Rubens Barrichello believes he can beat Michael Schumacher. "I have to," said the Brazilian at Silverstone. "I'd retire if I didn't." Eddie Irvine, who always has a dig at the affable Paulista, claims he was six-time F1 champion Schumacher's best team-mate, and therefore better than Rubens. Barrichello bristles at the suggestion. "It's not even a contest," he told the Sun. Irvine almost won the title for Ferrari in '99 "but that was only because Michael had [broken his leg. Irvine knew] he couldn't beat Michael." Rubens added: "I could say the same but I want to be the best." In the past month, Rubens has made couple of (albeit failed) attempts to overtake Schumacher on track. "I'll keep striving for it," he beamed. "I'm getting there. If I do it I'll be the first driver ever." Rubens said he turned down an offer from BMW-Williams for '05. "I feel Ferrari are a better bet," he explained, "because they [won't become] weak." Source GMM / CAPSIS International
