Rubens Gonçalves Barrichello (born May 23, 1972) is a Brazilian racing driver who began his Formula One career in 1993 with Jordan, a team he raced for until 1996. His first Grand Prix podium came in his second season, one round before losing compatriot and mentor Ayrton Senna at the San Marino Grand Prix. Barrichello next raced for Stewart Grand Prix from 1997 to 1999 during their only three seasons as a Ford works-supported team. The popular Brazilian was signed by Scuderia Ferrari in 2000 to race alongside Michael Schumacher, a seat he retained until 2005 and scoring nine Grand Prix wins along the way and twice finishing runner up in the Drivers’ Championship. Barrichello joined Jenson Button at Honda in 2006 and raced for the Japanese manufacturer until their withdrawal in 2008, with mixed results. Having already signed for the 2009 season, Brawn GP and the BGP 001 provided a career resurgence for Barrichello with two more Formula One wins and four further podiums. The Brazilian closed out his Grand Prix career with Williams, racing for the legendary British team in 2010 and 2011.
Audemars Piguet
Barrichello has previously been an Audemars Piguet ambassador, with several Royal Oak Offshore F1 limited edition timepieces released in his honor in 2005, 2006, and 2008. They were appropriately named the Royal Oak Offshore ‘Rubens Barrichello’, Royal Oak Offshore ‘Rubens Barrichello II’, and Royal Oak Offshore ‘Rubens Barrichello III’.
Rolex and Artisans de Genève
While not an officially licensed release, Barrichello teamed up with Artisans de Genève in 2019 to create two bespoke Rolex Daytona La Barrichello custom watches, one in stainless steel and one in rose gold.
References
https://quillandpad.com/2023/09/04/30th-anniversary-of-the-audemars-piguet-royal-oak-offshore-roo-f1s-high-octane-fairy-tales-of-super-star-racing-drivers/
https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/rubens-barrichello-chronograph-audemars-piguet
https://monochrome-watches.com/artisans-de-geneve-la-barrichello-skeletonized-rolex-daytona-price/
https://watchesbysjx.com/2019/06/artisans-de-geneve-rolex-daytona-rubens-barrichello.html
https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/sponsored-content/artisans-de-geneve-and-rubens-barrichello-gild-a-new-rolex-daytona