While the controversy was a distraction for a couple of days, the Brazilian has not let it affect his concentration nor his optimism for the rest of the year. “I am still tackling the season with an open mind, concentrating on my racing,” he maintained. “I am going through a very good period in my life in general and I will be doing my best to win in Monaco. I know that I am driving well enough to win races. Austria was an amazing weekend and everyone could see how well it was going for me on Friday and Saturday. What happened in Austria is the past and I can go to Monaco with my head up, looking to have a seriously good weekend.”

While Barrichello reckons that a new mental attitude and different approach to racing this season has much to do with his strong performance in the opening races, he also feels the F2002 has contributed to what he considers his best year in F1. “The car is very well suited to any track we race on,” he explained. “It is a superb package, which gives me as a driver a lot of confidence. In Austria, Williams did a very good job of being very close to us, but on Friday we worked very hard to make our car consistent and that meant we were very optimistic for the race. Last year, we felt the BMW-Williams had a slight power advantage over us, but this season I am not sure if that is still the case.”