Barrichello vs Irvine

[DNQ]

I don't think this topic has come up before, but Barrichello is entering his fourth season at Ferrari, the sane number of seasons as Eddie Irvine spent there.

Who makes the best number two? I say Barrichello. In terms of outright pace, he's been much closer to Schumacher then Irv ever was.

[Aysedasi]

Oh come on! How can you compare Irvine to Barrichello? I'm not the greatest of Rubens fans, but he's in a different class to Irvine.

[BertMk2]

Didn't Irvine outperform Barichello when they were together at Jordan?

Anway, back to the point - I think Barichello has been closer to Schumaker than Irvine was but the car is much better than anything Irvine ever got to drive so I don't think you can really make the comparison - everybody knows that Schumaker can drag a dog of a car about better than anyone else.

Also Irvine was much better for a soundbite!

[ASCII Man]

It doesn't matter who is the better driver of the two, right?

The question IMO is: Who bends over the quickest?
In that case i vote for Barichello.

[f1manoz]

Barrichello wins this one easily. Irvine was never as close to TGF as Barrichello has been.

I wouldn't say Irvine outperformed Rubens at Jordan either. Rubens finished ahead of his team-mate both years. The only problem is that Irvine was good at the mind games at the time and Rubens was an even softer character then than he is now.

[Mr V]

Rubens did have the better machinery over Eddie, afterall, Michael didn't win a WDC during the Michael/Eddie era.

Eddie was a good driver, finishing in the points 14 times out of 16 ain't bad for a driver that alot of people regard as sh!t.

[MichaelH]

Gotta give it to Rubens. Simply because he is the faster when all is said and done.

[BootsOntheSide]

I'd put a lot of Ferrari's current success down to Eddie Irvine. He was always willing to work for the benefit of the team, called a spade a spade, and took the fight to McLaren in 1999. Jaguar always mvoed up the grid as the season went on as well, something I'd put down to Eddie's car development skills.

On pure pace, Rubens is probably quicker. But he's very underdeveloped emotionally. He's incapable of accepting blame for his mistakes, always plays the victim, and doesn't seem to understand the situation at Ferrari.

If Rubens had been signed in 1996, it would've been a disaster, as he's never managed to get the best out of slow ahrdware (as opposed to fast-but-unreliable hardware like teh 1997 Stewart). However, his natural pace and ability to turn in impressive qualifying laps in drying conditions (which could be even more useful now) mean that Rubens is the better one to have now that the team is successful.

[darcym]

Irvine easy the better

The two Ferrari earas where completly different, Irvine went to Ferrari when they where a midfield team, he tested 3 times in 96 and finished hardly any races due to mechnical development problems. He worked as a team with Ferrari did as he was told and help develop the team forward helping develop parts for Shumacher, in that situation he was also very close to Shumacher and raced really well, and never made a babyish winge about team orders, he knew the rules signed the contract and dind't moan...simple as that.

rubens walked into a championship winning team did a good job (not as good as Eddie would have done) and cried constantly about not being number 2 ar ferrari etc etc.

Irvine wiped the floor with him at Jordan, Irvine is a better driver, racer, and charecter, Rubens is good driver, unbrave racer, with a babylike charecter, trying to be Senna.

Bring back Eddie.

[Bleu]

I checked Irvine vs. Barrichello with Jordan.

1993
Suzuka
Qualifying: EI 8. RB 12.
Race: RB 5. EI 6.

Adelaide
Q: RB 13. EI 19.
R: RB 11. EI R (accident on 11th lap damaging suspension)
Eddie started from back of the grid because he missed his grid slot.

1994
Interlagos
Q: RB 14. EI 16.
R: RB 4. EI R (accident on lap 35)
Eddie was banned for the next race. After appeal, the ban was extended to 3 races. So he missed Aida, Imola and Monaco races.

Barcelona
Q: RB 5. EI 13.
R: EI 6. RB R (engine failure on lap 39)

Montreal
Q: RB 6. EI 8.
R: RB 7. EI R (accident on lap 41)

Magny-Cours
Q: EI 6. RB 7.
R: RB R (collision with Alesi on lap 42) EI R (gearbox problem on lap 25)

Silverstone
Q: RB 6. EI 12.
R: RB 4. EI R (engine broke on second warm-up lap)

Hockenheim
Q: EI 10. RB 11.
R: EI R RB R (both in accident on the first lap)

Hungaroring
Q: EI 7. RB 10.
R: EI R RB R (both in accident on the first lap)

Spa
Q: RB 1. EI 4.
R: EI 13R (electrics failed four laps before the end) RB R (accident on lap 20)

Monza
Q: EI 9. RB 16.
R: RB 4. EI R (engine broke on lap 42)

Estoril
Q: RB 8. EI 13.
R: RB 4. EI 7.

Jerez
Q: RB 5. EI 10.
R: EI 4. RB 12. (puncture during the closing stages, but finished)

Suzuka
Q: EI 6. RB 10.
R: EI 5. RB R (electrics failed on lap 17)

Adelaide
Q: RB 5. EI 6.
R: RB 4. EI R (spun off on lap 16)

RB won qualifyings 8-5 and points 19-6 (RB got 4 points in Aida)

1995

Interlagos
Q: EI 8. RB 16.
R: RB R (gearbox failed on lap 17) EI R (transmission problem on lap 16)

Buenos Aires
Q: EI 4. RB 10.
R: RB R (engine broke on lap 34) EI R (engine broke on lap 7)
RB started from pits in the restart.

Imola
Q: EI 7. RB 10.
R: EI 8. RB R (gearbox failed on lap 32)

Barcelona
Q: EI 6. RB 8.
R: EI 5. RB 7.

Monaco
Q: EI 9. RB 11.
R: RB R (throttle problem on lap 61) EI R (wheel failure on lap 23)

Montreal
Q: EI 8. RB 9.
R: RB 2. EI 3.

Magny-Cours
Q: RB 5. EI 11.
R: RB 6. EI 9.

Silverstone
Q: EI 7. RB 9.
R: RB 11. (retired after collision with Blundell two laps before the finish) EI R (electrics failed on lap 3)

Hockenheim
Q: RB 5. EI 6.
R: EI 9. (engine failed four laps before finish) RB R (engine failed on lap 21)

Hungaroring
Q: EI 7. RB 14.
R: RB 7. (was 3rd before car failed in the last corner) EI 13. (clutch broke 7 laps before finish)

Spa
Q: EI 7. RB 12.
R: RB 6. EI R (pit fire on lap 22)

Monza
Q: RB 6. EI 12.
R: RB R (hydraulic problem on lap 44) EI R (engine failed on lap 41)

Estoril
Q: RB 8. EI 10.
R: EI 10. RB 11.

Nürburgring
Q: EI 5. RB 11.
R: RB 4. EI 6.

Aida
Q: EI 6. RB 11.
R: EI 11. (had puncture during the race) RB R (engine failed on lap 68)

Suzuka
Q: EI 7. TB 10.
R: EI 4. RB R (accident on lap 16, hit Irvine's car after spin)

Adelaide
Q: RB 7. EI 9.
R: EI R (engine failed on lap 63) RB R (accident on lap 21)

Eddie better in qualifying 12-5. Points for Rubens 11-10.

In my opinion, when driving in Jordan, they were quite even.

With Ferrari, I think Barrichello is better driver.

[Mania]

Barrichelo is more of a team man and fits in well with Ferrari. Irvine had a mouth and was a character which did make him popular with certain elements within the team but not with those who count!

As for outright pace...its Barrichelo all the way. He's a far better driver than Irvine.

[Mattracer]

Irvine was a character.

Barrichello does a better job on the circuit.

Depends on what yoy think Ferrari fins moe important when TGF is ther to get the wins and titles for the team.

Ferrari- the single car team that isn't.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Mania
Barrichelo is more of a team man and fits in well with Ferrari.

Irvine was more than happy to play the team role. He was more vocal before, during and after races that his job was to let Micheal through. Barrichello less so IMO.

However I agree Rubens fits in better at Ferrari. For a lot of the traditional Ferrari reasons.

[Inigo Montoya]

IRVINE!!! Rubens *might* be faster, but Irvine accepted that he was nowhere near as talented as Michael, a fact that still escapes Rubens.

[Miss Hardt]

Barrichello is better, at least he has sane ways of dealing with people and he shows some feelings.

[golem]

Can you blame Rubens for not giving up? If I was him, I wouldn't. Never give up. Because every time he beats michael fair and square, it just makes him look that much better doesn't it?

[Osella]

Originally posted by BertMk2
Didn't Irvine outperform Barichello when they were together at Jordan?

I thought that was because they found Ruben's foot had been riding the brake pedal all season and they're systems wern't sophisticated enough to detect it as it happened....

(contrast to Williams, where frentzen was gobsmacked that the engineers could get an LED on the wheel to tell him he was doing it, inside of 45mins)


He's not just closest to Schumacher, sometimes Schuey isn't even the closest to him! Increasingly so, in fact!

[paulzinho]

Someone pointed out that Irv knew his job was to be Michaels number 2 and that he accepted it and was vocal about it.

Rubens might accept it but he also tried to beat Michael, he isn't putting himself down by accepting 2nd best, he genuinely tries to beat Michael and show his worth.

And you know what, he's succeeded a few times in doing that.

[Mekola]

Originally posted by darcym
Irvine went to Ferrari when they where a midfield team

What??? In 1996 Ferrari was only inferior to the Williams, and in mid-year they equal Benetton.

When Eddie went to Ferrari to develop the "problematical" car with Schumacher, Rubinho went after one year to Stewart Grand Prix, what clearly WAS a midfielder team. Both have problems in their cars at these moments, and in the same 1999 year both shoned in some occasions.
But in the #2 role Barrichello was better than Eddie. I know that the 1997-99 period was different than 2000-2002, but Rubinho made some moves that Eddie didn't made. Germany 2000, Brazil 2002 of Rubinho couldn't compare to Australia 1999 and Japan 1997 of Eddie.

[RT]

Eddie "Motormouth" Irvine couldn't hold steady or enhance the performance of the Ferrari team when he he had his chance to be WDC. He was, in that year, gifted a victory by Schumi and then just watched Michael Schumacher and Mika disappear into the distance at the last race of the 1999 season. Apart from these accomplishments. Eddie couldn't in his wildest dreams come with a true jewel like Rubinho's drive at the Hockenheimring. That was driving !! and not in a Ferrari!!!

[RWC]

They both take money over winning any day

[Mr V]

Originally posted by RT
Eddie "Motormouth" Irvine couldn't hold steady or enhance the performance of the Ferrari team when he he had his chance to be WDC.

Ferrari effectivley stopped development for a few races when the thought that the championship was lost after Michaels crash. Add that to him having to "hold station" behind Michael at France and the pit stop blunder at Nurburgring and he could have gone on to win the WDC, closer than Rubens will ever get.

Originally posted by RT
Eddie couldn't in his wildest dreams come with a true jewel like Rubinho's drive at the Hockenheimring. That was driving !!

Austria 1999? Ok, McLaren had their problems at turn 2, nut he performed when it mattered. Rubens drove brilliantly at Hockenheim, but he wouldn't have won if it hadn't been for the idiot walking across the track.

Originally posted by RT
and not in a Ferrari!!!

I only remember one decent race from Rubens at Hockenheim??? what race did he drive well, not in a Ferrari?

[Ej10]

in response to barrichello winning in germany 2000 it is well known ferrari were using traction control. many drivers commented on it but nothing could be proved. If you ask me frentzen did a much better job in that race and deserved the win as he wasnt using traction control!

[pole2pole]

My vote goes to eddie for two simple reasons he knew that he was never going to win a championship at ferrari he was hand picked to aid MS to his championship nothing else and eddie and his manager got as much money as they possibly could when it came to contract time

[krt917]

So you've picked him because a) he accepted his place and b) he earned a lot of money? True indicators of talent and greatness if ever I saw them!.....

Seriously though, I'd pick Rubens because he's the only team-mate, since our very own Martin Brundle, that has made Schuey look something other than invincible. Yes, the quality of the car has helped, but I believe that even Michael has suggested that it's more than just a coincidence that the Ferrari has got better since Eddie left and Rubens joined.