Barrichello gets partial rookie status

The Izod Indycar Series said Monday that Formula One veteran Rubens Barrichello would receive partial rookie status, getting an extra set of tires and being allowed to practice in Group 1 of the first session along with other rookie drivers at road/street courses where he hasn’t tested. He will get the extra tires and track time at all ovals. Barrichello will have to complete the rookie orientation program like all drivers competing in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time. Barrichello, a 19-year veteran of Formula One, won 11 races and made a record 322 starts. He has argued that he is “definitely a rookie” because he was unfamiliar with most tracks. He won’t be eligible for rookie of the year honors. Beaux Barfield, Indycar’s president of competition, earlier had determined Barrichello was not a rookie based on past precedent and the level of experience.

-John Yates, adviser to Bahrain’s Interior Ministry, says security at the April 22 Grand Prix will include contingency plans to deal with potential disruptions such as demonstrators invading the circuit. Yates, a former assistant commissioner in the London Metropolitan Police Service, says he reviewed the plans for the F1 race. He says authorities are aiming to provide adequate security that keeps fans safe but does not impinge on Bahrain’s biggest sporting event. The 2011 race was canceled because of a wave of anti-government protests and the subsequent crackdown that has left at least 50 people dead. The race is scheduled to be held despite daily clashes between demonstrators and security forces.