Barrichello: More magic moments to come.

Rubens Barrichello has described his return to the podium in the British Grand Prix as 'magic', adding that he is convinced that there are still 'plenty more' good times to come from Honda in the future.

The experienced Brazilian has long had a good relationship with Silverstone - the celebrated 'Home of British Motor Racing' - having competed there with success in the junior formulae and six times finished inside the top four in Formula 1 prior to this year's race. Indeed, one of the most famous grands prix in recent memory was the Brazilian's victory around the Northants circuit for Ferrari back in 2003, when he took pole position and fastest lap too for good measure.

After lining up only 16th on the starting grid, the veteran of a record 258 starts in the top flight may have had few hopes of a strong result this time around, but when he woke up to see the rain lashing the ground, his eyes would have undoubtedly lit up.

It was a gamble on extreme wet tyres, however, that ultimately made his race - as Barrichello lapped consistently up to eight seconds a lap faster than any other driver on the track - and his third-place finish marked his first rostrum appearance in more than 50 outings.

"How magic is this?" the 36-year-old enthused afterwards. "It's a great feeling to be back on the podium today, after such an exciting race where the weather conditions really helped us to get the best out of the car. The most important decision of the race for us was switching to the extreme wet tyre when the heavy rain started to fall at half-distance.

"I had a real moment at Club, going off at high-speed and almost hitting the wall, and that made me realise that we needed to make a quick decision. After fitting the extreme wets, I was able to overtake the cars in front easily which was a great feeling. Making such a crucial decision at a key time comes from experience and from the team having the confidence in me to make the call.

"I would like to say a big thank you to the team today - to everyone back at the factory and also in Japan. Life is about learning from your experiences, and we have been through some tough times over the last couple of years, but I always had faith that there were good times ahead and I know there are plenty more to come."

Indeed, the result was a welcome boost to Honda, which has endured a miserable start to the 2008 campaign with its recalcitrant RA108 - a car that had registered just eight points in the hands of Barrichello and team-mate Jenson Button before this weekend.

Had it not been for a fuel rig problem during the S?o Paolista's second pit-stop, though - necessitating a further stop just 14 laps form home - it could have been even better still, as the Brackley-based outfit's team principal Ross Brawn ruefully acknowledged.

"Without the fuel rig problem that we had at the second pit-stop, he would certainly have finished one position higher in second place," the 53-year-old former Ferrari strategic genius reflected, before adding with a smile: "That's frustrating, but we shouldn't be too greedy...

"We were aware that rain was forecast for today, and we had compromised our qualifying settings yesterday to be better-prepared for the wet conditions, a decision which fully paid off in the race.

"We are delighted with the result from today's race, and Rubens' first podium for Honda is very well-deserved. It's like old days. He did a magnificent job out there, providing great information to help put together exactly the right tyre calls and strategy today.

"Scoring our first podium of the season is a huge boost for the morale of the entire team - everyone here at the track today and all the people who work so hard back at the factory. It is doubly rewarding to have achieved this result at our home race, so close to both of our UK facilities at Brackley and Bracknell.

"Additionally, we have secured six extremely valuable points, which opens up the potential to chase for sixth place in the constructors' championship over the rest of the season."