05/10/2013
NEWS STORY
As, what Dr Mike Lawrence describes as "amateur websites", plumb new depths, Sauber finally kills off another ludicrous non-story.
Quite where it came from nobody knows, and Monisha Kaltenborn didn't help when she didn't kill it off on Thursday, however, finally talk of Rubens Barrichello's return to F1 has been dismissed.
Not only was the 11-time GP winner, now a member of Brazil's TV Globo commentary team, touted as a driver for 2014, it had even been claimed that he would replace one of the team's current drivers, most likely Esteban Gutierrez, in the final race of this season, in Brazil.
Adapting the follow the leader approach, more and more websites picked up on the idea, leading to Kaltenborn being quizzed on Thursday. Unfortunately her response merely added fuel to what was not really even a flame.
Meanwhile, comments from the popular Brazilian, who has raced in IndyCar and Brazilian stock cars since being dropped by Williams at the end of 2011, were also adjusted to fit the agenda.
In much the same way as Nigel Mansell's claim that he hadn't officially retired from F1 and was therefore still a contender for every available seat was still being used over a decade after he uttered it, Barrichello's comment that "if there is an opportunity, I'm in," was cited as 'proof' that talks were on-going.
Today however, after both her drivers made it into Q3, Gutierrez achieving his best result since entering F1, Kaltenborn finally killed off the story.
"I am ruling out that he would drive for us," she told reporters. "Maybe it is better if one is that clear about it.
"I have a lot of respect for Rubens, and I don't think it is right that I just so abruptly say 'No, we are not going to talk'," she continued. "I fully understand that he wants to drive, and that he is trying his best. I talk a lot to him when he's here, we discuss young drivers and so on, but we have never discussed a seat. That's the reality."
Having scored twelve points in the last two races - ten courtesy of Nico Hulkenberg's strong showing in Italy, Sauber is hoping for handful of points tomorrow, especially in the wake of today's performance. Indeed, with six races remaining, finishing seventh in the championship isn't entirely unreasonable.
As for drivers in 2014, the Russian investment which is supposed to pave the way for Sergey Sirotkin, could also make the Swiss outfit more attractive to Hulkenberg who has not yet secured a seat with a leading team. On the other hand, Gutierrez' improving form, and the money coming out of Mexico will make the youngster equally attractive.