Brawn GP Season Review Part One: The Brawn Supremacy

Here is my first instalment of my season review of Brawn GP’s marvellous 2009 season. I think I will usually do three races at a time (as I did for my 2008 Honda season review).

However, this being the first instalment and rather lengthy, I think I’ll make this one the first two Grand Prix of the season. As a bloke who’s supported Honda since Jenson joined in 2003, I’ve seen the lows of 2005 and 2007/08, and I’ve seen the highs of 2004 and late 2006. However, nothing could prepare me for the 2009 World Championship!

AUSTRALIA 2009

After losing Honda in December 2008, the lads at Brackley showed us that they could make a quick car. The BGP001 blew everyone away in the last pre-season test which led to many placing high expectations on the shoulders of this brand new team.

However, the 2009 season began as it would continue…steeped in controversy! Brawn GP, along with Williams and Toyota, were told that all of their hard work may well have been for nothing! A soured beginning to Brawn GP’s first race saw the new car in front of the Stewards on a tense Thursday.

Rival teams accused the three 2008 midfielders of finding a loophole in F1 regulations which allowed them to run a different diffuser and possibly shoot them up the grid to become front runners.

The Albert Park stewards ruled in favour of Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams, but Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault then lodged an official protest, questioning the legality of the designs. This meant a probable hearing of the FIA’s International Court of Appeal.

Brawn GP didn’t let this news bring them down though and Friday practice proved to be another mesmerising event. Both cars finished the practice sessions in positions that were unthinkable just one year earlier.

Saturday Qualifying

When questioned on Friday as to whether Jenson saw himself as the favourite for Sunday he replied, "Well I still think of us as the underdogs really." Considering those thoughts I can only guess that Jenson was as happy as I was to see that he had stuck his car on the front of the grid for the first time since Melbourne 2006.

Button’s achievement also marked the first time any team had been on pole position with their first car built since Jackie Stewart for Tyrrell in Canada in 1970.

In qualification rounds one, two and three, the Brawns finished first and second. Rubens initially had Jenson’s number but a fantastic last session from the Brit proved too much for his team mate. Rubens was able to put in the fastest time of qualifying though with a mesmerising 1:24:783 (Jenson’s pole time was 1:26:505).


Sunday Race

Jenson stormed off into the lead whilst poor old Rubens’s car went into anti-stall throwing the unfortunate Brazilian back to fourth place. The two Ferraris took advantage of KERS and got off to a rocket start, but after three laps Jenson was 4.4 seconds ahead.

As the coverage continued, it became clear that Rubens had been in a scrap in turn one and had damaged his front wing. This, on top of the immense pressure Vettel was putting on Button from the onset nearly killed me!

The race then turned into a head to head between Button and Vettel, with each trading fastest sectors. Whilst the battle at the front developed, Rubens had some work to do. He first dispatched Niko Rosberg and then Kimi Raikkonen. However, Rubens again damaged his car passing the Fin leading me to believe the Brazilian’s laps were numbered!

Jenson put in fast enough laps to beat Vettel in the pit stops and Rubens had got up to P7 by the end of his stop. When Kubica joined the front runners thanks to a good tyre choice, the fight turned into a three way battle for the win with the gap getting ever smaller and my heart leaping from my chest!

The contest for P1 got better and better with Vettel eating away at Button whilst holding off Kubica. I truly thought Kubica was fast enough to take both leaders when a mistake made trying to pass Vettel took both runners out! An absolutely fascinating end to the race saw Jenson lead the last three laps behind a safety car.

For the first time since Fanjio in 1954 Jenson Button won a race for a debuting car! He thanked everyone, and looked moved on the top spot of the podium. Rubens was like an excited little boy! Apologising to Ross Brawn about the damage he had caused to the car!

A great weekend topped with my hero on the top spot and my team leading the constructors!

Since 2006, the race winner at Melbourne has won the World Title, and 2009 was no different!

MALAYSIA 2009

Saturday Qualifying

Both Brawns seemed to struggle in Q1, but after some worrying moments Rubens finished the first session on top. Jenson did a good job to finish P7, but yet again his team mate was doing a better job early on.

However, this time Jenson didn’t wait until Q3 to impress. The Brit had small fights with Trulli, but finished Q2 convincingly first with a a mesmerising 1:33:784 (which proved to be the fastest time set on Saturday!). Rubens was strong but couldn’t go any higher than P6.

The final session was a battle between Jenson, Rosberg, Trulli, Vettel, and Rubens. The Brazilian Brawn man was initially fast, but he then dropped off the boil and could only finish P4. Meanwhile Jenson yet again shocked everyone by racing to his first ever back to back pole position.

Sunday Race

With clouds covering the sky the prospect of early rain was high. The race began with a very big worry for we Brawn fans as Jenson had his front wing and nose changed, (as the original nose intended for the race had been left out in the rain and been damaged).

All this aside, the start was mixed for Brawn GP. Rubens shot up the pack and put himself in fifth place. Jenson, on the other hand, struggled to get away and fell at the mercy to a brilliant Rosberg start. By the first corner Jenson was in P4 fighting with Alonso, and Rubens was in P6.

Alonso and Button fought it out until turn 13, when the Brit put an excellent move on the double world champ to take third place. Both Brawns then went on a bit of a charge!

Rosberg was flying out at front, but the Brawns put in fastest laps, Rubens on lap 8 and Jenson on lap 11. When Rosberg pitted on lap 15, Jens was in second and Rubens third. Just two laps later, thanks to Trulli pitting, Jenson was once again in front.

Then Jenson showed us why he deserved the title by putting in super times when it really mattered. Jenson entered a world of his own and put in two outstanding laps before pitting for new dry tyres. In fact, Jenson had driven so well that he re-joined in front of his competitors after his stop.

Rubens was first, but still needed to stop. Jenson had done a fantastic job and was effectively first!

On lap 20 Rubens pitted, but unfortunately struggled to get away with gear troubles; he re-joined in P4. Then on lap 21 the heavens opened and all of the teams dived into the pits for wet tyres.

And that is where it all went a bit mental! Both Brawns came back in for intermediate tyres after watching Glock excel on them, but both were also forced to fit full wets just a few laps later. Jenson eventually ended up in P1 and Rubnes found himself in P5, the safety car was called out and after a few spins the race was red flagged.

Despite keeping us all on tenterhooks, the race was never re-started and for the first time in his career, Jenson was a back to back winner! From weak starts, both drivers excelled, the team made genius decisions and Jenson and Rubens led the Driver’s Championship after the first two rounds.

After two Grand Prix weekends, it looked as if 2009 was going to be decided very quickly. Despite initial speed from Rubens, Jenson seemed to come best on Sunday. I didn’t know what to expect for the future, all I knew was that I was thrilled at its progress so far!