Yet Another Disappointing Race for Brawn GP

Well you may think from the title that I was disappointed with today’s race, and to an extent I was. The Brawns started in reasonably strong positions, but were crucified by tyre ware and traffic.

However, to see Mark Webber on the top step of the podium and hear his voice in the cockpit very nearly brought a manly tear to my eye! Another thing that nearly broke me down to tears was Ruben’s less than professional reaction after the race. Yes it didn’t go well, but Rubens has done himself no favours there!

Anyway, that will be discussed later; Well done Mark, a great win, but we are here to talk about Brawn, so here goes…….

As the cars lined up after the procession lap, I was most concerned about the four KERS cars that were dangerously close to cars 22 and 23. Jenson was also unfortunate enough to be starting on some strange grid markings that would negatively effect his start (generating more wheel spin).

Well the start was a total mixed bag, very exciting, great for Rubens, but appalling for Jens. Webber got off to a decent enough start, but Rubens was faster. Meanwhile the KERS of Hamilton had meant that the Brit's silver arrow had almost shot into first place, however the McLaren failed to break into turn one (as we later learnt, Hamilton suffered from a rear puncture).

Vettel had, fortunately for Brawn, also got off to a poor start, but by the end of all the confusion Rubens was in P1 and Jenson down in P5 but all over P4 man Massa.

I wrote on my notepad ’Attack! Attack!’ and that’s what Jenson did, taking Massa into turn one on lap two. This meant that Massa was now in between Vettel and Jens, which could only be good news. The bad news was that Jenson couldn’t find a way pass Kovalianen.

Rubens initially pulled away, but Webber soon found his groove and began to catch up. Meanwhile Jens’s afternoon was beginning to be ruined by a McLaren (I won’t tell you what I wrote about that in my notebook!)

Fortunately, Vettel was having the exact same troubles with Massa. This was all well and good until Massa began to challenge Jenson after yet another McLaren (this time the lapped Hamilton), slowed the pack down even more!

As Webber moved in on Rubens, Massa and Vettel drew closer to Jens. None of this was good news for Brawn, who were on a less favourable three stop strategy. Things looked slightly better for Brawn when on lap 9 it was announced that Webber was under investigation for a barging manoeuvre he carried out on Rubens down into turn one, right at the beginning.

Sure enough, soon after we heard the news that actually no one wanted to hear, Webber would have a drive through penalty. Would this now open the way for a Rubens maiden victory?

As Rubens pushed at the front, Jenson struggled with graining on his soft tyres. The Brit pitted on lap 13 and fitted some new softs and took on 6.6 seconds of fuel (pretty much confirming that he was on a three stopper). He rejoined in P14.

Rubens took to the pits at the same moment as Webber (for his penalty). This would prove to be a stroke of Red Bull genius, as Webber in fact lost very little stopping so early as the cars around him were on weaker strategies.

Rubens took on 6.6 seconds of fuel and the soft tyres again amd the Brazilian rejoined in P4. Webber was still in the lead, but of course needed to stop again. Rubens still felt the need to push and thought about taking Massa.

I was slightly worried about Kovalianen when he pitted on lap 15, but in actual fact he rejoined behind car 22...few!

Speaking of Jenson, the Championship leader put a fantastic move on Buemi to take back one more crucial, if low place (P12). Jenson now turned his sights over to Heidfeld and before long he had gained P10 through track manoeuvres.

Webber made his first planned stop on lap 19 and rejoined in P7 ahead of Jens (who had gained a place through a rival’s pit stop). By lap 20 Massa had really damaged Rubens's race by slowing his fellow countryman into the grasp of a determined Webber.

Massa may have screwed Rubens race, but he had also provided Jenson with an opportunity to catch up and pass his team mate for valuable championship points. Jens was far stronger on his new tyres and for a while it looked as if he might take Webber for P8.

It was looking good as Webber’s Red Bull struggled in Kubica’s dirty air, but when the pole pitted on lap 23, Webber sped off into the distance leaving Jenson wondering what had happened to his season!

Finally, on lap 24, Massa darted into the pits. Rubens had to really push now but it was too late. The three stop strategy was simply the wrong choice. Traffic and tyres had really messed up Brawn’s chances this weekend.

Webber was in a world of his own as Rubens desperately tried to calculate a change in strategy. On lap 30, Jens pitted from P3 and fitted the rubbish hard tyres and 6.7 seconds of fuel; he rejoined in P7.

Rubens pitted a lap later, effectively giving Webber the lead and the race. There was definite confusion in the Brawn garage as the hard tyres were fitted and what seemed like 11.4 seconds of fuel were added.

It looked as if Rubens had changed to a two stopper, which would have been advantageous, but to the Brazilian’s horror and disgust there had been a problem with the first fuel rig and a second had to be used.

All this meant that in actual fact he was still on a three stopper and a lot of time had been wasted.

With 25 laps left, Red Bull had it in the bag (Vettel was quite all afternoon, but a brilliant strategy saw the German in P2). Rubens was fuming in P5 and Jens was struggling in P6. By lap 37 Rubens was 30.785 seconds off the lead, and Jenson was 32.924 seconds off.

Nothing had changed with only 20 laps to go. Jenson’s tyres were ruined but he was somehow faster than Rubens. It became a real dilemma for Brawn as realistically it would have been sensible to give Jenson the extra points, but they couldn’t just ask Rubens to roll over.

With 12 laps left, Jens was all over his team mate and the mechanics were out in the pits. Who would they bring in first? Both drivers carried on through for another lap, just adding to the tension.

In the end it was Rubens who was brought in first and he took on some more hard tyres and 5.8 seconds of fuel, rejoining in P6. Jenson then lapped really fast, putting in fastest sectors. The Brit pitted one lap after his team mate and it was down to his crew to get him out in front.

Jenson added new softs and 6.2 seconds of fuel and joined ahead of Rubens in P5. Now I don’t know what Rubens was thinking as he saw his team mate ahead of him in turn one, but I imagine if I did…my Brazilian swearword vocabulary would have greatly increased!

By this stage the race was won by Red Bull, and Massa comfortably had third. For a while it looked as if Jenson might take Rosberg for P4, but the great push had ripped Jens’s tyres to shreds.

With 5 laps left both Jenson and Rubens were under serious pressure from the genius that is Alonso, who had quietly fought his way up the grid. Thankfully both Brawn men finished ahead of the Spaniard, but fifth and sixth was far from a good result.

In conclusion, today the Brawn strategy was simply wrong. Jenson looked to be the better driver towards the end, but Rubens had been better since Saturday afternoon really.

Rubens clearly thought Jenson had been favoured by his reaction after the race when he stated that he didn't want to attend his debrief and instead would prefer to simply leave the circuit.

Were these the reactions of a driver who knows he has no seat for next year? One that is fed up of playing the support role? Or simply a man who felt his team’s strategy had let him down? I think it was probably a combination of all three.

Rubens strongly felt that he should have been changed to a two stop strategy and when he said ’today we showed you all how to loose a race...I think he was right.

Brawn were certainly a lot closer to Red Bull this weekend, but they have their work cut out for Hungary.

Still a great day for Webber, and I can’t think of a nicer and more popular man on the grid. The advantage is very much with Red Bull now, lets see if Jenson can reclaim his Hungarian win in two weeks time...

 

Drivers Championship

Jenson: 68

Vettel: 47

Webber: 45.5

Rubens: 44

 

Constructors Championship

Brawn GP: 112

Red Bull: 92.5

Toyota: 34.5

Ferrari: 32