Barrichello does his homework

Williams’ Rubens Barrichello began his preparation for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix by playing a console game.

For several seasons it’s been an open secret that several of the drivers like to relax by playing the various iterations of the F1 console game in their motorhome rooms. Rubens Barrichello, speaking in the official FIA Thursday press conference, admitted to taking it one step further and building himself ‘a small simulator’ around it at home, on which he’s been learning the new circuit. “He plays it about seven hours a day,” revealed compatriot Felipe Massa.

“I did 100 laps on it. You could see the elevation, Turn Three and the opening and so on, so it was quite nice,” said Barrichello. “The team is looking forward to see as Pastor (Maldonado) has been on the Williams simulator with the track and there is a difference in time. We want to see which one is better.”

For the record Rubens was recording laps ‘in the high 26s’ with his game, while the Williams simulator was throwing up lap times around three seconds slower for team-mate Maldonado.

“It’s just fun but it’s good to learn the lines. It is going to be a little bit different as the track is dusty and the lines should be getting better all the time up until the end of the race. I don’t think we will have the full picture tomorrow.”