Statistically the most experienced driver in Formula One history, Rubens Barrichello's 17-year career has spanned many eras of extraordinary achievement, tragedy and change in recent memory. Despite a number of world class performances however, the aging veteran has thus far failed to secure the elusive drivers' title, and with time running out he may well join Stirling Moss as one of the true F1 greats not to be crowned champion.

Barrichello began the decade with Ferrari in 2000, having moved from the privateer Stewart team for what should have been a new start to his career. But the oppressive heirarchy of the Ferrari team at the time dictated Barrichello's role as a number-two driver, with the sole purpose of helping team-mate Michael Schumacher to the world championship. In what was Schumacher and Ferrari's finest years, Barrichello helped his German counterpart to a record-breaking five consecutive titles, all the while settling for podium finishes and occasional wins.

Ferrari's breakthrough season in 2000 saw Schumacher take his first title with the Italian marque, wrapping it up with a race to spare, while Barrichello comparatively struggled to fourth in the championship. Rarely able to match Schumacher's relentless qualifying pace or ultra-consistent race runs, Barrichello was left lacking in all quarters. At the damp German Grand Prix in Hockenheim however, Barrichello scored his long-awaited first win, coming from 18th on the grid to win by a comfortable seven seconds, thanks to some masterful driving in the wet.

One year rolled into the next, and Barrichello started 2001 strongly, scoring five podium finishes in the first seven races. Despite finishing off the podium just four times, with three retirements, a second Grand Prix victory went unclaimed, with him scoring 56 points on the way to third place, as Schumacher romped to a comfortable title triumph.

The favoritism at Ferrari became all too aparent in 2002 when, just six races into the championship, Barrichello was forced to hand a deserved race win to his team-mate within sight of the line, prompting the FIA to ban team orders. Having wrapped up the title with a record six rounds remaining, Schumacher returned the favour at the United States Grand Prix, giving Barrichello the win while trying to engineer a dead heat. The win was Barrichello's fourth and last of the year, having triumphed earlier in Europe, Hungary and Italy, easing him to a comfortable second place in the championship.

Ferrari were given a much sterner challenge to their superiority in 2003, and Barrichello's services were exactly what was needed to keep their rivals at arm's length. Following a relatively quiet first half to the season, Barrichello picked up the pace mid-summer, recording a dominant victory at Silverstone, which ultimately proved to be crucial in securing Schumacher's crown. He then took another crucial victory at the final race of the season in Japan, keeping Schumacher's run of consective titles ticking over.

Another super-quick car in 2004 propelled Schumacher to his last of seven world championships, and once again Barrichello wrapped up podium after podium, before eventually climbing to the top step in the final few races of the year with two consecutive wins in Italy and China. An impressive 14 podium finishes saw him finish the season second in the championship, but with a uncompetitive Ferrari in 2004, slumped to eighth. Yet again, another potential victory was snatched from his grasp thanks to team orders, when he was forced to let Schumacher by during the infamous United States when all Michelin runners abandoned the race, and otherwise struggled to score points. Of the 19 races that year, he finished outside the points on 11 occasions, ending with a score of 38.

After finally tiring of Ferrari's one-way system, Barrichello defected to Honda in 2006, partnering Jenson Button, but despite getting the measure of the Briton in qualifying, was unable to outrace his rival. By the end of the season he had scored 30 points, but had no podium finishes, compared to Button's 56 points and three top-threes. Things got worse before they got better, and in 2007 Barrichello failed to score a single point all season, the first time in his career. The dogged Honda beared little resemblance in on-track pace to its race-winning predecessor, but the Brazilian nevertheless finished inside the top ten on five occasions, regularly outracing Button.

An equally uncompetitive Honda in 2008 left Barrichello fighting for scraps, but made the best of his bad situation with brilliant drives in the disrupted Monaco and Canadian Grands Prix to take sixth and seventh places respectively. He then claimed his first podium with Honda at the British Grand Prix, coming from 16th on the grid to third, but could have finished second had it not been for a fuel rig problem. The shortcomings of the team's 2008 model meant he had to go the remaining half of the year without another top eight finish, never once challenging the top 10.

After pumping millions upon millions into the development of their 2009 car, Honda pulled the plug on its F1 operations in December 2008, with Brawn GP emerging from its ashes to field the most expensive car in F1 history. Yet again in a championship-winning car, Barrichello's team-mate took the plaudits, with Jenson Button taking six wins from the first seven races to put him firmly in the championship lead. During these races, Barrichello was never too far adrift, but scored just three podium finishes.

As soon as Button's race-winning streak had ended though, Barrichello emerged from the Briton's shadow and comprehensively outperformed the championship leader over the remainder of the season. The Brazilian took his first win in five years at the European Grand Prix in Valencia after dominating from third on the grid, before beating Button in a head-to-head fight at the Italian Grand Prix just weeks later. Despite his best efforts though, luck continued to rally against him, and he was unable to turn Button's bad form into a proper championship challenge. After suffering a heartbreaking puncture in the closing stages of the penultimate round of the season in Brazil, Barrichello mathematically dropped out of contention, ending an almost fairytale run in his 17th season of Grand Prix racing.

Decade highs:
Emotional debut F1 victory in Germany 2000 with Ferrari from 18th on the grid
Surprise podium with Honda at Silverstone 2008
First victory in five years at Valencia 2009
Superb win from 5th on the grid in Monza 2009, beating team-mate Button in a direct fight

Decade lows:
6 oppressive years at Ferrari
Handing a well-earned race win to Schumacher in Austria 2002
Finishing eighth in Brazil 2009, ending his championship hopes

2010s?
Despite his age and vast F1 experience, Barrichello has signed to race in F1 for another season with Williams next year, and with him showing the same enthusiasm for racing as he did when he first started, another few seasons of F1 could be in store for the 37-year-old.