Rubens free to race for win – Brawn

Ross Brawn is adamant that Rubens Barrichello will be free to race for victory in today’s European Grand Prix and will not have to defer to team-mate Jenson Button’s championship ambitions.

The Brazilian outqualified his title-leading team-mate at Valencia on Saturday and – with a heavier fuel load than the two McLarens that will start in front of him – looks to be in with a strong chance of claiming his first win since 2004.

Barrichello has been unhappy with the way previous opportunities to win have slipped through his fingers this year, notably in Germany where he accused his Brawn GP team of losing him the race.

Although Button is defending a dwindling if still-healthy championship lead from the Red Bull drivers and Barrichello now lies a distant fourth in the table, Brawn dismissed suggestions of any team orders or agreed pre-race plan being put into effect.

“Rubens will be free to go for it,” he said.

“He’s got a little bit more fuel than Jenson, and he’s been making some pretty good starts as long as we haven’t had a problem with the car.

“Normally his poor starts have been down to a problem we’ve had with the car; when we haven’t had a problem with the car he’s been pretty good at the start.”

Brawn is confident the team is in good shape for today’s race, especially in comparison to title rival Red Bull Racing, and confirmed that it will be aiming to use a longer first stint and to get Button ahead of Sebastian Vettel.

He believes tyre management and degradation – areas in which Brawn has usually had the advantage over RBR – will be the keys to the race’s outcome.

“Over distance runs they seem to be finding it difficult to keep the tyres together, and Vettel has got less fuel than we have,” he noted.

“So I think Jenson and Vettel will be racing each other, but hopefully we can make our tyres last better and get him at the first pit stops.

“It will be completely about making the tyres last – that’s going to be the key to the race.”