return starts in 2020.

“It’s almost like asking a monkey if he wants a banana. I love this. It doesn’t matter if you have to travel 25 hours,” says Barrichello.

“The message is positive. We had plenty of positives this weekend. I would love to talk.

“I would love to come more often over here and do more racing. I do have a contract with the Stock Car series over the next few years. But if I’m not racing one weekend then I can come.

“It’s an open talk. It’s something when you have fun, like I have, it’s a possibility. It’s open. We just have to see what’s the schedule like and hopefully we can get together again.”

Barrichello finished in a podium place in the Sandown finale and enjoyed his first open-wheeler racing for seven years, since he retired from F1.

“I’m not getting any younger so it feels good. It’s in our blood, the competition. I just get older and I like this thing more.”

Apart from his three races in S5000, Barrichello kept busy in Melbourne by visiting Tickford Racing, where he was shown over the latest Ford Mustang from the Supercars series by youngster Tom Randall.

He also returned to the zoo, where he was keen to again see kangaroos and koalas, and attended the AFL preliminary final as a guest of the Richmond Tigers, including a visit to the club’s rooms after their victory.

But his focus was on S5000, a visit that was organised by a long-time friend -- and former manager of triple world champion Nelson Piquet -- Greg ‘Peewee’ Siddle.

“I love Australia for the country, and for the motorsport spirit,” says Barrichello.

He believes S5000, which was a rousing success and drew a big crowd to Sandown, could ignite international interest and a return to the single-seater glory days of the Tasman Series in the 1960s and 1970s when a large contingent of F1 drivers would spend their summer break Down Under.

“As far as I understand, Australia was really good for the motorsport some time back. People visited Australia to race.

“I think the incentive and the way the [S5000] series is brought up is quite good. It’s also very comparable to most of the races in Europe. This is a good invitation for people to come over here and learn.’

Barrichello is also a fan of plans for S5000 races at the AGP and Bathurst.

“I’m putting it a little bit up in the air but I think people will, yes, come here to race. I think for the grand prix there will be 20 cars on the grid and maybe 30 in the future.”