“They’re going to the last corner, it was the last one last year… Not today, not today, yes today… Yes today.” 20 years ago, one of the most emblematic narrations on Brazilian television took place, which came along with one of the biggest embarrassments of Brazilian fans in any sport.
It was at the 2002 F1 Austrian GP, ​​when Rubens Barrichello drove a Ferrari, the other was owned by German Michael Schumacher; and the narrator was Cleber Machado, on Globo. By then, 5 of the 17 races of the season had already been run. Schumacher had four wins—actually, he had five, the other one was for my brother Ralf.
Barrichello had taken pole, started in front and led from practically start to finish. He aimed on the straight of the 71st and final lap to win, and braked abruptly for Schumacher to pass him, thus obeying an order from the Italian team, to the despair of Cleber and the fans (including this scribe). “Look, it’s unbelievable, there’s no need for Ferrari to do this,” amended the still indignant narrator in 2002.
That race, like that, opened up something that a lot of people knew, they just didn’t say it out loud. It was like saying Voldemort’s name in “Harry Potter”, you don’t say it so you don’t attract bad things. But many teams, especially when fighting for the title with another, always gave (and still give) orders to change positions.
The problem is that the Brazilian was an unaccustomed F1 fan, he thought that every year there had to be a driver “our” fighting for the title — the fault of Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. Second place was not acceptable. And to see a Brazilian forcibly surrender the first place was for many unacceptable.
What made Ferrari’s act even more reprehensible was the lack of competitiveness of the 2002 season. Ferrari dominated easily, at the end of the year it lost only two races. Schumacher would be champion with three hundred points of advantage, even losing that GP. Barrichello finished that championship in second, with Juan Pablo Montoya well behind in third.
Part of the Brazilian fans didn’t forgive, or didn’t understand, but, by letting Schumacher pass only on the last straight, Barrichello was brilliant – perhaps unintentionally. The podium was even more bizarre, with Schumacher completely disconcerted, booed, giving way to the Brazilian.
Valtteri Bottas was Lewis Hamilton’s teammate for years. Because how many times have you seen Bottas fight for the victory against the English with an open championship? Or Pérez with Verstappen? F1 has always been and always will be a championship with teams for the benefit of a driver. When it wasn’t, the team paid the price, as in the 1986 championship, when Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell lost to Alain Prost even with a better car than the Frenchman.
Among the drivers who have not won a title in F1, and there are many, Rubens Barrichello is among the best, as is Felipe Massa… And, 20 years later, Brazil does not have drivers in the main category of motorsport, but Cleber Machado discusses football and other sports on his podcast, “Yes Today”.
Update – Round 38
After five rounds of the Brasileiro, Cuiabá has 7 points, ahead of Palmeiras, Flamengo and Fortaleza, to name only Libertadores teams. He is in 11th place, a position that should probably guarantee a place in the Champions League, the World Cup or something similar. Soon, Professor Pintado was fired. It seems that they were upset over there with eliminations in the Sudamericana and Copa do Brasil. Thus, we reached six dismissals before the start of round 6. Dismissed: Brazilians 5 x 1 Foreigners. Survivors: Brazilians 7 x 8 Foreigners.
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
