Former Scuderia Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello has suggested that the Maranello team has looked back to their dominant years in order to find success in the 2017 Formula One championship. Ferrari can be happy with the start of the season and seems determined and able to challenge Mercedes for both F1 titles this year.

The Italian team trail Mercedes in the constructor standings by a mere eight points, while Sebastian Vettel currently leads the Formula One driver standings, ahead of the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Rubens Barrichello, who drove six seasons with the Maranello-based team, suggested that they looked back at the time they controlled the sport and took influence from that period: “It is almost like they had to repackage and go back a few years, to understand what made them fast when we were there. What made us fast was just the translation from the tunnel to the track. They would say: “ok, now you’re going to have a little more entry speed in the corner,” and it was amazing – how the hell did they know these things so well? The car did whatever they said. Because of a lack of testing, they knew the car was good and off they went. If you have the right group coming together, you can win.” – the Brazilian racing driver recently said, as reported by Italian national sports newspaper based in Rome Corriere dello Sport.

Rubens Barrichello drove for Scuderia Ferrari from 2000 to 2005, as Michael Schumacher’s teammate, enjoying considerable success alongside the seven times Formula One world champion, including finishing as championship runner-up two times, in 2002 and 2004. 102 Grands Prix, nine wins, 24 second places, 22 third place finishes and 15 fastest laps are the Brazilian driver’s most important statistics and achievements during his time with the Maranello team.