Rubens Barrichello's rookie season in the IZOD IndyCar Series may have been his last, unless the Brazilian Formula 1 veteran lands additional sponsorship funding to secure one of the remaining seats.
“I have been searching for sponsorship to go back to Indy for the last three months, but I've still not found it,” Barrichello says in this week's AUTOSPORT magazine. “I will not start a season with half a budget. I don't want to and I don't deserve to.”
The 40-year-old Brazilian told AUTOSPORT he had offers from several teams in Brazil's V8 Stock Cars series, none of which would require him to bring funding. He raced in the final three rounds of the series after the IndyCar season ended.
Barrichello teamed with Tony Kanaan and EJ Viso at KV Racing's IndyCar squad this past season, finishing 12th in the point standings with a best finish of fourth at Sonoma. KV Racing has since announced a two-car squad of Kanaan and Simona de Silvestro for 2013. The Swiss driver, who left HVM Racing to join KV's Chevy-powered team, told IndyCar.com at Sebring that she is pleased with progress after several test runs alongside her new teammate – a first for her in IndyCar racing.
“It's been going pretty well,” said de Silvestro. “The Barber test was a little strange because it was added at the last minute, but it was a really productive day and we both ended up quick and worked through some things with the cars. The Texas test was a Chevy test so we went through a whole program with them.
“Working with TK has been a lot of fun. I think we're still learning how to work together because I've never had a teammate in IndyCars and that's all new to me. Having someone right there in the seat at the same time, giving feedback and listening to what he thinks – especially on the ovals – is great. Now we're starting to click. This test is important to jump-start the (2013) season.”