According to reports in F1 Racing magazine, rumours of Rubens Barrichello leaving the Honda Racing team could be more truth than fiction with the English publication citing members from within the team as saying that it is about time the Brazilian racer retired.

This comment was said to have come after the Chinese grand prix, a race that saw his worst finish of the year when he crossed the line ten places behind teammate Jenson Button.

While Barrichello has a firm contract for 2008, the idea is he will be moved to the team’s junior outfit, Super Aguri, because, according to the magazine, Rubens has passed his ‘sell-by date’.

“What's new is that many Honda insiders now feel the same way. There is a growing faction within Honda that favours relegating Barrichello to Super Aguri for 2008. Crucially, Rubens no longer has the support within Honda of his friend and countryman Gil de Ferran, who resigned as sporting director in July of this year,” they say.