Jul.6 (GMM) After rekindling his affection for the podium on Sunday, Rubens Barrichello staked a claim for a new contract to extend his record-setting formula one career beyond 2008.
"I think the podium comes at a good time," said the 36-year-old Brazilian, who made the most of the Silverstone spray to finish third in the British grand prix with his usually uncompetitive 2008 car.Barrichello, openly emotional about his 62nd career podium - the first since 2005 with Ferrari - is out of contract at the end of the season.He wants to stay at Honda, whose team principal is Ross Brawn, who worked with Barrichello as technical director throughout his Ferrari tenure."I have no intention of stopping. I will only stop if I have nowhere else to go, but my intention is to stay with Honda."I have no contracts just yet, but I feel young. I love racing more than I ever did. The day that I find that I'm actually slower than in that first race at Kyalami is the day I will stop. Right now I'm just feeling that I'm faster than that day," Barrichello said.He shows no sign of tiring of formula one, even after passing Riccardo Patrese's all-time record of 256 grands prix at the recent Turkish grand prix.Barrichello said on Sunday: "It's like I'm young, it's like I'm smiling at problems, it's like I'm working more."I just love the sport, I just love the speed, I cannot live without it."It's not that I want to prove to Ross that I'm physically capable. He knows that I have the speed and I want to keep on racing."