Barrichello stakes claim for new Honda contract

By Alan Baldwin

SILVERSTONE (Reuters) - Formula One's most experienced driver Rubens Barrichello ended a three year wait on Sunday with a podium finish that showed the Brazilian had lost none of his mastery in the rain.

While delighted with a third place in the British Grand Prix that did no harm to his chances of staying at Honda next season, the 36-year-old felt he could have done even better.

"I love the wet," he said. "Today was very difficult at the beginning with the visibility, coming from behind. There was a moment when I touched the white line and spun.

"There was a minor problem in the pitstop that I still don't know what happened, I was there for more than 20 seconds and that cost me one position on the podium."

Barrichello, who holds a record 261 Formula One starts, used all his expertise to make the right call on when to fit extreme wet tyres as heavy rain fell at the half distance.

With former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn masterminding the strategy from the pit wall as team boss, struggling Honda pulled off their first top three finish of the year and almost doubled their points tally at a stroke.

NO INTENTION OF STOPPING

Barrichello, out of contract at the end of the season, wasted no time in pressing his claims to stay on into 2009.