Rubens Barrichello yesterday denied that Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo has forbidden him from challenging Michael Schumacher for this year's drivers' championship.
Earlier this week the Ferrari chairman was quoted as saying that the Brazilian would have no chance of winning the world championship and would be expected to return to his supporting role within the Ferrari set-up.
"Anyone who thinks Schumacher and Barrichello will battle amongst themselves is watching the wrong film," he said. "As long as I am in charge at Ferrari, the drivers will never be in competition with each other. Barrichello hasn't suddenly become a phenomenon. He is doing what we expected of him - he is here to serve Ferrari, like Schumacher did last year in Malaysia when we asked him to." However, yesterday, the Ferrari number two, arriving at the Hungaroring just 10 points behind his team-mate in the championship after scoring his maiden win at Hockenheim a fortnight ago, said that he had been told differently by his team boss.
"I don't know what he said to the press but what's important is what he told me and it's quite different," said Barrichello. "For example, it's quite a vote of confidence to bring an extra T-car here just for me, why would the team do that if I was only here to play second fiddle? Basically what he has said is that he definitely wants Ferrari to win and it doesn't matter who it is that does it." Barrichello is on a high after taking his maiden victory in dashing style in Germany, clawing his way to the top of the podium from 18th on the grid despite the added obstacles of safety cars, protesters and downpours at the circuit. The victory has catapulted the Brazilian into a four-way fight for the title, the closest at this point of the season since 1974. But even if Barrichello is freed to fight for the championship he will not only have to battle his team-mate but also second-placed David Coulthard and the resurgent Mika Hakkinen.
Yesterday though, the Brazilian said that he cannot focus on the possibility of a championship dogfight and must concentrate solely on the upcoming race this weekend. "I'm looking forward to this race," he said. "It's a track I've run well on in the past and Ferrari have done well here. I have no pressure on me . . . I'm just looking at the present. I'm not trying to hide or anything, I'm just living for the moment and waiting. If, at the last race, I'm in the running for the championship, then it's another matter, but for the moment I'm just enjoying myself. I'm becoming better and better every day I'm with Ferrari and I hope this will be another good weekend."
Mika Hakkinen, though, might have something to say about the Ferrari driver's weekend. The Finn, who finished second to Barrichello in Germany was back to full testing duties last week in Valencia and yesterday said he was feeling confident that a repeat of McLaren's one-two here last year followed by another double at Spa two weeks on was a distinct possibility.
"We're working on it. That consistency is the most important thing to achieve and I honestly think we can do it."
The defending world champion will be bouyed by the presence of some 20,000 Finns in Budapest this weekend, his countrymen sticking with a tradition that has seen Budapest become a small slice of Finland since the Hungarian Grand Prix was first run some 14 years ago.
"I've been racing here many years and I have very positive memories of coming here and the results have always been pretty good," he said. "In 1992 I was fourth after starting on the back row, and after that I fell in love with the place and this track.
"Last year was very special too, particularly because we had about 20,000 Finns here to watch the race," he added. "For me it's a great feeling because you can see so many Finnish flags and I can see what an effort they make to come here." While the McLaren driver has his sights set firmly on overtaking Michael Schumacher's slender two-point lead at the top, he did express sympathy for Barrichello's plight at Ferrari. "In terms of the morale of the driver (Barrichello), if you hear something like that from management and the people who decide how the team works, I'd say it's very distracting and definitely doesn't give you much motivation to race and give your best to the team," he said. "If you know you're there to lose - well who wants to do that? "
Certainly Barrichello will have a tough time convincing Schumacher that his chains should be loosed. The German has failed to finish the last three grands prix, once with engine failure in France and the other two as a result of first-corner smashes. With his early season dominance so comprehensively shattered, Schumacher is sure to be in a less than charitable mood. Hungary, where he has won twice in the past, also represents a solid chance for the German to re-establish a healthy gap at the top of the table. It is a chance he won't give away lightly.
