Sunday, 4 October 2009
No penalty for fifth-placed Rosberg
Brawn will have to wait at least another two weeks to clinch the constructors’ championship after stewards decided not to penalise Nico Rosberg after he finished a controversial fifth in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Jenson Button – who along with team-mate Rubens Barrichello had been in a battle with the Williams driver over the three final points places in the closing stages - had been adamant after the race that Rosberg had not slowed down on his way to his final pit stop while the rest of the field was running at a controlled speed following the late deployment of the safety car.
Rosberg re-emerged from the stop in fifth, meaning Brawn’s seventh and eighth place finishes left it one point short of the total it needed to wrap up the constructors’ crown at Suzuka.
After the race director informed the stewards that Rosberg had clocked a speed that was over the limit, the driver and Williams technical director Sam Michael were duly summoned after the race to the explain the incident, with the stewards subsequently spending several hours studying telemetry and timing data, along with video evidence to see if a penalty was warranted.
However, they discovered that Rosberg hadn’t been able to see the ‘time delta’ that indicates what speed he should be going at as it had been overridden by a ‘low fuel’ message on his dash.
The stewards said telemetry data nevertheless proved that the German driver had driven at a safe speed back to the pits and were therefore happy that no further action was needed.
“The Race Director reported to the Stewards that Car No 16, Nico Rosberg exceeded the time delta from when the "Safety Deployed" message was displayed until crossing the Safety Car line,” a stewards statement read.
“The Stewards met with the driver and the team representatives and considered the telemetry data, GPS records, timekeeping and video evidence.
“This evidence showed a "low fuel" message on the drivers display had overridden the time delta information preventing the driver from being able to accurately follow the timing information.
“However the telemetry data shows that the driver from a safety point of view had reacted adequately to the yellow flags and safety car boards.
“In view of this the Stewards intend to take no further action.”
Brawn’s confirmed seven-eight finish therefore means it needs a single point in Brazil to beat Red Bull to the constructors’ title with a race to spare, the Brackley-based squad 35.5 points ahead of its rival with just 36 up for grabs.
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Labels: No penalty for fifth-placed Rosberg
Thursday, 1 October 2009
2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - PREVIEW
Posted: Wednesday 30 September 2009 at 09:50Just one week after racing around the floodlit streets of Singapore, Round 15 of the 2009 Formula One World Championship takes the Brawn GP team over 5000kms north-east to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix.
Situated on Honshu, the largest of the Japanese islands, the 5.897km track is owned by the Honda Motor Company and was built in 1962 as a test circuit before hosting its first Formula One race in 1987. The circuit was designed by John Hugenholtz and the 18-turn figure-of-eight layout is unique in the sport and a great favourite amongst the drivers.
Despite various modifications since 2002, Suzuka has retained much of its challenging layout with famous corners including the Spoon Curve and the high-speed 130R. After a three year absence, this weekend’s race will be Suzuka’s 21st Grand Prix.
ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL
Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix?
“Suzuka is a fantastic racing circuit and a classic drivers’ track so we are delighted to be returning there this weekend. The venue has played host to some great races over the years and with all the hard work that has been undertaken recently to improve the facilities, it should prove to be an even better venue for the Japanese Grand Prix after the three-year break. From Brawn GP’s perspective, I was very pleased with how the team recovered well from a problematic qualifying session in Singapore and came away with further valuable points for the championship challenge. We will learn from those experiences and put the lessons in good practice for the final important three races of the season. We were pleased with the performance of the upgrades that we took to Singapore and expect to continue to see the benefits of this package in Suzuka this weekend.”
JENSON BUTTON
Q. Are you looking forward to returning to Suzuka this weekend?
“Suzuka is such a fun circuit and I have lots of good memories from racing there over the years. It’s a very fast-flowing lap and a real drivers’ circuit just like Silverstone and Spa. I think everyone has missed having it on the calendar for the last few years. 130R is one of the fastest corners in Formula One and you really have to think about how you approach it. We might not be flat through there this year but it is still a real buzz to take the corner carrying speeds of 300kph. I’ve had some moments there in the past! I’ve always enjoyed great support at Suzuka in the past from the Japanese fans who are so enthusiastic about the sport so we’ll be hoping for more of the same this weekend and I can’t wait to race there again and put on a great show.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. What makes Suzuka such a favourite amongst the drivers?
“Suzuka is a great race track and we are all really pleased to be returning there for the Japanese Grand Prix this year. Besides being a challenging circuit, Suzuka holds some particularly special memories for me from my win from pole position in 2003. It’s a tough circuit because of the corners and the track layout and you have to be precise, consistent and get the balance of the car absolutely right to have a good weekend. Spoon and 130R are the undoubted highlights of the lap. Both turns are part of what makes Suzuka so demanding and such a great challenge for the drivers. Overtaking can be tough and generally happens into the slowest corner on the track, the Casio Triangle, into the fast fifth-gear First Curve or occasionally at the Turn 11 hairpin.”
Suzuka Stats
Circuit Length: 5.807km
Race Distance: 307.573km
Number of Laps: 53
Full Throttle: 65%
Brake Wear: Low
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Hard
Downforce Level: Medium/High - 8/10
Tyre Usage: High
Average Speed: 233kph (145mph)
Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)
Friday 2 October
Practice 1: 1000 - 1130
Practice 2: 1400 - 1530
Saturday 3 October
Practice 3: 1100 - 1200
Qualifying: 1400 - 1500
Sunday 4 October
Race: 1400
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Labels: 2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - PREVIEW
Saturday, 26 September 2009
2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING
A tough evening for Brawn GP at the Marina Bay Street Circuit saw Rubens Barrichello qualify in fifth position for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix with team-mate Jenson Button qualifying in twelfth position.
Jenson and Rubens progressed comfortably through Q1 in second and sixth positions respectively before both drivers struggled with the balance of the car on new tyres in Q2. Rubens was able to progress to Q3 with a quick lap at the end of the session however Jenson had not been happy with the balance of his car all day and problems with understeer left him out of the top ten.
In Q3, Rubens was lying in fifth position on his final flying lap when he ran wide on the dust at turn five and hit the wall bringing qualifying to an early conclusion. Rubens will start in tenth position on the grid due to a five-place gearbox change penalty.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P7 P6 01:47.397 P7 01:46.787 P5 01:48.828
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P14 P2 01:47.180 P12 01:47.141
Weather Hot and humid - Max 79.6% humidity
Temperatures Air: 29-30°C Track: 29-31°C
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“It was an eventful qualifying session for me today but I’m still feeling positive with starting from tenth position on the grid. Considering everything that happened, I feel that it’s a pretty good result. I had a problem with the car after Q2 when I hit the kerb too hard and probably damaged the floor as the car wasn’t feeling quite right at the end of the session. It was a great lap to get into Q3 as we were struggling for pace and I knew that I had to push regardless of any damage. I was really going for it on my final run in Q3 and unfortunately the car bottomed out and I lost control and ended up bouncing off the wall. It’s a shame but the car should be ok and we can look forward to the race tomorrow.”
JENSON BUTTON
“It was a frustrating qualifying session for us today. The car felt pretty good in Q1 and I was the second quickest which was positive. We had a bit of understeer so we made some changes for Q2 but unfortunately it made the car very difficult under braking and I locked the front left tyre up into turn seven which lost me a lot of time. Then with a flat-spotted front tyre, it’s impossible to make the time up around here so that was my qualifying over. We’ll make the best of it tomorrow of course but starting from twelfth on the grid is going to make it a tough race.”
ROSS BRAWN
“It was a difficult qualifying session for the team in Singapore this evening. Prior to qualifying, we took the decision to change the gearbox in Rubens’ car as this is a heavy duty cycle track for gearboxes and further dyno simulations had shown that keeping the box was too risky. Both drivers progressed comfortably through Q1 then we struggled in Q2 and were not able to get the cars balanced. Rubens put in a good lap at the end to progress with Jenson suffering from understeer throughout the day. We made some significant changes to his car prior to qualifying but were not able to get into the top ten. We expected to be more competitive in Q3 but with Rubens’ accident, it’s clearly not been a great day. We have to tough it out and see what we can recover tomorrow.”
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Labels: 2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX - QUALIFYING
Barrichello admits 2010 plans uncertain
Rubens Barrichello has admitted that his future plans in Formula 1 are totally open, amid mounting speculation that he will be replaced by Nico Rosberg at Brawn GP for 2010.
The Brazilian, who is battling for the world championship with his team-mate Jenson Button, has had no guarantees from his outfit about next year - and Rosberg is believed to be closing in on a deal to partner Button.
Speaking about his future, Barrichello said the situation was quite fluid – as he conceded there was a chance he would not be remaining with his current outfit in 2010.
"I wish to stay in F1," said Barrichello. "If it is with my current team or with another team, I do not know. My future is quite open; I hope that some time soon we can say something.
"I am just happy that there were no rumours about it right now – and I can quietly keep myself working."
Barrichello is currently 14 points behind Button in the championship standings, and is hoping that this weekend marks the end of the title challenge of the Brawn pair's nearest opponent Sebastian Vettel.
When asked if he felt this weekend was Vettel's last chance, Barrichello said: "He is a phenomenal guy and I hope he is going to have his chance in the future, but I do hope it is his last chance here, honestly."
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Labels: Barrichello admits 2010 plans uncertain
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Singapore Grand Prix - Brawn Preview
Round 14 of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship takes Brawn GP to the Far East for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, the first of two back-to-back races with the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka following just one week later.
Formula One’s first night race in Singapore last year was a resounding success with the floodlights lighting up the track and the city skyline to provide a spectacular and atmospheric race weekend. The 20:00 race start time will see the track and pit lane once again lit with 1500 light projectors situated four metres apart and 10 metres above the ground.
The 5.067km Marina Bay Street Circuit is made up entirely of public roads with an anti-clockwise layout and an abundance of first and second gear bends included in the 23 corners of the lap. The stop-start nature of the track results in a low average lap speed of just 175kph and sees the cars running with maximum levels of aerodynamic downforce.
Brawn GP’s cars will be running with additional Canon branding this weekend as part of the team’s partnership with Canon Singapore.
ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL
Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix?
“Formula One’s first night race in Singapore last year was a fantastic occasion which was greatly enjoyed by the drivers, teams and fans. The spectacle of running on a barrier-lined street circuit under the floodlights really caught the imagination and provided a weekend that Formula One and the Singapore Grand Prix organisers should be very proud of. It’s a venue which everyone at Brawn GP is looking forward to returning to this week. The team and our drivers performed extremely well in Monza to achieve a one-two finish at the last race and we will be hoping to carry that momentum through to Singapore. We have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for the BGP 001 for this weekend which should bring another good step in performance for the final races of the season. The nature of the Marina Bay Street Circuit is tight, twisty and very narrow in places with many first and second gear corners resulting in low average speeds so we will be running the car in a high aerodynamic downforce configuration.”
JENSON BUTTON
Q. What did you think of your first experience of the Singapore Grand Prix last year?
“Last year’s Singapore Grand Prix was an amazing experience and it really was one of the highlights of the year. Driving under the lights was great fun and the visibility was pretty good although some corners such as turns one and five were a bit dark which made it more difficult to judge your braking distances. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is pretty challenging and although it has a stop-start layout which isn’t usually my favourite type of circuit, I still enjoyed driving it. As last year, we will stay on European timing for the race weekend which means staying awake throughout the night and sleeping most of the day to ensure that we are alert and the body is ready to react in the right way for the evening timetable. I spent some time at the factory last week driving the circuit on our simulator which helps with the track layout, gears and downforce levels so we are well prepared and looking forward to arriving in Singapore and getting the weekend underway.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. Are you looking forward to returning to Singapore?
“The first Formula One night race in Singapore was very exciting last year and I’m really looking forward to returning this week. It’s always good to have new challenges and racing under the lights for the first time certainly provided that. I really enjoyed the circuit as it felt like a proper street circuit should with public roads, bumps, barriers and passing some of the famous city landmarks. It’s very narrow in places and you can feel quite enclosed particularly with the bright floodlights shining down. It’s a very slow track so you need a high downforce aerodynamic configuration on the car and with so many corners, you have to maintain your concentration at all times. I’ve had a great time over the last month with two victories so we’ve got some good momentum behind us going into the final four races of the season. I can’t wait to get back in the car and get on with the challenge.”
Marina Bay Street Circuit Stats
Circuit Length: 5.067km
Race Distance: 308.950km
Number of Laps: 61
Full Throttle: 48%
Brake Wear: High
Tyre Compounds: Super Soft / Soft
Downforce Level: High - 10/10
Tyre Usage: Medium
Average Speed: 175kph (108mph)
Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)
Friday 25 September
Practice 1: 1800 - 1930
Practice 2: 2130 - 1100
Saturday 26 September
Practice 3: 1900 - 2000
Qualifying: 2200 - 2300
Sunday 27 September
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:24 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Singapore Grand Prix - Brawn Preview
Monday, 14 September 2009
2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE
Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello won the Italian Grand Prix in Monza this afternoon to score his second victory of the season and his eleventh Formula One win. Team-mate Jenson Button came home in second position in his Brawn-Mercedes car to complete a fantastic weekend which sees the team’s eighth victory and fourth one-two finish of the 2009 season.
After a strong qualifying performance on Saturday, Rubens and Jenson began the race from fifth and sixth positions respectively with heavy fuel loads for a one-stop strategy. Rubens started on the harder prime tyre with Jenson favouring the softer option. Both drivers had excellent first laps to pass Heikki Kovalainen and get into position behind the two-stopping cars ahead of them.
With aggressive lap times, the pair were able to maintain the gap to the front-runners prior to their pit stops, on lap 28 for Jenson and lap 29 for Rubens, before jumping the three two-stopping cars at their second stops. Rubens crossed the line after 53 laps to take the flag just over 2.8 seconds ahead of Jenson.
Brawn GP leads the Constructors’ Championship with 146 points, 40.5 points ahead of second place, with Jenson leading the Drivers’ Championship with 80 points and Rubens in second place with 66 points.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P1 01:24.967
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P2 01:24.935
Weather Hot and sunny
Temperatures Air: 26-28°C Track: 37-41°C
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“Monza has always been a great track for me and it feels just wonderful to win here again. We made some great decisions this weekend and the work that we achieved on Friday was the key to setting up the result today. We had to think strategically in qualifying because of the KERS cars and our one-stop strategy really paid off. I had a great start to get ahead of Heikki and from there I had the pace that we needed to beat the two-stopping cars who started ahead of us. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at the factory, here at the track and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth for designing, building and developing such a great car and engine. I’m driving a fantastic car with a fantastic Mercedes-Benz engine and the team is doing a fantastic job! It’s going to be a good and healthy fight for the championship over the next few races and I’m really looking forward to that. Two wins in three races is pretty good going and I’ll be giving it my all. And finally I would like to dedicate this win to my two sons Eduardo and Fernando who both had their birthdays this month.”
JENSON BUTTON
“I had a really good race today and it’s a fantastic feeling to be up on the podium again. The team and Rubens did a great job this weekend and congratulations to Rubens for his second win of the season. The car worked very well all weekend and the balance was good throughout the race which meant I could set consistently quick lap times when it really mattered. The strategy that we chose on Saturday for qualifying was the perfect one for us and I was able to get ahead of Heikki on the first lap which was absolutely crucial for my race. Lewis was pushing hard behind me for the final part of the race but I was confident that I had him covered and it’s a very difficult circuit to overtake here even with KERS. We have shown that the Brawn-Mercedes is a very good car and credit to the team for the efforts that have gone into improving it over the past couple of months. It’s going to be a very exciting end of the season and a challenge that we are all looking forward to.”
ROSS BRAWN
“We are all delighted with our result this weekend after two very strong drives from Rubens and Jenson to achieve our fourth one-two finish of the season. We have a lot of very talented people at the team who have made this result possible and I am very pleased with how our race weekend here in Monza was planned and operated. The car worked well in low-downforce and the Mercedes-Benz engine gave us the power required for this high-speed circuit. This weekend has been a great result for Brawn GP but the hard work is far from over. There are four crucial races coming up which will decide the championship battle and we will be back at the factory in Brackley tomorrow and looking ahead to the next challenge in Singapore.”
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Labels: 2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE
Thursday, 10 September 2009
2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - PREVIEW
The Italian Grand Prix, Round 13 of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, will be held this weekend at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza just outside of Milan and bring Formula One’s European season to its conclusion.
One of the most historic and atmospheric circuits on the Formula One calendar, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is situated in the royal park at the heart of the town of Monza. The original circuit was built in 1922 and included a banked oval course. Although this has not been used by F1 cars since 1961, it remains as a monument to the iconic races hosted over the years.
The 5.793km Monza circuit is the fastest of the year with four long straights enabling the cars to reach top speeds of 340kph and average lap speeds of 250kph. The emphasis is on engine power and aerodynamic efficiency which require the cars to be set up with a special low downforce aerodynamic package to minimise drag.
ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL
Q. What are the technical considerations for the race at Monza this weekend?
“Visiting Monza during the Italian Grand Prix is a very special experience and one not to be missed for motorsport fans. It’s one of those classic venues where the grandstands are always packed and the atmosphere is electric throughout the weekend. From a technical point of view, Monza should be a track where our car will work well although we do expect the KERS cars to have a significant advantage. The BGP 001 is good on both brakes and traction which are important at Monza and we have the benefit of the Mercedes-Benz engine on this power-sensitive circuit. With no in-season testing this year, we have not had the opportunity to test at the circuit prior to the race weekend so it will be interesting to see how quickly everyone can adapt to the unusually low downforce configuration with limited running. The aerodynamic efficiency of the car is crucial so we have a specific package designed to minimise drag levels and achieve the high top speeds required. Good engineering can make a significant difference at Monza so we’ll be working hard to get the car set up well to allow our drivers to be aggressive over the kerbs.”
JENSON BUTTON
Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Italian Grand Prix?
“Monza is a fantastic track and I love the passion that the Italian fans bring to the race weekend. The circuit is very different to most of the circuits that we race on as the car will be set up with the lowest levels of drag and downforce possible to take advantage of the long straights. It always takes a few laps to get used to and as we haven’t tested at Monza this season, the practice sessions will be very important. Ascari is probably my favourite part of the track but also Parabolica where the challenge is to brake as late as possible, particularly in qualifying when you’re on a quick lap. It’s a circuit that should be reasonably good for our car if we get the handling right over the kerbs so we’re feeling positive and excited about the challenge.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. What do you enjoy about visiting Monza?
“There’s something very special about Monza and I have always loved racing there throughout my career. The setting in the park, the sound of the Tifosi, the speed of the circuit and the memories from my victories with Ferrari in 2002 and 2004 all make Monza one of the most exciting races of the year. It’s the quickest circuit on the calendar and our car has the potential to be strong there. The power of our Mercedes-Benz engine will be really important in maximising speed on the long straights and our car is quite good under braking which you need to be aggressive and ride the kerbs effectively. It’s been a season full of surprises so it’s impossible to predict what the weekend will bring but I hope that we can have a good one.”
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Stats
Circuit Length: 5.793km
Race Distance: 306.720km
Number of Laps: 53
Full Throttle: 67%
Brake Wear: Medium
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Medium
Downforce Level: Low - 2/10
Tyre Usage: Low
Average Speed: 245kph (155mph)
Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)
Friday 11 September
Practice 1: 1000 - 1130
Practice 2: 1400 - 1530
Saturday 12 September
Practice 3: 1100 - 1200
Qualifying: 1400 - 1500
Sunday 13 September
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:21 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - PREVIEW
Monday, 7 September 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Mercedes set to buy shares in Brawn
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Mercedes set to buy shares in Brawn
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:15 0 comments Links to this post
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: 2009 Brawn preview of the Italian Grand Prix
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: 2009 Brawn preview of the Italian Grand Prix
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:02 0 comments Links to this post
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Barrichello's engine fine after fire
Rubens Barrichello's Belgian Grand Prix engine has been given the all-clear to be used again, despite the oil leak and fire that nearly put him out of the race.
The Brawn GP driver had to slow in the final laps at Spa after oil smoke was seen coming from the back of his car.
His team initially feared that the Mercedes-Benz power unit was about to fail, but the problem was put down to a simple oil leak.
However, after the chequered flag, the oil leak manifested itself into a spectacular fire as he came into the pits.
That blaze was cause for concern for the team, but post-race analysis has shown the engine was undamaged - although the team will have to wait until next week's Italian Grand Prix to find out if Barrichello's gearbox escaped unscathed too.
Writing on his Twitter page on Friday, Barrichello confirmed: "The team told me that my engine is fine after the fire. The gearbox seems okay but only after Saturday practice we will know more."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:40 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barrichello's engine fine after fire
Brawn escapes driving ban for speeding
Ross Brawn has escaped a driving ban for speeding at more than 100mph on a dual-carriageway in May.
The Brawn GP boss admitted to driving more than 30mph over the 70mph limit in his Mercedes on the A30 at Sourton, near Okehampton in Devon, the 54-year-old saying he was late for an appointment after being held up by traffic.
Brawn did not appear at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was represented by his lawyer Denis Brennan.
Mr Brennan told the court that Brawn acknowledged he risked a driving ban and that his client accepted guilt for the offence.
''He does accept that on the issue of culpability he drove intentionally at speed,” Brawn's lawyer was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
“He is aware that he can expect to be disqualified.
“The traffic was light. He fully co-operated with the police. He apologises.''
Magistrates fined Brawn £700, with £75 costs, and had six points put on his licence.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:39 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn escapes driving ban for speeding
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE
An eventful Belgian Grand Prix for Brawn GP saw Rubens Barrichello finish in seventh position at the end of the 44-lap race to score two points for the team’s championship challenge, with team-mate Jenson Button retiring from the race on the first lap.
Rubens had a slow getaway from fourth place on the grid due to a clutch problem which dropped him back into the field. The team therefore took advantage of the safety car on the first lap to bring Rubens into the pits and change his strategy. He then drove a determined race to charge through the field and be challenging Heikki Kovalainen for sixth position before an oil leak just two laps from the end put paid to his battle, requiring Rubens to back off and manage the pace to guide the car home.
Jenson had a good start progressing up to 11th position before the rear wheel of his car was struck from behind by Romain Grosjean at turn five on the first lap, an incident which took out four cars and brought out the safety car, ending Jenson’s race.
JENSON BUTTON
“I had a really good start and had made up a few places in the first few corners to be ahead of Lewis and Rubens. I had a good run going down the straight to turn five just after Eau Rouge. I was on the outside of Heikki and turned in for the corner but quite simply Romain outbraked himself and hit my back wheel. That was it for my race today. It’s frustrating as I was in a reasonable position having made up some places and with a lot of fuel on board but it’s better to have my first retirement here where I haven’t been so competitive than when I’m running at the front. We’re determined get back on the track at the next race and be more competitive there at a track which should be quite good for our car.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“I have to be happy with seventh place and the two points really after such an eventful race. We should have had far more from today but the problem with the clutch at the start took away any chance of a podium which is frustrating for me and the team. We changed my strategy at the end of the first lap to fuel longer for the first stint which was a good move and gave me the chance to get into the points. I had fun in the race from then on and the move on Mark Webber at the Blanchimont bend was definitely one of the highlights. The oil leak gave us some worrying laps but I was able to manage the pace and bring the car safely home which was a big relief.”
ROSS BRAWN
“It was a very disappointing race for us today when there was potential for more. Rubens’ car went into anti-stall at the start which left him stranded on the grid which was very frustrating for the whole team. It was a technical problem on the car and we have to get on top of that quickly as it has caught us out too many times this season. When the safety car came out, we took advantage to switch Rubens onto what was effectively a one-stop strategy and he drove extremely well from there. His car had an oil leak with two laps to go therefore we asked him to back off from chasing Heikki Kovalainen and manage the car to the end of the race. Jenson had a really good start from 14th and gained a few places before he was hit from behind at turn five which ended his race. There are important lessons which we can take from this weekend and some hard work to be done back at the factory before the final five races of the season.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:26 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Tyre issues are back, says Brawn
Ross Brawn fears his team's tyre-warming 'curse' has returned, despite earlier optimism that work on the BGP 001 car in Belgium had cured the problem.
Both Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button struggled to get sufficient heat into their tyres in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, and Brawn thinks it shows how much more work his team needs to do before it can feel comfortable with the situation.
"It was the curse of the tyre temperatures again," said Brawn. "We were struggling to get the tyres to work, and obviously those teams that managed to get the tyres to work made a very good step.
"With Jenson particularly, we really struggled with the tyres again. On Friday it didn't look too bad, but we just slipped off a little with tyre temperature. Our curse has slightly returned - not as bad as it could have been. On fuel, with a longer run it's not bad. For qualifying we struggled."
Brawn believes that Button's recent struggles, having been edged out by his team-mate in recent races, can be attributed to his smoother driving style.
"He's inherently quieter on the tyres," he said. "Normally that's an advantage but in these circumstances he struggles a bit more. He's quite a smooth, gentle driver which is normally a benefit. But when we are on the edge of getting the tyres to work, he seems to struggle a bit more.
"I think that it is just using the tyres. The approach of how you use them and getting the tyres to work in these circumstances. Perhaps it's no accident that four of the oldest, most experienced, drivers in F1 are at the front of the grid."
Despite the difficulties in qualifying, Brawn thinks that Barrichello, who starts fourth on a light fuel load, can still deliver a strong performance in the race.
"We're pretty light on fuel to try and compensate," he said. "But Rubens is pretty good at starts and he doesn't really have any KERS cars around him this time, so if he can make one or two places on the start he'll have a very strong race.
"The middle period, which will almost certainly be on the hard tyre, he will be very strong. The start and the middle part of the race will be crucial."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:04 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: says Brawn, Tyre issues are back
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Brawn: Tyre temp signs are positive
Ross Brawn refused to press the panic button after Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello could do no better than 17th and 18th in the dry second practice session at Spa, saying the team had made a positive step towards curing the tyre temperature problems that have been hampering it in cool conditions.
Track temperatures rose as high as 34C under the afternoon sun – significantly lower than last week’s race in Valencia, which saw a return to form for Brawn, but considerably higher than at Silverstone in June, which is where the rot set in.
Brawn said the cars’ lack of pace was attributable more to not finding the right set-up yet rather than the familiar tyre temperature bugbear.
“We're not experiencing any issues so far,” said Brawn, “and it's good to see our hard work in this area starting to pay dividends.
“There is still some way to go to maximise the set-up of the car to the requirements of both drivers, so it will be a busy hour of practice tomorrow morning to get ready for qualifying.”
Both Button and Barrichello complained of a lack of rear grip, the latter spinning at Les Combes and later going straight on at the same corner.
However, given that the BGP 001s were the fastest cars through the speed trap, and that Button at various times posted the quickest time through the high-speed first and third sectors, they appeared to be experimenting with running less downforce than their rivals.
Though understandably less upbeat than their boss, both drivers felt their lowly positions were unrepresentative of the speed within their cars.
“The second session this afternoon was much more useful [than the wet morning session],” said Button.
“We worked through a few aero and downforce comparisons as well as looking at the tyres.
“We collected a lot of information, but obviously at the moment we're not as quick as we would like to be.
“There are a few areas that we need to improve on with the balance, but the potential is there to do that ahead of qualifying.”
Button pipped his team-mate by five-thousandths of a second, and both men were within nine-tenths of Lewis Hamilton’s session-topping time.
“The lap times don't tell the whole story,” said Barrichello.
“The car doesn't feel as competitive as it did in Valencia last weekend but we're going to be in a good position to fight hard in qualifying tomorrow.”
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Labels: Brawn: Tyre temp signs are positive
Friday, 28 August 2009
Q and A with Barrichello
An interview with the driver poised to make a run at the championship
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:51 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Q and A with Barrichello
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Belgian Grand Prix Preview
Will the Brawns cope in the cold? If there is a race track that every driver simply adores, it’s Spa-Francorchamps. And there isn’t one of the 20 who are headed there for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix who doesn’t rate it as one of their favourites.
The picturesque Hautes Fagnes region of the Ardennes, with its thick forests and unpredictable micro-climate, enjoyed a heat wave last week with reported ambient temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius. Predictably, that won’t be the case when the Formula One paddock hits town, and markedly cooler weather could have a significant result on the outcome.
Brawn GP bounced back with a fine victory for Rubens Barrichello in Valencia - their seventh of the season - but the high track temperatures there left unanswered the question of whether they have successfully identified and resolved the tyre-warming issues that led to such a costly mid-season dip in performance.
The failure of the Red Bulls to score in Spain left Jenson Button’s world championship lead only half a point less, at 18, but he will want to add as many points as possible this weekend on a circuit that in theory will suit the Red Bulls, the Ferrari and the Williams better.
“Although we believe that we now have a better understanding of our recent tyre issues, the lower track temperatures at Spa will be the proving ground for this,” team principal Ross Brawn admits. “We will have another busy testing programme on Friday to validate the conclusions reached in Valencia and then build our weekend from there.”
Button, who has vowed to be more aggressive in his driving and chassis set-ups, said: "Spa is one of my favourite circuits and has a layout which gives everything you could want as a driver. It's one of the fastest and most challenging circuits in the world with hills, fast corners and long straights which combine to give you a real buzz to drive, just like Suzuka and Silverstone.
“It's also a very beautiful circuit with the forest setting although the weather can be unpredictable! It can play a big part in the race weekend, even in the summer, so you have to be ready to react. But that unpredictability is part of the thrill of racing at Spa. Eau Rouge is still a legendary corner, although it is usually easy flat for us in the dry, but the feeling when you hit the bottom of the hill, touch the ground and shoot straight back up again is amazing.
“It's been a tough few races for me recently but the car felt very good in Valencia and the pace was right up there when I was able to run in clear air during the race. So we're feeling positive and very much looking forward to the weekend."
Barrichello is now back in the title fight, and said: “I always knew that we had both the car and the pace to deliver a win this season, and stayed positive. I've had a few days to relax and reflect now but I can't wait to get back in the car again in Spa! For me, Spa is unquestionably one of the best circuits in the world and I love racing there. The lap is really long and fast with some great corners and it gives you a fantastic feeling in a Formula One car.
“Experience is a key factor as you can pick up a lot of time if you get the car set-up just right, and you have to be precise in your timing to make the most of the track time in practice and qualifying. We've picked up some momentum again now after the result in Valencia and know that we have to make the most of the next few races."
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel desperately needs a good result to get back into the game, while Mark Webber could do with one after finishing only ninth in Valencia. The team have decided against risking running their KERS system for the first time. That should be a major advantage here for Ferrari and McLaren, however, especially up the hill to Les Combes and/or back round from Blanchimont to the Bus Stop chicane.
Ferrari should have at least one car on the pace at Spa, where Kimi Raikkonen aims to defend their third place in the constructors’ championship as McLaren close in. But he knows it won’t be easy without any further development on the F60 as Ferrari look ahead to 2010. Luca Badoer will hope to be faster than he was in Valencia.
“Spa has usually been good for me but I don’t know if it’s good for our car right now,” Raikkonen said, “so we need to go there and see how it starts to go on Friday but we will push as much as we can. We’re not going to get more new parts on the car, so it’s going to get more and more difficult at every race. Once we get everything running well, we always give ourselves a chance to be there at least. We try every race and see where we can end up.”
Spa may not favour McLaren quite as much as did Nurburgring, Hungary and Valencia because the MP4-24 is less strong in really quick corners, but while Lewis Hamilton might not be able to challenge for victory he could be a podium contender.
“Despite making some major improvements to MP4-24, we go to Spa knowing that the circuit’s high-speed configuration is unlikely to play to our strengths of our car,” admitted team principal Martin Whitmarsh. “Having said that, our new technical package makes us confident that we’ll be a strong contender for points, as we look to improve on our fourth position in the constructors’ championship. We’ve enjoyed a tremendous record here, winning 10 times, and both Lewis and Heikki (Kovalainen) love this place so I’m looking forward to another exciting race.”
Spa contains a variety of challenging corners to go with the long straights, and thus requires a compromise on aerodynamic set-up. Too much downforce for sector two, from Pouhon to Blanchimont, tends to penalise a car on the faster sections, though the movable front wing may help to alleviate that problem to some extent.
Bridgestone are bringing their soft and medium rubber compounds for the race and graining is not expected to be an issue.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:08 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Belgian Grand Prix Preview
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Brawn secures F1 future
Brawn GP has now secured the funding to guarantee its Formula 1 future for the next three years, AUTOSPORT has learned, after confirming for the first time that its deal with Virgin will end later this season.
The outfit had come into this campaign with enough funding from Honda to see it through to the beginning of 2010, but it needed to find additional backers to guarantee its place in F1 beyond then.
A sponsorship deal with Virgin was signed at the Australian Grand Prix but hopes it could be expanded into a title-sponsorship deal were scuppered when the two parties could not agree on the level of funding. Virgin is now on its way to the new Manor Grand Prix team.
Despite failing to find a deal with Virgin, it is understood that Brawn GP has now managed to put in place agreements with a number of unidentified major backers that will commence from the start of 2010.
Brawn GP CEO Nick Fry said the identity of the sponsors would likely be kept secret until the launch of is 2010 car. The team has been linked to deals with Emirates airline, Monster energy drink, Bwin and Telmex in the past.
"We have zero worries on funding for this year, next year, the year after, and the year after that," he told AUTOSPORT. "I smile when people talk about money, because we've always had the finances for this year, and neither Ross nor I would not have taken on the team if we did not have the money for this year.
"We've signed some nice contracts, and those will come out into the open when we launch the car next year, but we will see what happens. There is zero worry on our side."
Talks with team backers accelerated over the summer once the new Concorde Agreement was in place - as it guaranteed the future of F1 and ended talk of a breakaway.
Team principal Ross Brawn said: "That was a log jam because sponsors wanted to know what the situation was, and things are freeing up. Everyone up the pit lane will find that things are now much better because we know what the commercial basis is for the future.
"We know we are going to be racing for the next three years at least in this championship - and I hope beyond, I hope we don't get into discussions about alternative championships again."
Fry also publicly confirmed for the first time that Virgin was leaving the team at the end of this season, following its first foray into F1.
When asked if the company's logos would be on the Brawn GP car next year, he said: "No. We've had a great relationship with Virgin.
"You have noticed different stickers from Virgin on the car over the year, and that is the result of additional requests from their side, which has increased our income as well, which is nice. I think they have had a great initiation into F1, and we are helping where we can in advice about what they can do with Manor.
"I really do hope they are successful not only next year but beyond, because they are a good company and it is a good company for F1 to have."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:05 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn secures F1 future
Brawn likely to re-sign Barrichello
Ross Brawn says he sees “no good reason” to change his team’s current driver line-up of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in view of their success this season.
Brawn was always expected to hold onto world championship leader Button for 2010, but Barrichello’s position has been regarded as more tenuous, particularly after his outburst against the team’s tactics in last month's German Grand Prix.
However, relations are now back on an even keel, and even before Barrichello delivered his first win with Brawn in Valencia last Sunday Brawn suggested the team was looking to retain the veteran’s services.
“There's no good reason not to [retain them] – they are both doing a great job,” he said on Saturday afternoon.
Brawn added that the recent signing of the Concorde Agreement had removed much of the uncertainty about the future of Formula 1 and cleared the way for contract negotiations to begin in earnest following the Belgian Grand Prix.
“I think after Spa we will start to [discuss it],” he said.
“We needed to get a number of things in place before we could sensibly talk to the drivers.
“The Concorde Agreement is done now, we think our commercial side is going to develop well now.
“So I think after Spa, we can sit down with the drivers and sort it out.”
Barrichello said after winning in Valencia that he was determined to continue racing in F1 because his passion for the sport remains undimmed after 17 years.
“I’m here because I love the racing side,” he said.
“It was a tough winter to wait for all the answers [regarding a 2009 drive] and you call and there’s no answer and nobody knows what to say.
“Somehow I knew I was going to race, [and then] when I drove I felt the car is good, we’re going to win races.
“That was a hell of a step, so everything kept on getting better and better.
“I had a fantastic season last year with a bad car, better than Jenson, and all of a sudden Jenson was well prepared at the beginning of the season and he stepped up and was able to conquer and win races.
“You guys from Brazil know that I’m a believer and I dream and I work very hard.
“I think that’s the only way I can try to put myself into a winning situation.”
The 37-year-old added that he would not necessarily restrict his options to Brawn, however.
“For next year, I wish to carry on,” he declared.
“It’s early, there’s lots of talking because of [Fernando Alonso’s expected move to Ferrari] and this and that…so I’m really leaving my chances open for next year.”
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Labels: Brawn likely to re-sign Barrichello
Monday, 24 August 2009
Barrichello hanging onto title dream
Rubens Barrichello believes it is still possible he can beat team-mate Jenson Button to the world championship title following his first win in five years at the European Grand Prix.
The veteran Brazilian appeared to slip out of realistic title contention after falling 26 points behind his Brawn stable-mate after failing to score points in Hungary.
But his 10th career win in Valencia, combined with a seventh place for Button and the Red Bull drivers' failure to score, re-established Barrichello in second place in the standings, 18 points adrift with 60 points still up for grabs.
Having outperformed Button for the majority of last season as the team in its former guise as Honda struggled at the back of the field, Barrichello admits Button started the season in stronger form which allowed him to claim six quick-fire victories.
But the 37-year-old insists he never gave up hope that the tide could turn and says he retains that same belief that he can continue to reduce Button’s points lead and claim his first world title.
“I had a fantastic season last year with a bad car, better than Jenson [Button] and all of a sudden Jenson was well prepared at the beginning of the season and he stepped up and was able to conquer and win races,” Barrichello said.
“You guys…know that I'm a believer and I dream and I work very hard.
“I think that's the only way I can try to put myself into a winning situation.
“I had a great holiday and I came back ready for this, so it's a great win. Of course it puts me into a better situation in the championship,
“I just have to keep on working, I think it's very, very much possible.”
Having been dominated by Button in the opening half of the season, Barrichello has outqualified the championship leader at three of the last four events, scoring eight more points in the same period.
However, despite recently having the edge, the Brazilian said his long-time team-mate can not be underestimated – believing the fact the pair are pushing each other to greater performances is good for the team.
“Jenson is always very competitive, he's a hard worker,” he said.
“He drives the car very well, very, very smoothly, so you just have to be on the top of your game all the time.
“I cannot say that yes, from now on it's one way or the other.
“During the past three years we have been better in some areas of the championship and then he got better and then I got better and the best thing for the team is that we push each other very, very much.
“I think this is really good for the team.”
Barrichello added that both drivers would be giving it their all next weekend at Spa to prove the team has overcome its recent tyre temperature troubles, but said they would continue their intra-team battle in a fair way.
“Next weekend is going to be a hell of a good weekend for us to prove the car is competitive again because the temperatures should be lower, so it's going to be a good fight, but at least it's a healthy fight between ourselves,” he said.
“I think we try to beat each other very, very hard, but in a fair way.
Although Barrichello is the grid’s most oldest regular driver and been competing in the sport for 17 years, the veteran says he maintains the desire to remain in the sport next season.
He added that, with the driver market expected to soon be blown wide open by Fernando Alonso’s increasingly expected move to Ferrari, he was happy to wait for his future to be resolved.
“For next year, I wish to carry on,” he insisted.
“It's early, there's lots of talking because of [Fernando] Alonso and this and that but as I said, it takes me 15 minutes to get out of the circuit because I talk to everyone and I love to talk to everyone, so I'm really leaving my chances open for next year.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:18 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barrichello hanging onto title dream
Button positive on championship lead
Jenson Button said he was still taking away the positives of seeing his world championship advantage over his Red Bull Racing rivals increase at the European Grand Prix, despite a disappointing result.
The Brawn GP driver could manage no better than seventh after a difficult afternoon that saw team-mate Rubens Barrichello end a five-year victory drought.
But despite only taking two points, Button was able to increase his advantage over rivals Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel as neither Red Bull driver finished in the points.
Reflecting on the weekend, Button said: "Yeah, it is very unusual for your team-mate to take eight points out of you in one race. Rubens did a fantastic job this weekend.
"He has been very quick all weekend and I have struggled to be on his pace. But in qualifying I screwed up, which cost me time. I double shifted out of Turn 5, and hopefully we can rectify that problem as I did it in the race as well.
"Starting fifth I thought we could have a good race, but Vettel came across at the start and if I had stayed flat I would have ripped my front wing off. So, being back in the pack - although I know fifth is not back in the pack – but it is a bit crazy.
"In a way, I got two points and I was lucky to get those points. I was down in ninth at one point, behind Webber, and with Sebastian up in fifth.
"In the end neither of them got points and I got two points, so it is a positive day. But it is also a day where our car was strong and, as my team-mate proved, there were a lot more points on offer and it just didn't go my way. "
Button reckons that if he had not lifted when Vettel squeezed him on the run to Turn 1 then the pair would have collided.
"The most important thing for Vettel is to beat me, and he came across and I had to lift," he explained. "It is always a difficult one, because if I didn't lift then I would have probably broken my front wing and damaged my tyre probably, or his sidepod, but I had to lift.
"The problem is as soon as you lift there, everyone is just building speed and you are not, and there is a massive difference in speed. That is why I dropped so much ground there.
"I thought I had picked up a couple of places at Turn 2, but Alonso went wide and came back across on me, and I had to lift. Then Webber at Turn 4, I thought it was a bit harsh that I had to let Webber past because I went across the chicane as I couldn't get around the corner as he went all the way to the edge of the circuit sideways and I could not get around, so I had to go straight.
"It was a bit harsh, and that is what cost me quite a few points as I could not challenge the people who were stopping earlier in front of me."
Button thinks that race control should have consulted him about the chicane-cutting incident before telling him to relinquish position: "The thing is they didn't speak to me about it, and that is the thing.
"You have to get both views as well. It is down to the stewards, but you need both drivers' views and no-one asked me the question."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:20 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button positive on championship lead
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Barrichello returns Brawn to victory in Spain
Rubens Barrichello had said all year that he will win for Brawn GP, and he finally came good in Valencia with a controlled performance that brought him home just over two seconds ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
The world champion led at the start as expected, from McLaren team mate Heikki Kovalainen, both using their KERS to keep Barrichello in third place. Behind them, Kimi Raikkonen thrust up to fourth, also using the Ferrari's KERS button. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel went with them after seeing off Brawn GP’s Jenson Button, whose race soon collapsed with tyre graining issues which sent him backwards early on.
Hamilton led until his first pit stop on Lap 16, leaving Kovalainen to take over on the 17th, when he too stopped. Thereafter Barrichello ran another three laps before refuelling. That put his Brawn ahead of Kovalainen for the middle stint. Behind them, Raikkonen had no trouble keeping fourth ahead of Williams’ Nico Rosberg and Renault’s Fernando Alonso, leaving Mark Webber to fight with Button.
Hamilton had a lead of 3.6s over Barrichello by Lap 36, but when he pitted again a lap later McLaren did not have his front tyres ready after a late request to him to do one more lap came just as he was about to enter the pits. That delay proved costly - though the team insisted it didn't cost them the win - and when Barrichello pitted from the lead on Lap 40 he was able to resume ahead of Hamilton.
The Briton kept the pressure on Barrichello all the way, but could not close the gap by more than a couple of tenths each lap until the Brazilian backed off right at the end, and it came down from 3.9s to 2.3s. Raikkonen jumped Kovalainen on the second stop, and the ‘other’ Finn had his hands full holding off an aggressive Rosberg in the final laps.
Webber also lost out on the second stop, crucially dropping behind both Button and BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica. Thus seventh place behind Alonso was enough for Button to increase his championship lead by two points to 72. He was the fastest man on the track for a long time in the closing laps on Bridgestone’s super-soft tyres, until they went off and he had to abandon his pursuit of the Renault. Kubica hung on ahead of Webber to score the final point.
It was a tough day for Red Bull, with Vettel retiring with his second engine failure of the weekend on Lap 24, having already made one refuelling stop and one unscheduled stop after a problem with the fuel rig.
Further back, Adrian Sutil claimed 10th for Force India ahead of Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW Sauber and Giancarlo Fisichella in the second Force India. The Toyotas were 13th and 14th, with Timo Glock bettering Button’s fastest lap right at the end. Romain Grosjean’s debut for Renault yielded only 15th place, not helped by damaging his nose on the opening lap and needing an unscheduled stop as a result, and later a half spin.
Jaime Alguersuari looked less convincing than he had in Hungary on his way to 16th for Toro Rosso, while team mate Sebastien Buemi ran into trouble after he damaged his front wing in a brush with Glock on the opening lap and had to stop for a replacement. Later he spun in Turn 12 on Lap 43 and could not continue.
Luca Badoer’s return to Formula One racing was unimpressive. He ran down the back all day, let Grosjean overtake him as they left the pits, and then got a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line on the exit. He might have achieved his ambition of a finish, but he did so in 17th place. The only other classified car behind him was Kazuki Nakajima’s Williams, who was delayed by a left rear tyre failure and then pitted for good just before the flag.
So Brawn increased their constructors’ championship lead over Red Bull, 126 points to 98.5, and Barrichello vaulted back to second place in the drivers' with 54 points to Webber’s 51.5.
Barrichello's win marked the 100th by a Brazilian driver, and fittingly he dedicated it to Felipe Massa, who had advised him on racing lines only last week. It was also the 250th race for the McLaren Mercedes partnership, and Bridgestone’s 150th victory. And it left the title fight wide open as the paddock heads to Belgium next week.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 21:32 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barrichello returns Brawn to victory in Spain
Rubens free to race for win – Brawn
Ross Brawn is adamant that Rubens Barrichello will be free to race for victory in today’s European Grand Prix and will not have to defer to team-mate Jenson Button’s championship ambitions.
The Brazilian outqualified his title-leading team-mate at Valencia on Saturday and – with a heavier fuel load than the two McLarens that will start in front of him – looks to be in with a strong chance of claiming his first win since 2004.
Barrichello has been unhappy with the way previous opportunities to win have slipped through his fingers this year, notably in Germany where he accused his Brawn GP team of losing him the race.
Although Button is defending a dwindling if still-healthy championship lead from the Red Bull drivers and Barrichello now lies a distant fourth in the table, Brawn dismissed suggestions of any team orders or agreed pre-race plan being put into effect.
“Rubens will be free to go for it,” he said.
“He’s got a little bit more fuel than Jenson, and he’s been making some pretty good starts as long as we haven’t had a problem with the car.
“Normally his poor starts have been down to a problem we’ve had with the car; when we haven’t had a problem with the car he’s been pretty good at the start.”
Brawn is confident the team is in good shape for today’s race, especially in comparison to title rival Red Bull Racing, and confirmed that it will be aiming to use a longer first stint and to get Button ahead of Sebastian Vettel.
He believes tyre management and degradation – areas in which Brawn has usually had the advantage over RBR – will be the keys to the race’s outcome.
“Over distance runs they seem to be finding it difficult to keep the tyres together, and Vettel has got less fuel than we have,” he noted.
“So I think Jenson and Vettel will be racing each other, but hopefully we can make our tyres last better and get him at the first pit stops.
“It will be completely about making the tyres last – that’s going to be the key to the race.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:26 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rubens free to race for win – Brawn
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Rubens delighted Brawn back on pace
Rubens Barrichello admitted it was pleasing to be back at the sharp end of the grid after his championship-leading Brawn team claimed third and fifth on the grid in Valencia.
Having slipped off the pace at the previous three rounds due to problems getting heat into its tyres, the Brackley-based squad has looked far more competitive since the off at the sweltering Mediterranean venue and enjoyed a stronger qualifying session than title rival Red Bull - although both contenders were beaten to the front row by the resurgent McLarens.
Barrichello, who outqualified team-mate and points leader Jenson Button for the third time in four races, paid tribute to the team’s “fantastic” efforts in trying to resolve its BGP 001’s recent problems both at its factory over the summer break and during Friday practice.
“After the [mandatory factory] shutdowns, it has been a lot of work – the team had a fantastic approach to it and in order to go forward we had to go backwards a little bit and calculate some of the stuff," the Brazilian veteran said.
“Between myself and Jenson we’ve had a fantastic job on Friday to do back-to-backs on set-ups and things and we learned something.”
With the 50C track temperatures meaning Brawn has had no trouble generating tyre temperatures this weekend, Barrichello acknowledges the conditions and stop-start track layout perfectly plays to the BGP 001’s strengths.
The Brazilian is now hopeful he is carrying more fuel than either McLarens having set the pace in the low-fuel Q2, which would give him a chance of ending his five-year victory drought.
“It is hot, as you can see, and the track is good for us,” he said.
“It’s good to be back being competitive.”
“I wish next year’s rules already applied [when cars will run without race fuel in Q3] as I was fastest in Q2, so you never know how much fuel these guys [McLaren] have but I hope I have more than them.”
Brawn is now in a strong position to increase its constructors' championship lead as while Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel split Barrichello and Button with fourth on the grid, his team-mate Mark Webber struggled to ninth.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:21 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rubens delighted Brawn back on pace
Friday, 21 August 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Brawn and McLaren set pace in 1st Qualifying
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Brawn and McLaren set pace in 1st Qualifying
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:48 0 comments Links to this post
Formula One returns to Spain with Brawn
After the summer break, Formula One is back in action this weekend with the European Grand Prix taking place at the Valencia Street Circuit on Sunday.
Jenson is looking forward to racing again after the four-week break: "I've kept pretty busy with the London Triathlon and then some time to relax with my family and friends but it's seemed like a long time without a race! Valencia is a beautiful city and the track is quite fun and challenging for the drivers with so many turns and the added factor of being surrounded by barriers means you have to maintain your concentration. There's been a lot of work going on at the factory following our shutdown and with the cars at the front being so close at the moment, it will be an interesting weekend."
Rubens is also a fan of the new street circuit: "Valencia is a cool city and a great venue for the European Grand Prix last season. It's a very different type of circuit to the classic image of a street track such as Monaco. The first part of the lap is quick with the long pit straight followed by a curved right-hander before the slower section leading up to the bridge. The second half feels more like a street circuit as you head away from the water and the tight hairpin at Turn 17 is the best overtaking opportunity. The final part of the lap is fast with some sweeping corners before the final tight left-hander."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:22 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Formula One returns to Spain with Brawn
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
2009 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX - BRAWN PREVIEW
After the summer break, Formula One returns to action this week with the second visit of the season to Spain. The European Grand Prix, Round 11 of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, takes place on Sunday in the coastal city of Valencia.
New on the calendar last year, the Valencia Street Circuit uses the permanent roads surrounding the Juan Carlos I Marina which was the base for the 32nd America’s Cup in 2007. The 5.440km (3.380 mile) track closely follows the water’s edge for the majority of the lap and uses a specially constructed swing bridge to cross between the north and south sides of the marina.
The lap has a challenging and innovative layout with 25 turns giving it more corners than any other circuit on the Formula One calendar. Surrounded by high concrete walls and with average speeds of 200kph, the Valencia Street Circuit has a very different feel to somewhere like Monaco, with top speeds reaching in excess of 300kph.
ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL
Q. What are the engineering considerations of the Valencia Street Circuit?
“Valencia presents an unusual engineering challenge as the circuit is quite different from anywhere else on the calendar. It’s not the type of street circuit that we have been used to racing around in Monaco; it’s much more open and quite fast flowing with higher top speeds. The tall barriers give the lap the feel of a street circuit but the run-off areas are quite generous compared to Monaco, helping to improve safety and giving the drivers some margin for error at certain places of the lap. Traction is important here and the sectors of the lap which have a stop-start nature make Valencia tough on the brakes. Cooling is also a consideration in the high ambient temperatures but we do not expect to encounter any issues. The team has been working extremely hard since returning from our summer shutdown and everyone is looking forward to the racing getting underway again this weekend.”
JENSON BUTTON
Q. Are you looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend in Valencia?
“It’s going to be great to get back racing again after the summer break and everyone at the team is looking forward to Valencia. I’ve kept pretty busy over the past few weeks with the London Triathlon at the start of the month and then some time to relax with my family and friends but it’s seemed like a long time without a race! Valencia is a beautiful city and the track is quite fun when it goes round the edge of the marina and over the bridge. It’s quite challenging for the drivers with so many turns and the added factor of being surrounded by barriers means you have to maintain your concentration. There’s been a lot of work going on at the factory following our shutdown and with the cars at the front being so close at the moment, it will be an interesting weekend.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. What did you think of Valencia and the new street circuit after the first race there last year?
“Valencia is a cool city and proved to be a great venue for the European Grand Prix last season. The challenge of a new circuit is always exciting and even more so this year as we should be in a much better position to challenge for a good result this time. The first part of the lap is quick with the long pit straight followed by a curved right-hander before the slower section leading up to the bridge over the marina and then you’re down onto another curved straight. The second half of the lap feels more like a street circuit as you head away from the water and the third long straight ends with a tight hairpin at Turn 17 which is the best overtaking opportunity. The final part of the lap is quite fast with some sweeping corners before the tight left-hander which takes you back out onto the pit straight. It’s a very different type of circuit to the classic image of a street track such as Monaco.”
Valencia Street Circuit Stats
Circuit Length: 5.419km
Race Distance: 308.883km
Number of Laps: 57
Full Throttle: 56%
Brake Wear: High
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Super Soft
Downforce Level: High 7/10
Tyre Usage: Medium
Average Speed: 200kph (124mph)
Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)
Friday 21 August
Practice 1: 1000 - 1130
Practice 2: 1400 - 1530
Saturday 22 August
Practice 3: 1100 - 1200
Qualifying: 1400 - 1500
Sunday 23 August
Race: 1400
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:30 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2009 EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX - BRAWN PREVIEW
Friday, 14 August 2009
Red Bull team: Lauda: Brawn favourites, but Red Bull pairing is stronger
Red Bull team: Lauda: Brawn favourites, but Red Bull pairing is stronger
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:42 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Button concerned by team's slip in form
By Sarah Holt
Now the brains at Brawn Grand Prix have returned to their offices after a two-week mid-season break, top of their agenda will be how to stop Jenson Button's championship charge running out of steam.
The Englishman stormed into a seemingly unassailable lead in the title race following six wins in the first seven races of the season but since then the team have lost their way.
Button, who has not finished on the podium in the last three races, has seen his lead cut to 18.5 points by Red Bull's Mark Webber.
With seven races still to come, the prospect of finishing the 2009 season empty-handed is now a very real threat - as Button has said, if Webber keeps cutting into his advantage at this rate, he will have overtaken after another four races.
Brawn and Button have only 11 days to turn things around before first practice at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 21 August sets in motion the final frantic push for the titles.
We know the car is still quick, we just need to work out why it has become so sensitive
The Brawn car's incompatibility with race conditions in the last three races in Britain, Germany and Hungary has been at the heart of the team's fading fortunes.
In cooler weather, Brawn have struggled to heat up their tyres to the optimum working temperatures and even in Budapest, where the sun shone, the team say the tyres were still 20C lower than they needed them to be.
"We know the car is still quick," insisted Button's race engineer Andrew Shovlin. "We just need to work out why it has become so sensitive to conditions.
"At the moment there is such a small window where it is working really well and we can't cope with that. We need to fix it so it's quick on any track and in any temperature."
In Valencia, in theory, heat should not be an issue - although they said the same about Hungary before that race, too.
Even if the weather is hot in Spain, Brawn still need to understand how to eke out extra performance from the tyres.
Button has had to go increasingly defensive as the season has developed
But it is not only tyre performance that Brawn want to bring up to scratch, the car needs honing, too.
The team arrived in Hungary with a major upgrade, adding a new diffuser, rear wing and bodywork, but the expected step forward in performance failed to materialise, despite encouraging running during Friday practice.
Team principal Ross Brawn conceded after the race that the team needed to "unravel" the recent updates.
"But it's not as simple as going back to an old car specification," added Shovlin. "That's not the answer; it is something much more subtle than that.
"We may have done something to the car to make it more sensitive."
Now that the workforce has returned from the two-week factory shutdown agreed by all the teams, the process of sieving through just what has gone wrong can begin.
This is the best opportunity I've had in F1 and I have to take it - we can't just sit around and collect points; it is not enough
Even if an answer is found, putting the solution into practice is another matter.
"The problem this year is the budget," revealed Shovlin, hinting at an issue that has remained largely under wraps this season.
Despite leading the constructors' standings all season, Brawn have failed to attract a title sponsor.
The team's dalliance with Virgin boss Richard Branson has run its course, while other offers are understood to have been deemed unsuitable by the independent team.
Brawn emerged at the 11th hour last winter out of the ashes of the former Honda team, after the Japanese car giant quit F1 in December.
And while Brawn are understood to be fully funded to the end of this season, they have so far failed to secure a budget for 2010.
So they are having to use their available resources more judiciously than might be the case for big players such as McLaren or Ferrari, both of whom have made noticeable steps forward in performance in recent races.
Red Bull drivers Webber and Vettel are eating into Button's points lead
The ban on in-season testing is also standing in the way of a quick fix to Brawn's problems. Just like everyone else, Brawn must cram up on the latest feedback on tyre performance and technical tweaks during race weekends.
All of this would not matter quite so much, of course, if Brawn still held their substantial early-season performance advantage over the rest of the grid.
As it is, their rivals have passed them on the track and are now eating into their championship lead.
Red Bull have captured three victories, with Webber emerging narrowly ahead of German rising star Sebastian Vettel as Button's closest challenger for the drivers' crown, and their car is expected to dominate at the Belgium GP at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of the month.
McLaren and world champion Lewis Hamilton returned to winning ways in Hungary and the team predict they will be on top form again around Valencia's street circuit.
In one way, this could play into Button's hands - with a multitude of potential winners, it becomes harder for either Red Bull driver to amass the points they need to catch and pass him.
On the other hand, lots of fast cars means Button could be resigned to finishing at the bottom of the points positions - so if a Red Bull driver does score big, they could take a significant chunk out of his lead in one go.
Button knows that, in this case, attack is the best form of defence.
The 29-year-old has squeezed every drop of performance out of his car at virtually every race this season - despite his lowly finishes in the last three races.
Button's last win was in Turkey more than a month ago
He is now relying on the focused driving - no mistakes, no crashes, no settling for a finish - that propelled him into the lead in the first place to fend off those fighting to deny him a first world title.
"This opportunity is the best I have had in Formula 1 by far and I have to take it," he told BBC Sport.
"We have got to stay relaxed and make sure we get back to the front, which we will in Valencia.
"We can't just sit around and collect points; it is not enough.
"But we've been through more difficult times so we can solve these problems I'm sure."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:06 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button concerned by team's slip in form
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher cancels F1 comeback due to neck injury
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher cancels F1 comeback due to neck injury
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:27 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, 7 August 2009
BRAWN GP TEAMS UP WITH RUROC TO PROVIDE PIT CREW HELMETS
Brawn GP is pleased to confirm a new team supplier agreement with British company RG Sports which will see the team using RuRoC pit crew helmets for the second half of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship.
Designed to reflect Brawn GP’s distinctive white, black and yellow livery, the RuRoC helmets provide protection for the team’s pit crew against the risk of fire in the pit lane and enhance performance through their 180-degree visibility and lightweight components. The seamlessly integrating helmet system keeps the head at a comfortable temperature and features a quick release mask and zero mist goggles with UV400 protection.
In addition to supplying the team, RuRoC are also providing fans of Brawn GP with the opportunity to have their very own piece of Brawn GP’s debut season. The official Brawn GP Replica Pit Crew Helmet is now available from the RG Sports website www.rgslracing.com and comes fully certified for snow sports usage to EN1077 and ASTN F2040 standards.
Ross Brawn, Team Principal at Brawn GP said: “We are delighted to have begun our new association with RG Sports and RuRoC for the second half of the 2009 Formula One season. Safety is of paramount importance in Formula One, not just for the cars and drivers, but also for our mechanics who are working at the heart of the action in the pit lane. The helmets provided by RuRoC not only provide class-leading safety performance but the clever design features ensure maximum levels of comfort in what can be an extremely demanding working environment.”
Kieran Lewis from RG Sports commented: “We are very proud to be supporting and supplying the Brawn GP team with our specially designed RuRoC helmets for the remainder of the season. As a British company, it is fantastic to be involved in the success of a British product with the RuRoC helmets rapidly being acknowledged as an essential component of safety in the pit lane and providing enhanced performance for the team’s pit crew. This year, RuRoC have pushed the safety boundaries still further with our new design and we look forward to an exciting and safe season with Brawn GP.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:43 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: BRAWN GP TEAMS UP WITH RUROC TO PROVIDE PIT CREW HELMETS
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Sauber: BMW demands were too high
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Sauber: BMW demands were too high
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:10 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher to return to F1 in Spain
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Schumacher to return to F1 in Spain
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:38 0 comments Links to this post
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: B M W to quit F1
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: B M W to quit F1
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:08 0 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Barrichello: Brawn can still win titles
Rubens Barrichello says he has confidence his Brawn team can still win this year's championships despite its lack of form in recent races.
Barrichello's team has seen rival Red Bull Racing close in significantly in the last three races, and Brawn is now just 15.5 points ahead in the constructors' championship.
In the drivers' standings, Mark Webber is 18.5 points behind Jenson Button, having reduced the gap to the Briton by 15 points as Button has managed a fifth place as his best result in the last three outings.
But Barrichello reckons that Button has nothing to worry about yet, and the Brazilian is optimistic Brawn can return to its early-season form.
"If I was Jenson, 18.5 points ahead, I would still be very comfortable," Barrichello said. "While you are in front it's very comfortable. When you lose the lead is when it doesn't feel like that anymore.
"We don't have a good momentum going on, but the team is very united. We built a really good gap at the beginning so it's up to us to prove things again. I think we can do it."
Barrichello admits, however, there is more pressure on his team now, and he insists Brawn must remain calm and analyse the reasons for its drop in performance.
"I think there's a bit more pressure right now on the team," he added. "For me, I'm 26 points behind Jenson, so I think it's fairly open. To be very honest with you, having more teams to fight with ourselves is good for myself because we could have some differences.
"The whole team needs to keep it cool and work on it. We have a really good bunch of people. There is something that didn't go right in the last three races. We just need to visit every little thing that we've done on the car. If there was any little change.. anything that could prove wrong or right."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:37 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barrichello: Brawn can still win titles
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: FIA to investigate debris-related accidents
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: FIA to investigate debris-related accidents
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:22 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Renault suspended from European GP
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix racing blog: Renault suspended from European GP
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:37 0 comments Links to this post
Button reaction to Hungary
Jenson Button said his Brawn team must find an urgent solution to its lack of pace after he struggled to seventh in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
After two difficult races in cool conditions in Britain and Germany, the championship leader had hoped that returning to the warmer weather of Hungary would see Brawn back up front.
But instead he had his worst result of the season so far, qualifying eighth and finishing seventh.
He now believes Brawn has managed to lose pace rather than other teams developing faster.
"I don't know what it is, I don't think we can blame the weather," Button told television reporters in Hungary.
"We've had two different updates, but they shouldn't unbalance the car.
"You can say that the other teams have improved their cars for sure - the Red Bulls are quicker, McLaren and Ferrari have stepped up their games, and so has the Williams.
"But our car is not what it was to drive a few races ago.
"It's not that we've stayed the same and everyone's overtaken us.
"Our car is not driving as it has done since the start of the season.
"There's obviously and issue and hopefully we can solve it."
Button added that the result came as a particular disappointment as he had been confident of a good result after showing good pace on heavy fuel in practice.
"Friday was good on the option tyre - everyone else was struggling with rear graining and we had a very good rear end," he said.
"Today after four laps my tyres were destroyed.
"I had rear graining and couldn't keep up with cars in front."
Meanwhile, team-mate and title rival Rubens Barrichello was left to rue a disastrous start after he finished on the tails of Jarno Trulli and Kazuki Nakajima outside the points in 10th.
The Brazilian started the race on a heavy fuel load after a disintegrating damper caused him to slump to 13th on the grid, but contact at the second corner dropped him to 18th – a setback that the veteran believes cost him a points finish.
"There was some good action out there but my race was really compromised from the start which is a shame as the potential was definitely there for a points finish," Barrichello said after falling 26 points adrift of Button in the title fight.
"I had some contact from another car when I turned into the second corner which dropped me to the back of the field.
"It was always going to be difficult to make progress from there but there were flashes of pace, particularly during the last stint when I was able to close up to the cars ahead."
And after a difficult weekend in which the championship-leading has surprisingly lack outright pace and he saw his close friend Felipe Massa injured and put in intensive care in hospital, Barrichello admits it had been a tough few days.
"It's been a very difficult weekend and one to forget really," he added.
"We know that we have a lot of hard work ahead of us to find out what is affecting our performance."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 18:13 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock win in Hungary
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton and McLaren take shock win in Hungary
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:04 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 2009
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton takes first GP win of 2009
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:53 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
McLaren Team F1: Hamilton hails McLaren's work
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:44 0 comments Links to this post
Friday, 24 July 2009
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace
McLaren Team F1: Kovalainen on first practice pace
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:29 0 comments Links to this post
Button wants victory
Jenson Button says he will not be content unless he wins this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix and Brawn reverses Red Bull’s supremacy from the past two races.
Despite his two recent defeats the Briton still has a 21-point lead in the championship standings, but he is adamant that won’t be sufficient if Red Bull continues its current charge unabated.
Button therefore remains insistent that he and Brawn must continue to race aggressively for wins rather than playing a percentage game and settling for points finishes.
“If we finish behind the Red Bulls from now on, we don’t have a chance of winning the championship,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“We need to win races and we need to be aggressive, like we’ve been all season.
“That can’t stop. We come here looking for a victory and if I don’t beat the Red Bulls I won’t be happy.”
Brawn’s biggest problem at Silverstone and the Nurburgring was generating enough tyre temperature in the cold conditions, particularly on the harder rubber which has a higher operating range.
With baking sunshine greeting the F1 fraternity in Budapest on Thursday, Button is optimistic Brawn will be more competitive this weekend.
And he noted that after two races where low tyre temperatures were a concern, here the focus is likely to return to protecting tyre life and minimising degradation.
“This race is still going to be about tyre management, as it has been all season,” he said.
“If it’s warm like this then looking after the tyres going to be very difficult for everyone.
“Our car is reasonably good at looking after the tyres and we’ve got reasonable temps, so hopefully we can take the challenge to Red Bull.”
Brawn is introducing a more significant car upgrade than Red Bull in Hungary as it tries to regain the upper hand after its rival’s breakthrough at Silverstone.
Button admits this weekend will be a litmus test of Brawn’s competitiveness and championship credentials, but is confident the Brackley-based team will rise to the challenge.
“If we haven’t made a step forward here and can’t challenge Red Bull for the win then it’s going to be very difficult, because I’m sure they’ve got another step coming in a couple of races,” he said.
“If we can’t keep up with their development then we’re going to struggle, but I think we have got good development, we know it’s important to throw as much at the car as we can, and everyone back at Brackley is doing a great job.
“They’re very focused, they’ve been much tougher times than we’re having right now, so they know the situation and they’re doing a great job.
“I think our step forward this weekend will be enough to challenge the Red Bulls, which is great, and then we’ve got another one in Valencia.”
Button added: “I think we’re the strongest team under pressure and that will show over the next few races.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:06 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button wants victory
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Budapest, Hungary
The city of Budapest will host the tenth race of the season this weekend. Both Brawn GP drivers have taken victories at the Hungaroring with Rubens winning in 2002 and Jenson achieving his first Grand Prix victory in the thrilling wet race of 2006.
Championship leader Jenson is looking forward to returning to the track: "Hungary is always one of my favourite races and even more so this year as it should finally be a return to some real summer temperatures! The Hungaroring was the venue of my first F1 win and it's fantastic to be going back there with the chance to compete for the win again. I know that the guys at the factory and at Mercedes-Benz have been working really hard on our latest upgrade package and I just can't wait to get back in the car."
Rubens is also anticipating a good weekend: "Budapest is a wonderful city and there's always a great atmosphere around the circuit for the race weekend. The feedback from the factory is that our upgrades should be a step forward so we're feeling positive going into the weekend."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 17:50 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Budapest, Hungary
WORKING AT BRAWN GP - PHIL ARNABOLDI
Every month, Brawn GP will introduce one of the team’s dedicated employees. Their work may be different but they all are driven by the passion of Formula One and the desire to achieve on-track success.
Next up is Phil Arnaboldi, Head of Car Concept at the team:
Name: Phil Arnaboldi
Job Title: Head of Car Concept
Age: 42
Lives: Banbury
Hobbies: I have two young children so most of my spare time involves unicorns, pandas, diggers and tractors!
Q. What studies did you complete before you worked in Formula One?
A. I always wanted to work in motorsport but as the teams tend to prefer people with experience, I decided to follow the aerospace route. I was accepted for a Ministry of Defence Apprenticeship to become a model maker and during this time I attended college in the evenings and weekends to obtain an HND in Mechanical Engineering. The apprenticeship and my studies gave me the experience I needed to go back to the motorsport teams and try again.
Q. Where did you work before Brawn GP?
A. I started work at the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough in 1984 as a model maker which involved working on various different aircraft and aerospace projects, including the Eurofighter. In 1989 I joined McLaren as a CNC programmer/machinist and worked my way through the various shop floor departments before becoming a designer in 1995.
From there, I moved to Sauber in 2000 and became their Concept Designer which was fantastic experience and gave me the opportunity to live in Switzerland. I returned to England in 2007 and joined M-Sport as Senior Designer. M-Sport are responsible for the Ford WRC programme which gave me some valuable experience outside of Formula One. I learnt a great deal from the rally guys and the cars are equally as impressive as a Formula One car but with a different purpose and design philosophy required. I joined the Honda Racing F1 Team in 2008 as Head of Car Concept and immediately started working on the car which became this year’s racer, the BGP 001.
Q. Describe your job on a day-to-day basis?
A. I am responsible for the layout and packaging of the car. Most of my time involves working with CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to come up with designs which enable our car performance targets to be met. I work closely with all of our design groups to juggle the factors that allow the car design to evolve. The mass, weight distribution, fuel volume, wheelbase, functionality and the FIA technical regulations are all taken into account as well as fitting the various systems and components within the constantly changing bodywork surfaces that the aerodynamicists find in the wind tunnel. A typical day can vary from fitting the driver into a mock-up of the car to check that he physically has enough room to drive, to negotiating with our aero guys about how we can move the package of the car around to allow them to introduce the latest aero tweak or surface shape. All of this has to be drawn and checked on CAD to see the effect that any changes may have on the car layout and I have a small group of very experienced guys that work on this constantly.
Q. What do you like about working in Formula One?
A. The constant pace of development. Ideas can be assessed, designed, manufactured, tested and on the race track in a remarkably short time scale. This means that the big question of ‘Does it make the car go faster?’ can be answered very quickly. You can then push this line of development further or try something completely different starting the cycle again.
Q. What’s the best thing about working for Brawn GP?
A. Everyone at Brawn GP has been through a lot together following our experience over the winter and that has lead to a very close-knit team. It makes for a very pleasurable working environment when you know that everyone is pushing to achieve the same goals and compete at a very high level in Formula One.
Q. What's the most challenging aspect of your job?
A. The most challenging aspect is to find a home for all the systems and components that are competing for space in the car as well as reducing the bodywork size to allow the aero guys freedom to maximise what they find in the wind tunnel.
Q. What has been the best moment of the 2009 season so far?
A. The highlight of 2009 so far was seeing the car run for the very first time and realising that it was quick straightaway. After the experience of the winter and the resultant restructuring, along with the tight timeline to fit and package a new engine layout, it was a huge relief that we had kept our heads and done a good job.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 15:43 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: WORKING AT BRAWN GP - PHIL ARNABOLDI
Hungarian Grand Prix Preview
Brawn look to shake Red Bull's dominance The big question is, just how hot will it be in Hungary? If it is relatively cool, that could favour Red Bull the way that the recent races in Britain and Germany did. If it is markedly warmer than either of these, where the average ambient temperatures were 18.25 and 16.25 degrees Celsius respectively, Brawn GP will be hoping to get back into the title fight after two unhappy outings. The current forecast suggests an average ambient temperature in Hungary of 30.5.
Red Bull must be considered the favourite, after two wins so far this season for Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber’s recent breakthrough success in Germany. The Australian is determined to keep winning, and is only 1.5 points behind his team mate.
However, Ross Brawn is adamant that his team can fight back and, for the first time in two races, extend their championship leads.
"The last two races at Silverstone and the Nurburgring have been frustrating for the team as we have not been able to achieve the full potential of our car at the same time as our competitors have taken a good step forward,” he said. “However we are confident that the inherent performance of the BGP 001 which was demonstrated during the first half of the season has not disappeared and the problems that we faced were unique to the circumstances of those races.
"Our focus now is to maximise the performance that we know is in the car whilst continuing to develop improvements which will maintain our championship challenge. We have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for this race which will bring performance gains in efficiency, downforce and aero balance but we face a fierce battle and we must continue to improve for the rest of the season. The team has faced many challenges to arrive where we are today and I am confident that we have the people and resources, plus two excellent drivers, to respond and fight to maintain our position of leading the constructors' and drivers' championships."
Championship leader Jenson Button is also determined to get his seventh victory of the season to safeguard his points advantage.
"Hungary is always one of my favourite races and even more so this year as it should finally be a return to some real summer temperatures! The circuit holds some very special memories for me as the venue of my first Formula One win three years ago and it's fantastic to be going back there with the chance to compete for the win again.
“The Hungaroring is quite a challenging circuit as it is so twisty and there's no real respite round the lap but it is a lot of fun to drive. The lap has a good rhythm and mix of slow-speed and high-speed turns. The circuit generates an incredible amount of grip as the weekend gets underway which can provide a real challenge in finding the right set-up.
“I’ve been at home in Monaco for the past week concentrating on my training but I know that the guys at the factory and at Mercedes-Benz have been working really hard on our latest upgrade package and I just can't wait to get back in the car."
Ferrari won here last year courtesy of Felipe Massa, and they are confident of a stronger showing than of late in the improving F60, while at McLaren Lewis Hamilton and last year’s winner, Heikki Kovalainen, look forward to running the new aerodynamic package that briefly showed promise on the world champion’s car in Germany.
“The Hungaroring is one of the most demanding circuits for drivers because you’re busy throughout the entire lap,” Hamilton said. “It’s a bit like a kart circuit - there are lots of twists and turns and the only place to relax is along the start/finish straight, which is quite short. It’s also quite low-grip which makes overtaking particularly tricky.
“But I really enjoy the place - I won here in 2007 and was on pole last year. It’s a circuit that really rewards consistent, precise driving - push too hard and you tend to lose rather than gain time. Given the potential we showed in Germany last weekend, I’m hopeful of getting a result that demonstrates the improvement we’ve made over the past few weeks.”
Williams, Renault and Toyota are also optimistic for strong showings, while Force India boss Vijay Mallya has expressed the opinion that the revised aerodynamic package first seen in Germany will enable his team to get in among their faster rivals for the second race in a row.
Big things are also expected at Toro Rosso, where the STR4s will benefit from a significant aerodynamic update which includes the double diffuser that has been so effective on the Red Bull RB5 of late.
Sebastien Buemi will also have a new team mate as Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari, who replaces Sebastien Bourdais, is set to become the youngest man ever to race in F1 at the age of 19 years and 125 days.
At present the record is the subject of dispute. In 1980 New Zealander Mike Thackwell started the Canadian Grand Prix aged 19 years and 182 days, but the race was stopped after an accident on the first lap. Thackwell was unable to start the new race because he had to hand his undamaged Tyrrell over to team mate to Jean-Pierre Jarier.
Since Thackwell did not thus officially start the part of the race that was recognised as the real Canadian Grand Prix that year, his record was annulled. Thus the mark is currently held by Mexican star Ricardo Rodriguez who started the 1961 Italian Grand Prix aged 19 years and 208 days. Besides Thackwell and Rodriguez, other 19 year-olds to race in Formula One were Chris Amon, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Tuero.
Hungary marks a change in Bridgestone’s recent philosophy of leaving a gap between their dry tyre compounds. As in Monaco, they will bring their soft and super soft wares.
Hirohide Hamashima, director of motorsport tyre development, said: “We have made the change to the tyre allocation concept based on the data we have collected from races so far this year combined with our knowledge of the tracks we visit for these races. The cars of 2009 are very different to those used last year so we have learnt a lot so far this year, and they do use their tyres differently from before. Hungary is a circuit where the characteristics demand our softest tyres. This is also true for street courses, and we used the softest allocation earlier in the year at Monaco, and will again in Valencia.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:15 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Hungarian Grand Prix Preview
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Red Bull team: Red Bull mid-season report
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 14:57 0 comments Links to this post
Brawn team can rediscover form
Ross Brawn is confident his team can rediscover the form that established it as the 2009 benchmark after being trounced by Red Bull Racing in the past two events.
RBR has narrowed Brawn’s lead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships with a brace of dominant 1-2s in Britain and Germany, although Jenson Button still has an enviable 21-point cushion over Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ standings.
While acknowledging the progress that Red Bull has made with its RB5 chassis, Brawn believes his team can fight back in Hungary this weekend thanks to a combination of a new aerodynamic package, the expected hotter temperatures and the sinuous circuit layout.
“The last two races at Silverstone and the Nürburgring have been frustrating for the team as we have not been able to achieve the full potential of our car at the same time as our competitors have taken a good step forward,” he said.
“However we are confident that the inherent performance of the BGP 001 which was demonstrated during the first half of the season has not disappeared and the problems that we faced were unique to the circumstances of those races.
“Our focus now is to maximise the performance that we know is in the car whilst continuing to develop improvements which will maintain our championship challenge.
“We have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for the race in Budapest which will bring performance gains in efficiency, downforce and aero balance; but we face a fierce battle and we must continue to improve for the rest of the season.
“The team has faced many challenges to arrive where we are today and I am confident that we have the people and resources, plus two excellent drivers, to respond and fight to maintain our position of leading the constructors’ and drivers’ championships.”
Button is similarly optimistic of rebounding in Budapest and says the warmer temperatures will be particularly welcome.
“Hungary is always one of my favourite races and even more so this year as it should finally be a return to some real summer temperatures!” said the Briton.
“The circuit holds some very special memories for me as the venue of my first Formula 1 win three years ago and it's fantastic to be going back there with the chance to compete for the win again.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:20 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn team can rediscover form
Monday, 20 July 2009
Toro Rosso: Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Toro Rosso: Alguersuari claims Toro Rosso drive
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:41 0 comments Links to this post
McLaren Team F1: RACE REPORT
McLaren Team F1: RACE REPORT
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:06 0 comments Links to this post
Thursday, 16 July 2009
2009 GERMAN GRAND PRIX - RACE
Brawn GP endured a disappointing race at the German Grand Prix today despite Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello bringing their Brawn-Mercedes cars home in points-scoring fifth and sixth positions respectively.
Both drivers were on a three-stop strategy and started the race on the softer option tyre. Rubens had a great start to be leading coming out of turn one whilst Jenson dropped to fifth position before overtaking Massa into turn one on the second lap.
Jenson stopped first on lap 13, followed by Rubens one lap later with both drivers staying on the option tyre. They switched to the primes at their second stop on lap 30 for Jenson and lap 31 for Rubens. A problem with the fuel rig at Rubens’ stop forced the team to switch rigs, costing valuable seconds which dropped Rubens behind Nico Rosberg.
The pair pitted for the final time on lap 49 for Rubens who stayed on the prime tyre and one lap later on lap 50 for Jenson who switched to options and came out just ahead of his team-mate.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P5 01:34.252
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-01 P6 01:34.676
Weather Cool
Temperatures Air: 18-19°C Track: 25-32°C
JENSON BUTTON
“All points are valuable but my race started badly and didn’t get much better today. I had a poor start to drop back to fifth after the first turn and was able to get ahead of Massa at the start of the second lap but just couldn’t get past Kovalainen. His pace was way off what we could have achieved at that point of the race but there was just no way through. We struggled with graining and tyre degradation throughout with both tyres not working well for us. The problem with the fuel rig at Rubens’ second stop also affected my race as we were so close on the track and he was struggling with the prime tyre. So overall it has been a tough and disappointing day for the team. Congratulations to Mark on his first win and I’m really pleased for him as I know how good that feels. I just can’t wait to get to Hungary in two weeks where we will have new parts and hopefully warmer weather to take the fight to the Red Bulls.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“I had a great start today and was really pleased to have got ahead of Mark down into the first corner despite our collision. After leading on the first lap, it is of course hugely disappointing to have finished in sixth position. It was a combination of things really which are now very clear to me having spoken to the team. We didn’t have enough pace compared to the Red Bulls to win but the fuel rig problem at my second stop where we had to switch rigs probably cost me a place on the podium. That dropped me out behind Rosberg and the extra lap which Jenson had at our final stops was enough for him to get ahead of me. We’ll put this race behind and work really hard ahead to Hungary to try and catch up to the Red Bulls. Congratulations to Mark for his first win.”
ROSS BRAWN
“Without doubt it was a very disappointing race for the team today although we were able to score some points to minimise the damage to our championship challenge. Quite simply, we didn’t have the pace to match the Red Bulls. We opted for a three-stop strategy for both cars to give ourselves the best possible chance of achieving a podium position. Both drivers were battling with the tyres throughout the race and trying very hard to keep them in the operating window whilst managing their graining issues. The problem with the fuel rig at Rubens’ second stop dropped him out behind Rosberg which compromised his race strategy and possibly prevented him for achieving third position. Jenson had a difficult start which dropped him down to fifth and he was also affected by Rubens’ problems at the second stop which resulted in the two cars being so close on the track. We will take a close look at the lessons to be learned from this weekend before Hungary and hope to come back fighting there with some performance developments which should help us close the gap to Red Bull. Finally our congratulations to Mark Webber on a very well-deserved first win today.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:20 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2009 GERMAN GRAND PRIX - RACE
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Rubens will calm down
Ross Brawn says Rubens Barrichello will understand that his criticisms of the Brawn GP team following the German Grand Prix were unfair once he analyses the race properly.
Barrichello slammed his team after slumping from an early lead to sixth in the race, launching into a tirade on live television in which he claimed that Brawn's strategy had cost him a chance of a much better result, and that the team was throwing away the world championship.
Brawn said he understood how Barrichello could have become confused by the race, which saw a variety of strategies among the leaders, especially as the Brazilian's radio was not working well.
TV viewers heard Barrichello calling for a mid-race strategy change as Brawn's three-stop plan appeared to be failing, and then being disappointed when the long second stop turned out to be due to a fuel rig fault rather than a change of tactic.
"I think when he sits down and looks at all the numbers he will realise that we were too slow today," Brawn told the BBC.
"When you're cocooned inside the car and the radio's not working, you don't get a good picture of what is going on.
"So I think he will find when he understands how the race went then his view on things will be a bit different."
He was not perturbed by Barrichello's furious comments.
"When you put so much into a race and it hasn't worked out, that's what you get sometimes," Brawn said.
"If you get out of the car thinking you should have won the race and you haven't got all the facts, that can happen.
"I think now he's got the facts and understands what happens, he is fine."
Brawn did not think that Barrichello's outburst will damage the team.
"I want to understand the whole picture and understand what he thought, what he said, and we'll deal with it internally," he said.
"He stuck with the team through very difficult times, he has a lot of loyalty to the team and that is not something that you destroy with a few frustrated words after a race."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:23 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rubens will calm down
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Barrichello tyre gamble pays off
Rubens Barrichello was delighted after calling Formula 1’s rain-disrupted qualifying lottery at the Nurburgring exactly right and landing a front-row grid berth for the German Grand Prix.
With inspired timing, the Brazilian veteran switched to slick tyres just as the initial rain in Q2 eased and his rivals were on intermediates – and promptly topped the session times by 1.3s.
He then produced an excellent final qualifying lap at the end of Q3 to claim second on the grid and push Brawn team-mate Jenson Button back to the second row.
Barrichello was particularly satisfied that his bold Q2 gamble had paid off.
“It’s nice when you have the right tyres at the right moment,” he said.
“We all went on slicks but we all came back in for intermediates because we saw [Felipe] Massa going off at turn 12.
“I was on my timed lap when I decided that it wasn’t the right tyre, let’s gamble a bit more, and I came in [for slicks].
“I had no reply on the radio – it was really chaotic and there was a big confusion. But they were ready for me, they put the right tyres on and I was set for first place.
“It was really a nice session.”
Barrichello will be looking to capitalise on his superior grid position to close his deficit to Button in the championship table, which currently stands at 23 points
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 18:43 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barrichello tyre gamble pays off
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Nürburgring
This weekend's German Grand Prix, the home race for Brawn GP's engine partner Mercedes-Benz, will be the midpoint of the 2009 season.
Current Championship leader Jenson is confident the track will suit the Brawn-Mercedes car: "The Nürburgring is a relatively slow circuit with a lot of medium-speed corners which are one of the strengths of our car. It is also one of the heaviest braking circuits on the calendar so you need a car which will be good through the four heavy braking zones. With the extra week's break, everyone has been working extremely hard to get the best package for the race and we're looking forward to showing what the car can do."
Rubens is looking forward to the challenges that the Nürburgring circuit provides: "I won the race here back in 2002 so the circuit holds some good memories for me. The weather can be a little unpredictable due to its location right in the Eifel Mountains but we'll be hoping for some warmer temperatures than we saw at Silverstone for the last race. The layout and flow is nice which allows you to get into a rhythm and there are some interesting undulations and bumps to look out for."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 20:28 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Nürburgring
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Brawn GP's mid-season report
It’s a tale worthy of a Hollywood film script. Despite starting the year not knowing if they would even be around at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Brawn GP have been far and away 2009’s strongest team, outshining 2008’s trio of title contenders, Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Sauber.
Backmarkers made good, the former Honda team have taken six wins from eight races and lead the constructors’ championship with a sizeable advantage. Here’s the story of their season so far…
Brawn GP
World championship points: 105
Best qualifying result: 1st (4x)
Best race result: 1st (6x)
What a turnaround! From a bitterly disappointing 2008 to Honda’s shock withdrawal, to the scrabble to keep the team afloat and, finally, to a seemingly permanent place on the podium, Brawn GP have gone from the doldrums to delight in just a few short months. Eight races in, and four poles and six victories for the rechristened team is the best-ever start to a season for a ‘new’ constructor.
Of course, with Ross Brawn at the helm and two experienced drivers in Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello occupying cockpits, everything augured well. But the same could have been said of Honda at the start of last season, and look where that got the Japanese manufacturer - a dog of a car, ninth in the championship, and just 14 points.
It was the early realization that the RA109 would never be up to scratch, however, that seems to have made the difference. Honda refocused on the development of its 2009 successor sooner than any of its rivals, and this forward thinking paid off. Far and away the most complete looking car at the pre-season tests, the BGP001 was also devilishly quick. And the dark horse hasn’t disappointed.
In fact it’s performed impeccably, recording just one retirement from eight outings and putting at least one Brawn driver on the podium at every race so far. From its complete dominance at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix to its majestic display in Monaco, a Brawn has never been far from the front. Only at the last round at Silverstone did anyone - Red Bull - suggest that an end to Brawn’s supremacy could be in sight.
But that’s not to say there hasn’t been tension. At the Melbourne opener several rivals queried the legality of the BGP001’s innovative double diffuser. And so while they racked up points, for several weeks Brawn didn’t know whether they would be able to keep them. The diffuser clearly gave them an advantage, but it was far from the whole story (after all, Toyota and Williams were running similar concepts). Eventually the FIA’s Court of Appeal found in Brawn’s favour and the team was clear to dominate with impunity.
And so they have, at least until the most recent British Grand Prix, where problems with tyre temperatures rendered them powerless to halt the ever improving Red Bulls. Some feel this was just a blip, but perhaps the engraver should wait just a little longer before starting work on the constructors’ trophy.
Battle of the team mates - Jenson Button v Rubens Barrichello
Qualifying: Button (6-2)
Race: Button (7-1) Barrichello retired in Turkey
Points: Button 64, Barrichello 41
Outpacing team mate Rubens Barrichello at all but two meetings, six-time victor Button has been Brawn GP’s man to beat. Last season Barrichello took 11 of the then Honda team’s 14 points, but in 2009 the veteran Brazilian driver has been comparatively off the boil and occasionally unlucky, even recording the team’s sole retirement after suffering gearbox problems in Turkey. With almost 300 race starts under his belt, however, Barrichello has the experience to get back on track. He clearly had the upper hand over Button at the latest Silverstone round and is adamant he’ll take a victory of his own soon.
In summary - with a quick car, strategic brilliance and two drivers hungry to succeed, Brawn must remain title favourites, despite Red Bull’s recent success.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:44 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn GP's mid-season report
Brawn honoured by Motorsport Industry Association
Brawn team principal Ross Brawn has been presented with the Motorsport Industry Association’s (MIA) Award for the Most Outstanding Contribution to the Motorsport Industry. Brawn collected the honour at the MIA's annual summer reception at Britain's House of Lords on Monday night.
He joins a highly impressive list of previous winners, which includes Formula One luminaries such as Professor Sid Watkins, Frank Williams, Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart and Bernie Ecclestone. Brawn started as a milling machine operator at the March team and during a 33-year career in motorsport has won eight championships with Benetton and Ferrari.
“His exceptional race engineering talent is coupled with integrity, sincerity and humility - a rare combination in this aggressive competitive sport,” said MIA CEO, Chris Aylett. “His personal contribution has benefited many in this global industry - employees, suppliers and drivers. His influence makes motorsport and F1 a better place to be.
"Ross is a great inspiration to young engineers who we need to help us improve our future. As patron of Formula Student for example he is putting something back into tomorrow’s generation. F1 leaders can be great ambassadors for global motorsport - Ross is one of the new breed who will ensure its popularity will last well into the future.”
The award was presented by The Right Honourable Lord Drayson, Britain's Minister of State for Innovation, who is also a keen racer. The 2009 reception was attended by over 300 guests, including Ministers of State, Ambassadors, VIPs, MIA members and leaders from the motorsport industry.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:41 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn honoured by Motorsport Industry Association
Monday, 6 July 2009
Brawn ready in Germany
Ross Brawn is confident aerodynamic updates and a car that should suit the characteristics of the Nurburgring mean his championship-leading team responds strongly to Red Bull’s Silverstone dominance next weekend.
The Brackley squad had its stunning early-season form conclusively checked by its nearest title rival at its home race a fortnight ago, RBR cruising to a 1-2 finish while Rubens Barrichello and title leader Jenson Button finished in distant third and sixth places respectively.
But after blaming problems heating up its tyres in the cool conditions for the scale of its defeat at the high-speed venue, its team owner reckons its prospects are better at the slower Nurburgring circuit.
Brawn says the BGP 001 will feature development parts previously scheduled for the race, and further upgrades not used from qualifying onwards at Silverstone, leaving him confident it can rebound strongly and attempt to again increase its still massive points leads.
“The team is looking forward to returning to the race track at the German Grand Prix next weekend and the Nürburgring should be a good circuit for our car and play to its strengths," he said.
“We have several new aerodynamic parts from Silverstone which were not used in qualifying and the race due to the issues that we faced there, along with additional improvements scheduled for the Nürburgring, which should position us well going into the weekend.”
Brawn admits that having won six of the opening seven races, a nine-point haul from its home race was fairly underwhelming.
But the Briton believes the relative disappointment will see the team emerge stronger again.
“Whilst coming away with third and sixth placed finishes from Silverstone was still a good outcome from our home grand Prix, we would be the first to admit that the result did not meet our expectations," the team boss said.
“However we have always said that we would have a fight on our hands to maintain our excellent run of results at the start of the season and everyone at the factory and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth is looking forward to that challenge.
“As a team, we have a good history of going away from a race, thinking about the outcome, identifying where we need to make improvements and then coming back stronger.”
Runaway championship leader Button retains a healthy 23-point lead over team-mate Rubens Barrichello, with a further two in hand over RBR’s Sebastian Vettel, going into the second half of the season despite by far the worst weekend of his campaign at Silverstone.
The Briton shares his team boss’s confidence that the Nurburgring will prove a happier hunting ground for the BGP 001, although he expects Red Bull to remain a big threat.
“The Nürburgring is a tricky circuit but there are two key characteristics which should be good for our car. It is a relatively slow circuit with a lot of medium-speed corners which are one of the strengths of the BGP 001,” Button said.
“With the extra week’s break, everyone at the factory and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines has been working extremely hard in preparation for the German Grand Prix to get the best package for the race and we’re looking forward to showing what the car can do at the Nürburgring after a disappointing weekend by our standards at the British Grand Prix.
“My last stint at Silverstone showed that the pace of the car is really competitive so we’re confident that we can turn it around at this race. I’m sure we will see a really intense fight with our closest competitors and hopefully a great race for the fans.”
Barrichello, meanwhile, aims to build on his performance from Silverstone – where he beat Button in qualifying and the race for the first time in 2009 – at a German circuit that only his former Ferrari team-mate Michael Schumacher has scored more points than him at.
“I have always enjoyed racing at the Nürburgring and it provides a good challenge for the drivers,” said Barrichello, who has finished in the points there on 10 occasions.
“The layout and flow is nice which allows you to get into a rhythm and there are some interesting undulations and bumps to look out for.
“I won the race here back in 2002 so the circuit always holds some good memories for me.
“The weather can be a little unpredictable due to its location right in the Eifel Mountains but we’ll be hoping for some warmer temperatures than we saw at Silverstone for the last race.
“We haven’t raced here for a couple of years so it will be interesting to see how the circuit feels in a good car.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:20 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn ready in Germany
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Brawn GP
World championship points: 105
Best qualifying result: 1st (4x)
Best race result: 1st (6x)
What a turnaround! From a bitterly disappointing 2008 to Honda’s shock withdrawal, to the scrabble to keep the team afloat and, finally, to a seemingly permanent place on the podium, Brawn GP have gone from the doldrums to delight in just a few short months. Eight races in, and four poles and six victories for the rechristened team is the best-ever start to a season for a ‘new’ constructor.
Of course, with Ross Brawn at the helm and two experienced drivers in Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello occupying cockpits, everything augured well. But the same could have been said of Honda at the start of last season, and look where that got the Japanese manufacturer - a dog of a car, ninth in the championship, and just 14 points.
It was the early realization that the RA109 would never be up to scratch, however, that seems to have made the difference. Honda refocused on the development of its 2009 successor sooner than any of its rivals, and this forward thinking paid off. Far and away the most complete looking car at the pre-season tests, the BGP001 was also devilishly quick. And the dark horse hasn’t disappointed.
In fact it’s performed impeccably, recording just one retirement from eight outings and putting at least one Brawn driver on the podium at every race so far. From its complete dominance at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix to its majestic display in Monaco, a Brawn has never been far from the front. Only at the last round at Silverstone did anyone - Red Bull - suggest that an end to Brawn’s supremacy could be in sight.
But that’s not to say there hasn’t been tension. At the Melbourne opener several rivals queried the legality of the BGP001’s innovative double diffuser. And so while they racked up points, for several weeks Brawn didn’t know whether they would be able to keep them. The diffuser clearly gave them an advantage, but it was far from the whole story (after all, Toyota and Williams were running similar concepts). Eventually the FIA’s Court of Appeal found in Brawn’s favour and the team was clear to dominate with impunity.
And so they have, at least until the most recent British Grand Prix, where problems with tyre temperatures rendered them powerless to halt the ever improving Red Bulls. Some feel this was just a blip, but perhaps the engraver should wait just a little longer before starting work on the constructors’ trophy.
Battle of the team mates - Jenson Button v Rubens Barrichello
Qualifying: Button (6-2)
Race: Button (7-1) Barrichello retired in Turkey
Points: Button 64, Barrichello 41
Outpacing team mate Rubens Barrichello at all but two meetings, six-time victor Button has been Brawn GP’s man to beat. Last season Barrichello took 11 of the then Honda team’s 14 points, but in 2009 the veteran Brazilian driver has been comparatively off the boil and occasionally unlucky, even recording the team’s sole retirement after suffering gearbox problems in Turkey. With almost 300 race starts under his belt, however, Barrichello has the experience to get back on track. He clearly had the upper hand over Button at the latest Silverstone round and is adamant he’ll take a victory of his own soon.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:52 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn GP
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Rubens on the podium at Silverstone
Rubens drove an assured race on Sunday to achieve his second consecutive podium at Silverstone, the team's home Grand Prix. Jenson maintained his lead in the Drivers' Championship with three points for his sixth placed finish.
Rubens said: "I'm really proud of the third place that we achieved at Silverstone. We knew that if the track temperatures didn't increase, then it would be incredibly difficult to beat the Red Bulls. The car has been well balanced and we certainly haven't lost performance since the last race, it's just that we have suffered badly in the cool conditions with our tyre temperatures. To come away with third and the best position that the team could have achieved this weekend is very satisfying."
After the race, Ross commented: "The result was a pleasing outcome to what has been a challenging home race for Brawn GP. Rubens drove a very composed race to secure third place, whilst Jenson recovered well from a poor start when he was caught behind Jarno Trulli to score valuable points for our Championship challenge."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 08:29 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rubens on the podium at Silverstone
Monday, 22 June 2009
Button tyre temp struggle
Sunday, 21 June 2009 00:00
Jenson Button said Brawn’s problems generating tyre temperature in the cool conditions was what restricted him to a disappointing sixth place in the British Grand Prix.
Brawn was comprehensively outpaced by Red Bull for the first time this year in dry conditions and, after starting sixth, Button endured a frustrating race amid the increasingly distant chasing pack.
At one stage it looked like he might barely scrape a point, but he gained two places at the final pit stops and then found a new lease of life after switching to the grippier soft tyres in the final stint, catching Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa but having to settle for sixth.
Button said his pace in the closing stages – when he lapped within 0.5s of winner Sebastian Vettel’s best time – showed that Brawn’s main problem was tyre temperature, not a fundamentally slow car.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen today,” he said.
“I think I showed that when I was on the soft tyre I had good pace.
“I don’t know what it was like compared to my team-mate but compared to Rosberg and Massa the pace in the last stint was phenomenal and we had a good car.
“But on the hard tyre the car just doesn’t work and I couldn’t get any tyre temp. Plus you can’t overtake here and I got a terrible start.
“[Jarno] Trulli in front got a really slow getaway, as they [Toyota] normally do, and I had nowhere to go.
“I tried to go to the inside but the gap wasn’t there and the outside was full, so I was stuck and everyone just shot by on the outside.
“In the first stint I slowed up a little bit behind Trulli just to see what times I could do, and I was sort of eight-tenths or one second quicker than him – but you still can’t overtake.
“I was able to jump two of them in the pit stop but Massa got me because he was going very long.
“I could reel in Rosberg and Massa at the end of the race like they were stood still, but you can’t overtake and if you don’t get the qualifying right, which I didn’t, and you get a bad start, you’re stuck.”
While he acknowledged that Red Bull has made a step forward with its latest aerodynamic upgrade, Button felt this weekend’s cool conditions played into its hands and exaggerated its advantage.
“I haven’t had sleepless nights thinking about the championship,” insisted Button, who still has a hefty 23-point cushion over team-mate Barrichello and 25 points in hand over Vettel.
“Vettel gained seven points on me here, which is obviously not good, but I got three points on a weekend that we weren’t very strong.
“We’ve just got to hope that Nurburgring is a bit warmer than here.
“They’re going to be very quick – they’ve got a quick car and their aero package has helped them a lot.
“But I don’t think it’s as big as it looks; I think it’s because our car is not working in these temperatures.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 09:39 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button tyre temp struggle
Friday, 19 June 2009
Button hopes for less ‘stressful’ build-up
Jenson Button is hoping to hit the ground running when practice begins at Silverstone as he launches his bid for home grand prix glory.
The Brawn GP ace has won six of the seven races held so far this year, but has struggled to tune his car’s balance during free practice at the past few events, which he says has caused a “stressful” build-up to qualifying and the race.
Although he has invariably found the BGP 001’s sweet spot when it matters, Button fears he may not be able to turn that trick again if he gets off to a slow start at Silverstone and is therefore hoping for a productive Friday.
“We’ve just got to hope that we have a better Friday than we have done at the last few races,” he said in Thursday's press conference.
“Because even though the end result has been great, working from where we were was quite stressful and I think it’s in that environment that you can make a mistake.
“So we’ve got to hope that we have a reasonable balance tomorrow so that we can get some good testing done.”
Red Bull is widely expected to offer a stern challenge to Brawn at Silverstone, whose high-speed corners play to the strengths of the RB5 chassis.
But while he expects more competition than in Turkey, Button is confident Brawn still has the car to beat.
“In Turkey we expected the Red Bulls to be very quick in the high-speed turn eight, but I don’t think they had an advantage, which was surprising,” he noted.
“We’ll have competition here, but I’m happy with what we have and I’m confident in the car.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:08 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button hopes for less ‘stressful’ build-up
Practice 1: Vettel leads Red Bull 1-2
Friday, 19 June 2009 11:40
While Formula 1’s existential crisis gripped the paddock, Sebastian Vettel led Mark Webber in a Red Bull Racing 1-2 in a thoroughly overshadowed first Friday practice session at Silverstone.
Vettel pipped his team-mate in the dying seconds of the 90-minute session as Red Bull showed it will pose a major challenge to Brawn’s supremacy on the high-speed Northamptonshire circuit.
Home hero Jenson Button was third quickest for Brawn ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello, giving a symmetrical look to the top of the timesheet.
Fernando Alonso was fifth fastest for Renault ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and 2008 winner Lewis Hamilton.
Full report to follow shortly…
British Grand Prix free practice session one times
1. VETTEL Red Bull 1m19.400s
2. WEBBER Red Bull 1m19.682s
3. BUTTON Brawn 1m20.227s
4. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m20.242s
5. ALONSO Renault 1m20.458s
6. MASSA Ferrari 1m20.471s
7. TRULLI Toyota 1m20.585s
8. HAMILTON McLaren 1m20.650s
9. ROSBERG Williams 1m20.815s
10. FISICHELLA Force India 1m20.838s
11. SUTIL Force India 1m20.913s
12. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m21.029s
13. HEIDFELD BMW 1m21.103s
14. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m21.179s
15. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m21.384s
16. GLOCK Toyota 1m21.386s
17. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m21.489s
18. PIQUET Renault 1m21.525s
19. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m21.590s
20. KUBICA BMW 1m21.801s
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:57 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Practice 1: Vettel leads Red Bull 1-2
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Brawn GP look forward to Silverstone
This weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone takes place just eight miles from Brawn GP's factory in Brackley and 20 miles from Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth.
British star Jenson is looking forward to his home race: "It puts a smile on my face every time I think about going to my home Grand Prix leading the Championship! I've raced at Silverstone from some fairly tough positions in the past but the fans have always been so supportive and I'd love to give them a performance that they can really enjoy this weekend".
Rubens is also looking forward to Silverstone which is one of his favourite circuits: "I absolutely love racing at Silverstone. The track is fantastic as it is one of the few remaining on the calendar that are high-speed, fast-flowing and really allow you to let the car go through the quick corners. It almost feels like a home track and the crowds are always supportive, even if you aren't British!"
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:06 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn GP look forward to Silverstone
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Brawn certain of '09 form
Ross Brawn is confident his team won’t prove to be one season wonders in 2009 and it has the capabilities to remain a front-running force into next year and beyond.
The Brackley-based squad’s remarkable start to the campaign, which has seen it win six of the opening seven races and open up big leads in both championship races, was aided by the decision it took early last year to ditch development work on its uncompetitive RA108 in favour of giving full focus to its all-new 2009 car.
However, the shock Formula 1 departure of former owner Honda over the winter has forced the team to downsize and, although it has stressed its budget is “safe” for the remainder of this year, Brawn’s squad has acknowledged it needs to build up its sponsorship roster for the future.
But although it can no longer count on being bankrolled by car giant Honda, its eponymous team owner says he has seen signs from both the ongoing work on this, and next year’s, car that it will be able to continue competing in the development race.
Asked by journalists in a conference call if he thought the team had a structure in place that would allow it to remain a competitive force, he said: “Yes, I believe so.
“We had a major restructure over the winter, but I can already see with the development of the new car that it is still progressing strongly and I see the output from what I would describe as the ‘centres of performance’ of the team is just as strong, and in some ways maybe even stronger, because of the clearer focus and structure we have put in place.
“So the areas of performance I am not concerned at all. Obviously in that restructuring we have lost some capacity for manufacturing and for design and that’s the areas we will have to be careful with to make sure that we can cope with the needs of the new car.
“But I think you can see from the way we are developing the car this year – and there are new parts on the car for Silverstone again – that we are managing to keep up.
“There will be some adjustments needed because you won’t get it right first time when you do such a restructuring, but I think we’re not far off.”
The championship leader’s bid to extend its dream start to the current campaign will resume at its home race of Silverstone this weekend, the team aiming to repeat its victory from Turkey on the similarly fast Northamptonshire track.
Brawn admits he was delighted that, given main rival Red Bull was expected to be the pacesetter at the sweeping Istanbul Park, it convincingly came out on top two weeks ago – the Briton praising the strength of his team for addressing one of the BGP 001’s previous weaknesses in faster corners.
“I think we will be at the sharp end [this weekend], but whether we can win it or not I honestly don’t know,” Brawn said.
“I was very, very pleased with Turkey because when we got back to the European season, I think the consensus was that we were going to come under huge pressure from all the steps that the big teams were going to make, so quietly we went about making steps ourselves and kept going.
“With Turkey what I was especially pleased about was we had identified that Red Bull were quicker than us in the fast corners and the whole team focused on that, the aerodynamic group and the chassis group, to find ways of setting up the car a little bit differently, to find improvements in the aero and I think in Turkey in the famous turn 8, we were one of the quickest cars, as quick as Red Bull.
“That I think shows great strength of the team that they identified a weakness and an area we needed to improve and everybody responded extremely well.
“So Turkey was very, very pleasing for me because it was a high-speed circuit and up until then [on such tracks] you’d have to say Red Bull were stronger than we were and we went there and were able to show that we can respond."
And following the introduction of a new front wing two weeks ago, the team owner says the car will feature further upgrades in Britain and the subsequent races.
“We have new front wing endplates for Silverstone and new rear wing, some different chassis settings again that have come from rig work we have done,” he added.
“We’ve got some upgrades coming over the next few races which I think will help as well.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:02 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn certain of '09 form
Monday, 15 June 2009
Formula 1 must learn from row
Ross Brawn believes Formula 1 teams and the FIA should take on board lessons from the row currently engulfing the sport - as he remains hopeful a solution can be found before Friday in the dispute about future cost cuts.
Speaking ahead of a meeting with the FIA on Monday to try and finalise agreements reached in a meeting last week, Brawn said that he hoped both parties could sort out their difference and head into a situation of better relations in the future.
FOTA teams have been given until June 19 to drop conditions attached to their entries.
"All of us - and I mean this collectively - have got ourselves into a situation we need to learn from," Brawn was quoted as saying by the Press Association.
"What we want to get back and put in place again is an agreement between the teams and the FIA on governance for the future, and how we can avoid these situations ever occurring again. I think there are still opportunities this week to resolve the issues, and if they are, then we will be happy to enter."
Although Brawn's future as a team is dependent on it carrying on racing next year, he has said that he is not wavering from his support of FOTA's stance against the FIA's planned 2010 regulations.
"FOTA have been supportive of Brawn GP, and the reason we are in Formula 1 is because of the support we received, particularly from McLaren and Mercedes, and offers of help from Ferrari," he said.
"So we want to support the group in trying to find a solution. We, as small independents, balance up the group with the manufacturers and they want to support the small independents.
"So we've stayed together as a group, and we can present a balanced approach on what needs to be done. It's not a manufacturers' association, it's the Formula One Teams' Association. That's why we are staying with FOTA.
"We believe in the principals of FOTA, and that as part of FOTA we can be influential in finding the right solutions."
And proof about his optimism for the future is that work has already begun on the team's 2010 car.
"I'm completely confident (we will be in F1 next season), and you have to plan on that," he claimed Brawn. "There's nothing else to plan for. We cannot allow this row to be a distraction to our engineering and racing plans.
"I'm not supporting a breakaway championship, but if there was one, then it would be one with cars similar to what we are working on now, which will be without re-fuelling."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:45 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Formula 1 must learn from row
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Jenson Dominates Turkish Grand Prix
After taking the lead on the first lap, Jenson dominated the Turkish Grand Prix and drove a superb race to bring his Brawn-Mercedes car home for his sixth victory of the 2009 Formula One season.
"I wish I could have had the whole team up there on the podium with me today" Jenson said. "This was definitely a victory for us all, everyone at the track, in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth. Today we really showed what this car and engine can do and to beat our closest competitors fair and square is a great feeling. This is the first time that the car has been absolutely perfect for me and it means so much to the team to see just how good this car is."
Rubens had a more eventful race with the damage caused to his gearbox by clutch problems at the start leading to the team's first retirement of the season. Rubens commented, "It's difficult to have a day like this when you could see the pace of the car was fantastic but we will bounce back. Silverstone is one of my favourite circuits so I'll stay positive and look ahead to the British Grand Prix in two weeks time."
Ross Brawn confessed that he was beginning to run out of superlatives to describe the team's start to the season. "Once again, the team here at the track, in Brackley and our close partners at Mercedes-Benz worked extremely hard this weekend to improve the car. My sincere thanks to them all for their commitment and enthusiasm. We can now look ahead to Silverstone, just eight miles from our factory in Brackley, and take great pride to be leading the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships going into our home race."
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Labels: Jenson Dominates Turkish Grand Prix
Turkey race analysis
The Turkish Grand Prix was expected to be the best hope yet for the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari to break Brawn’s stranglehold on 2009. Jenson Button had other ideas, describing his BGP001 as ‘perfect’ as he cruised to his sixth win in seven races. Chinks did appear in Brawn’s armour, with the team’s first retirement, but it was scant consolation for their rivals. Red Bull were happy, nonetheless, with their two-three result and Toyota and BMW Sauber were pleased to be back in the points. Less content were Ferrari, who found their recent form slipping away. We take a team-by-team look at Sunday’s race…
Brawn GP
Jenson Button, P1
Rubens Barrichello, retired Lap 47, gearbox
Button was over the moon with the performance of his Brawn and said that while it had been good everywhere this season, this was the first time it was absolutely perfect. So much so that he would have liked to drive it for another 200 laps. Once he had taken advantage of Vettel’s first-lap error, he had virtually a clear run, only being slightly concerned as Vettel came right back at him prior to the German’s second fuel stop when the Red Bull was at its lightest and most competitive. Barrichello was doomed the moment a clutch problem sent his BGP001 into anti-stall mode at the start and dropped him to 12th. Errors which led to contact with Kovalainen and Sutil, the latter necessitating a new front wing, further delayed him, and he retired after 47 laps with ongoing transmission trouble. It was Brawn’s first failure to finish this year.
Red Bull
Mark Webber, P2
Sebastian Vettel P3
Perhaps the fact that they chose a three-stop strategy for Vettel was an indication that Red Bull did not truly expect to beat Brawn this time out. Vettel ruined his slim chance by running wide exiting Turn 10 on the opening lap, thus losing the lead to Button, and thereafter his strategy worked against him. He said afterwards that he was surprised the team had not reverted thereafter to a two-stop. Webber stopped only twice, pushed hard throughout, and matched his previous best result with a solid second. 14 more points for the team were a great haul even if they didn’t win, and brought their tally thus far to 56.5.
Toyota
Jarno Trulli, P4
Timo Glock, P8
After the debacle at Monaco, fourth and eighth were reasonable results for Toyota. Trulli was always in contention for fourth place, and two normally spaced stops worked well for him. Glock did a very long opening stint and had risen to fifth when he finally pitted on Lap 30. Thereafter he needed one more quick one to switch to Bridgestone’s soft rubber, and he came back strongly against Kubica for seventh in the closing stages but could not find a way by.
Williams
Nico Rosberg, P5
Kazuki Nakajima, P12
Rosberg was always in contention for a decent helping of points and drove well all afternoon after making a strong start. Nakajima made some amends for his Monaco gaffe with a competitive showing that was ultimately blighted by a sticking wheel nut in his second stop which stole his strong chance of points.
Ferrari
Felipe Massa, P6
Kimi Raikkonen, P9
Once again Ferrari came away from a disappointing 2009 Grand Prix, perhaps the more so after competitive showings in Barcelona and Monaco. Massa made a decent start but soon came to realise that a fourth consecutive win just wasn’t going to happen and that sixth was the best he could expect. The F60 just wasn’t fast enough. Raikkonen lost valuable places at the start and was thus always on his back foot, and was the first non-points finisher.
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica, P7
Nick Heidfeld, P11
Incredible as it may seem, this was Kubica’s first points-scoring finish of a tough season, and he reported a hard run with somebody to fight or to challenge virtually throughout. Heidfeld had a problem on his F1.09 as it pulled to one side and had little grip from its left front tyre. He reported that it also stopped on a dime even when he used the brakes only gently.
Renault
Fernando Alonso, P10
Nelson Piquet, P16
Alonso said he didn’t really expect to finish in the points, especially as having the lightest fuel load at the start merely dropped him into the heavy traffic when he made his first refuelling stop on the 14th lap. Piquet had a good dice with Hamilton and overtook his old GP2 sparring partner in a nice bit of work at the end of the lap, but was disappointed with 16th place at the finish.
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, P13
Heikki Kovalainen, P14
Hamilton struggled throughout with a car that simply lacked grip, and said that 13th place was the best that could be wrung from it. Kovalainen had a good battle with Barrichello, but things were so bad Mercedes simply turned down his engine in the second half to preserve it for a better race. Assuredly this was not one of a great team’s best days.
Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, P15
Sebastien Bourdais, P18
This was a tough one for the two Sebs, especially as their Red Bull stablemates did so well. They cannot get upgrades on their STR4s fast enough.
Force India
Adrian Sutil, P17
Giancarlo Fisichella, retired Lap 4, brakes
Disappointment came early for Vijay Mallya’s team as Fisichella quit with a brake problem on Lap Four despite the system being changed almost completely after his practice problems. Sutil survived a brush with Barrichello on the 12th lap. Overall, he was pleased with his VJM02’s balance and race pace.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:58 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Turkey race analysis
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Brawn issues warning over deadline
Ross Brawn has warned that Formula 1 could be plunged into crisis later this week if the FIA publishes an official list of entrants for next year’s world championship that excludes most of the current teams.
The governing body is due to announce on Friday which teams have had their 2010 applications accepted – amid no signs of a rapprochement with the Formula One Teams’ Association over F1’s rules and governance.Eight of the 10 current teams have made their entries conditional on the FIA dropping plans for a €45m budget cap and giving new guarantees over the sport’s rule-making process, with only Williams and Force India submitting unconditional entries.
Meanwhile a host of prospective new teams have entered the fray under the budget cap option, with the result that the 13 available grid places are now significantly over-subscribed.
FIA president Max Mosley signalled via a media interview last week that he will not bow to FOTA’s demands, although there has been no official comment from the governing body since the members of the teams’ alliance submitted their entries collectively 10 days ago.
Brawn is concerned that if the FIA rubber-stamps the entries of a large number of new teams this Friday, it will be obliged to honour those undertakings and there may be no way to accommodate the existing teams at a later stage.
The Brawn GP boss is hopeful that outcome can still be averted, but admits there is a risk of F1 sleepwalking into an irreversible situation.“I think there are interim solutions,” he said on Saturday.“Quite clearly, if next Friday 10 teams are given an entry into Formula 1, there’s a problem – because there’s no room for the rest of us.“I don’t know what will happen then.“I hope that doesn’t happen, because if 10 teams are given an entry there’s a major problem.“So I hope – even if it’s a holding position until we can sort this out – I hope there’s a solution.”
FOTA vice-chairman John Howett says the teams’ organisation is “open” to holding further discussions with the FIA ahead of Friday’s deadline but will not drop its conditions.“I think Flavio [Briatore] was discussing that possibility and received information that it would be ill-advised to have a meeting before Friday,” he said.“So I don’t know. We remain open to discuss, but I think our position is fairly firm on the criteria that we wish to be resolved.”
Asked whether Friday’s deadline was make-or-break, Howett said: “I don’t think that’s necessarily completely our decision, is it?“I can only talk from the perspective of Toyota and I’m totally relaxed because I see upside in many ways.“In other words we need to stabilise governance. That is the precondition of almost all the FOTA members, which seems more solid this weekend than ever before.“If that happens then I think we feel comfortable.“If not then we are forced into alternative scenarios. In the end I believe those also hold a very bright future for the world of motorsport.”
While emphasising that FOTA remains determined to reach an agreed solution with the FIA rather than break away and form a rival championship, Howett believes it would be logistically feasible to set up a new series by next year.“It’s partly a hypothetical question, but I don’t think it’s an insurmountable problem,” he said.“I want to emphasise again that it’s the not the sole unique target of FOTA.“If we’re forced into that position then I think as a defensive strategy it has to be part of our scenario planning, and it has been for some time.”
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali does not regard Friday’s deadline as definitive, but acknowledges that a long delay would do further damage to F1's image.“Friday is the deadline from a formal point of view, but not really from a substantive point of view,” he said.“If you want to be sensible you can discuss whatever you want up until next year.“[But] we need to find a solution as soon as possible. The more you go ahead the more it is complicated for everyone, and the more we are damaging the sport.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:48 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn issues warning over deadline
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Button victory in Istanbul
Jenson Button made it six from seven as he ran away and hid from the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel in Turkey on Sunday afternoon. It was a perfect riposte for Brawn after their defeat in China at the hands of the Australian/German duo.
Vettel led from pole but as team mate Rubens Barrichello made a terrible start from the clean side of the grid, Button held on to second place. When Vettel ran wide exiting Turn 10 the championship leader pounced mercilessly and thereafter did not relent in his punishment.
Vettel was on a three-stop strategy, and that error was the last thing he wanted. In the end his strategy failed to work for him, and he had to settle for third place behind Webber, who ran a very strong race on a two-stop plan but was almost 20s behind Button until the latter eased off in the closing stages. The Brawn driver eventually finished 6.7s ahead, as Vettel hitched on to Webber’s bumper to finish 0.7s adrift.
The race was all about the three of them.
Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Williams’ Nico Rosberg had a race long battle for fourth which went the Italian’s way, while Felipe Massa’s hopes of a fourth straight victory here in the Ferrari were clearly unrealistic and he had to be satisfied with a distant sixth place ahead of the battling BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica and Toyota’s Timo Glock.
Kimi Raikkonen was one of many stars to have an unrewarding afternoon. He brought his Ferrari home ninth ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Renault, the Spaniard separated from McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton by BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld and Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima. Hamilton avoided being lapped only because Button backed off.
In a poor day for McLaren Heikki Kovalainen was 14th, a lap down, and led home Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi, Renault’s Nelson Piquet, Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Sebastien Bourdais in the second Toro Rosso.
Barrichello had a miserable afternoon which included a spin after a brush with Kovalainen and nose damage after a collision with Sutil, and retired after 47 laps. Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella went out earlier than that with mechanical gremlins, after four laps.
Button now has 61 points over Barrichello on 35, Vettel on 29 and Webber on 27.5. Brawn have 96 points to Red Bull’s 56.5.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 17:09 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button victory in Istanbul
Button strolls to Istanbul win
Jenson Button continued his seemingly unstoppable march to his first world championship crown with a record-equalling sixth win in seven 2009 races in the Turkish Grand Prix.The 29-year-old Briton’s latest feat put him in the most exalted company – alongside all-time greats Jim Clark and Michael Schumacher – and increased his title lead to a near-insurmountable 26 points.
Button’s path to victory was eased on the opening lap when his two nearest challengers for the victory, and closest championship rivals, suffered race-defining setbacks.First his team-mate Rubens Barrichello faltered off the startline and tumbled down the order, and then pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel blew his chances of maximising his lighter fuel load by running wide going onto the back straight.Vettel’s error gifted Button the lead and from there the points leader pulled away serenely – his only mild irritation coming in the middle phase of the race as Vettel moved onto a three-stop strategy and caught his two-stopping Brawn.
But unlike Lewis Hamilton managed here last year, the Red Bull driver couldn’t find a way past the race leader and the strategy switch only served to drop him to a disgruntled third behind team-mate Mark Webber in the final shake-up.
Vettel and Button got away from the front row in formation, but Barrichello bogged down with a clutch problem and was instantly swamped by the pack.More drama soon followed when Vettel got out of shape in the turn 9/10 chicane and ran wide across the grass on the exit.
Button didn’t need a second invitation, and in a flash the white Brawn was through into the lead.It proved to be the race’s turning point.
Button quickly made good his escape, pulling out a 1.4s cushion by the end of the second lap and extending it steadily to 5.6s by lap 14 as the first round of pit stops approached.Vettel’s prospects of making a race of it from here looked slim, as the Red Bull had two laps less fuel on board than the Brawn and the tactical cards seemed to be stacked in the latter’s favour.
In an apparent bid to tear up that unfolding script, Red Bull decided to try something different and switch Vettel to a three-stop strategy.The German’s service therefore took just 6.5 seconds, but still he found himself more than three seconds behind Button after the Briton had stopped on lap 17 and taken on his scheduled fuel load.
He quickly whittled away Button’s advantage and closed onto his gearbox by lap 24, but let slip a half-chance to pass – when Button missed the apex of the final corner – and thereafter was unable to break through the wall of turbulent air thrown up by the leading car.By lap 29 Vettel was back into the pits, and surprisingly his crew left him on a three-stop strategy rather than switching him back to a two-stopper to cover the challenge from third-placed team-mate Webber.
Any threat Button faced from either Red Bull had well and truly receded, and his task was simply to maintain his concentration and reel off the remaining laps to yet another copybook victory.The main focus of interest now switched to the intra-team battle for second places between the Red Bull team-mates.
In his third stint Vettel was unable to reproduce the pace he had shown while chasing down Button earlier, giving Webber the upper hand as the race drew towards a close.Vettel emerged from his final stop well behind the sister RB5, but – frustrated by the afternoon’s events – was in no mood to settle for third without a fight.
Lapping quickly on the soft tyres, he caught Webber quickly and closed to within striking distance before the team called off the duel and instructed both drivers to turn down their engines.“Mark is faster, save your car,” was the somewhat provocative edict that came over Vettel’s pit-to-car radio – a statement not obviously borne out by the evidence of the preceding few laps.
Vettel’s uncharacteristically downbeat demeanour in parc ferme and on the podium suggested he was far from satisfied by the disappointing return from a race that had promised so much.The 21-year-old had put paid to his victory chances with his self-confessed error on the opening lap, but in truth the Red Bull wasn’t fast enough to win anyway.
As Button confidently stated afterwards, Brawn had once again shown a clear pair of heels to the opposition and appears, if anything, to have increased its car advantage – a daunting thought for the other nine teams.A largely processional race was enlivened periodically by a few scraps further down the field but, as far as the points-paying positions were concerned, it was all a bit flat.
Jarno Trulli and Nico Rosberg waged a long duel for fourth place that was decided by pit strategy, the Toyota driver dropping behind his Williams rival due to an earlier first stop but turning the tables the next time they were serviced.
Trulli’s performance confirmed Toyota’s return to form after its nightmare Monaco weekend, while fifth for Rosberg was his and Williams’s best result of the season so far.
Team-mate Kazuki Nakajima was unlucky not to score as well, losing a lot of time with a problem at his final pit stop and dropping to an eventual 12th.Ferrari had a surprisingly mediocre race after making so much progress in recent weeks.Felipe Massa, who virtually had the title deeds to Istanbul Park after three successive wins there, could only manage a low-key sixth place on this occasion.Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen fell from sixth to ninth on the opening lap, damaged his front wing in contact with Fernando Alonso’s Renault, and finished outside the points in ninth.
Robert Kubica finally got his name onto the 2009 points board with a solid seventh for BMW Sauber, while Timo Glock used a long first stint to good effect to haul himself from 13th on the grid to eighth for Toyota.Barrichello's race went from bad to worse as he tangled with several other cars, his recovery drive fizzled out amid heavy traffic and he ultimately registered Brawn's first retirement of the season.
Turkish Grand Prix result - 58 laps
1. BUTTON Brawn
2. WEBBER Red Bull +6.7s
3. VETTEL Red Bull +7.4s
4. TRULLI Toyota +27.8s
5. ROSBERG Williams +31.5s
6. MASSA Ferrari +39.9s
7. KUBICA BMW +46.2s
8. GLOCK Toyota +46.9s
9. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +50.2s
10. ALONSO Renault +62.4s
11. HEIDFELD BMW +64.3s
12. NAKAJIMA Williams +66.3s
13. HAMILTON McLaren +80.4s
14. KOVALAINEN McLaren +1 lap
15. BUEMI Toro Rosso +1 lap
16. PIQUET Renault +1 lap
17. SUTIL Force India +1 lap
18. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +1 lap
R. BARRICHELLO Brawn +11 laps
R. FISICHELLA Force India +54 laps
Fastest lap: BUTTON 1m27.579s (lap 40)
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 17:00 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button strolls to Istanbul win
The Turkish Grand Prix
Round seven of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, takes place at Istanbul Park this weekend. The 5.338km track, one of only two anti-clockwise laps on this year's calendar, is both technically challenging and physically demanding.
"Istanbul Park is quite a challenging circuit as it is one of very few tracks which runs anti-clockwise, just like my home circuit of Interlagos in Sao Paulo", comments Rubens Barrichello. "It's tough driving an anti-clockwise track as the muscles on that side of your neck aren't used as much throughout the year so we do some extra training to prepare as some of the quickest corners are also left-handers".
Jenson Button is looking forward to the event. "I really enjoy driving the circuit and have been quite competitive there. We've seen some excellent racing with good overtaking opportunities at turns one and three. You can also pass down the hill into turn nine and at turns twelve and thirteen if you brake late enough. Turn eight is the corner that everyone talks about and it's probably the longest corner that I've ever driven. It's quite high G-force, up to 5G for seven seconds, which puts a lot of stress on your neck. You have to be as smooth as possible through the triple apex and if you get it right and take it flat, then it is one of those corners where you exit with a huge smile having made up a lot of time."
The team will introduce new parts for the Turkey race. Ross Brawn commented; "Development work on the BGP 001 car has continued apace at the factory and we will be bringing a new front wing along with some aerodynamic updates and new rear suspension elements. Istanbul Park is a thoroughly modern race track which presents an interesting engineering challenge to get the best out of the car through the high-speed sections and the slower turns at the end of the lap".
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 16:49 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: The Turkish Grand Prix
Monday, 1 June 2009
Istanbul form
Can anyone stop Jenson Button in Turkey? And even if they can, will it make the slightest bit of difference to the Brawn driver's seemingly irresistible path to a fairytale title for his 'new' team?
On paper, Button's five out of six record makes him an overwhelming favourite for Istanbul, but Brawn's nearest rival Red Bull promises to be much more competitive in Turkey, and Ferrari cannot be ruled out either.
ITV.com/F1 assesses the form of all 20 drivers as they prepare to resume battle in Turkey.
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) - McLaren
Championship position: 9th, 9 points
If, as seems entirely possible, Monaco was Hamilton's only chance to fight at the front in 2009, how he will kick himself for the error at Mirabeau early in Q1 that wrote off his entire weekend. With Istanbul quite reminiscent of Catalunya, where McLaren had a miserable time, then even a points finish might be too much to ask.
Last five race results: 12th / 9th / 4th / 6th / 7th
(most recent first)
2. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) - McLaren
Championship position: 13th, 4 points
Kovalainen could have at least salvaged a few points from McLaren's desperately disappointing Monaco weekend, but instead he added to the tale of woe by crashing out. Last year Istanbul saw one of his finest performances yet, as he bounced back from his vicious Catalunya accident to fight for pole and then charge back through the field after a first corner puncture. He won't be near the front this year, but a similarly swashbuckling drive wouldn't go amiss.
Last five race results: R / R / 12th / 5th / R
3. Felipe Massa (BR) - Ferrari
Championship position: 10th, 8 points
Massa had some typically over-excitable moments in Monaco - spinning into the barriers before he had really got going in Q1, and then making a mess of his chance to pass Vettel early on. But his excess of urgency could be forgiven on this occasion, because Ferrari had finally given its driver a front-running car again and he was eager to make the most of it. A fourth straight Turkey win will be a tall order, but such is his speed around Istanbul Park that it can't be ruled out.
Last five race results: 4th / 6th / 14th / R / 9th
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) - Ferrari
Championship position: 8th, 9 points
It was delivered with a characteristic lack of fanfare, but Raikkonen's third place in Monaco was a massive breakthrough. He beat team-mate Massa (who had made much better use of the improved Ferrari in Spain), and could have beaten at least one Brawn had strategies worked out slightly differently. Can he sustain that form and start doing his awesome talent justice again?
Last five race results: 3rd / R / 6th / 10th / 14th
5. Robert Kubica (POL) - BMW Sauber
Championship position: 19th place, 0 points
In the spirit of cost cutting, BMW probably should have saved the expense of travelling to Monaco and trundling around at the back all weekend. With a massive engine failure in practice, an early puncture and then brake problems in the race, Kubica's weekend was particularly dismal. A step forward is promised for Turkey when the double diffuser arrives, but wasn't Catalunya supposed to mark the beginning of a fightback too?
Last five race results: R / 11th / 18th / 13th / R
6. Nick Heidfeld (D) - BMW Sauber
Championship position: 12th place, 6 points
Another typical weekend in the life of Nick Heidfeld in Monaco - the BMW is slow, he quietly gets the most out of it and finishes in a forgettable position (11th) that is probably a much bigger achievement than it looks given his equipment. The team knows Heidfeld is doing his best though - when German press rumours suggested Heidfeld would be dropped for 2010, Mario Theissen was quick to insist that the drivers are the last thing BMW can complain about at present.
Last five race results: 11th / 7th / 19th / 12th / 2nd
7. Fernando Alonso (E) - Renault
Championship position: 7th place, 11 points
Seventh place was nothing for a double Monaco winner to get too enthused about, but Alonso's string of points finishes is significant, for last year excessive aggression and needless errors meant he took little from the team's worst races, whereas in 2009 at least he is still scoring during the dark days. But can the team deliver another late-season cavalry charge as it did in 2008, or is this what Alonso should expect all year?
Last five race results: 7th / 5th / 8th / 9th / 11th
8. Nelson Piquet Jr (BR) - Renault
Championship position: 18th place, 0 points
Piquet reckoned he was on for a few points by the time his strategy had played out in Monaco. But he never got to find out, because Buemi propelled him into the barriers while he was still getting into his stride. So all he could be judged on was qualifying, where he did a reasonable job to take 12th but still trailed Alonso.
Last five race results: R / 12th / 10th / 16th / 13th
9. Jarno Trulli (I) - Toyota
Championship position: 5th place, 14.5 points
It says a lot for Trulli and Toyota's strong start to 2009 that the Italian is still clinging on to fifth in the championship despite failing to score for two races now and having a dreadful time in Monaco, where the team was slower even than the BMWs. But he won't stay up there long unless Toyota can rapidly turn things around, for right now it looks like a team that has been emphatically leapfrogged by those it embarrassed in the early rounds.
Last five race results: 13th / R / 3rd / R / 4th
10. Timo Glock (D) - Toyota
Championship position: 6th place, 12 points
The one positive about Toyota's awful Monaco weekend was that Glock managed to come through from last to 10th in a car that had been pretty much the slowest thing in the place all weekend. That drive was one of the unsung achievements of the race, for although Glock was helped by a good strategy, he executed the plan to perfection even with an enormous fuel load crammed into the tank.
Last five race results: 10th / 10th / 7th / 7th / 3rd
11. Sebastien Bourdais (F) - Toro Rosso
Championship position: 15th place, 2 points
Typically Bourdais tempered his pleasure at finishing eighth in Monaco with a reminder that his F1 ambitions stretched far beyond single points so his delight could only be limited. In the context of 2009 so far, though, it was a fine drive and a great achievement, and one which team boss Franz Tost hopes can catalyse an upswing for the Frenchman who has still to consistently impress in F1.
Last five race results: 8th / R / 13th / 11th / 10th
12. Sebastien Buemi (CH) - Toro Rosso
Championship position: 14th place, 3 points
Buemi's assault on Piquet vied with Nakajima's penultimate lap accident for the honour of being the daftest crash of this year's Monaco GP. Which was a shame, as until that point Buemi had performed very well in his first F1 street race, qualifying an impressive 11th. Given that his team-mate Bourdais scored, the potential was there for Buemi to do likewise had he kept his nose clean.
Last five race results: R / R / 17th / 8th / 16th
14. Mark Webber (AUS) - Red Bull
Championship position: 4th place, 19.5 points
Webber is still punching in the results even if Red Bull looks less like a Brawn-beater at present than it did a few races ago. The Australian is also getting the job done rather more efficiently than his highly-touted team-mate Vettel at the moment. But if Ferrari has grabbed Red Bull's 'best of the rest' spot, will Webber now be fighting for top five finishes rather than podiums?
Last five race results: 5th / 3rd / 11th / 2nd / 6th
15. Sebastian Vettel (D) - Red Bull
Championship position: 3rd place, 23 points
Now a massive 28 points behind Button, Vettel needs to quickly turn things around and start delivering if his title challenge is to prove more than a flash in the pan. Monaco was a mess - his aggressive strategy was stymied when he was blocked in qualifying and burned through his soft tyres too quickly, and then could not even salvage a few points after dumping his car in the barriers. Vettel and Red Bull still have the pace to attack Button, but are squandering too many chances.
Last five race results: R / 4th / 2nd / 1st / 15th
16. Nico Rosberg (D) - Williams
Championship position: 11th place, 7.5 points
Williams and Rosberg are starting to put in more consistent results - the trouble is all the finishes are about three places down on what they would have been had Rosberg delivered a few races ago, when the car was still among the benchmarks. The team has not been left behind - far from it - but this now looks like a respectable season rather than a major resurgence.
Last five race results: 6th / 8th / 9th / 15th / 8th
17. Kazuki Nakajima (J) - Williams
Championship position: 20th place, 0 points
Monaco was a great place for Nakajima to deliver his first Q3 run of the season, as he reminded everyone that he has a lot more ability than is often apparent during his anonymous midfield runs. So it was unfortunate that he failed to translate that form into strong race pace, and that his day came to such a clumsy end with a crash just a lap and a half from home.
Last five race results: 15th / 13th / R / R / 12th
20. Adrian Sutil (D) - Force India
Championship position: 17th place, 0 points
No Monaco sensation from Sutil this year, although along with team-mate Fisichella he did a good job to get Force India into Q2 with two cars for the first time. An unsuccessful strategy and huge tyre wear then spoiled his race early on, and barring a few more wet races, that could have been Sutil's last chance to shine for a while.
Last five race results: 14th / R / 16th / 17th / 17th
21. Giancarlo Fisichella (I) - Force India
Championship position: 16th place, 0 points
It could so easily have been Fisichella rather than Bourdais who took the sole available 'underdog point' behind the big guns in Monaco - and had he done so you can be certain it would have been greeted ecstatically by the team. It also would have been richly deserved, for Fisichella was at the top of his game all weekend on the streets. It will probably be back to the back in Turkey, though.
Last five race results: 9th / 15th / 14th / 18th
22. Jenson Button (GB) - Brawn GP
Championship position: 1st place, 51 points
He turns up, he struggles a bit in practice, talks pessimistically about his prospects, then nails the set-up and a perfect lap just when it counts in qualifying and goes on to snatch the glory from his rivals again in the race. That's how pretty much every weekend unfolds for Button at the moment, as he continues to pull away in the championship not because of a massive car advantage, but because he is maximising his chances so much better than his rivals.
Last five race results: 1st / 1st / 1st / 3rd / 1st
23. Rubens Barrichello (BR) - Brawn GP
Championship position: 2nd place, 35 points
Barrichello will start beating Button at some point this year, but the chances are by then there will be an uncatchable gap between them in the championship. The results are deceptive, because there is very little to choose between the Brawn duo on raw pace. The difference is that Button relentlessly gets the job done, whereas little things - high tyre wear, discomfort with brake set-up or slightly less than perfect qualifying laps - keep costing Barrichello crucial seconds, and therefore poles and victories.
Last five race results: 2nd / 2nd / 5th / 4th / 5th
ITV.com/F1's top tips for Turkey
Winner: Massa
At some point the itv.com/f1 form card will bow to the inevitable and tip Button for victory, but for Turkey the choice is Massa given his amazing form at the track and Ferrari's clear progress.
Star performer: Hamilton
It wouldn't be the first time that Hamilton made up for a big disappointment with a heroic performance next time around, although a strong top five would be his limit in McLaren's current situation.
Disappointment: BMW
The update package could be too little, too late, given how bad things got for BMW in Monaco, and how little effect the previous development effort seemed to have.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 19:14 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Istanbul form
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Brawn to make Button offer
Brawn is ready to rewrite Jenson Button's three-year contract in a bid to see off attempts by rival teams to lure him away, this week's AUTOSPORT magazine reveals.
Button agreed to a substantial pay-cut, to continue with the team this year after signing a new contract with Honda worth in the region of £8 million a season shortly before the marque decided to quit Formula 1 last year.Although he is committed to Brawn until the end of the 2011 season, team bosses are concerned that a big-money offer from a rival team could encourage the world championship leader to activate exit options that are in his contract.
Team CEO Nick Fry admitted that discussions will be opened up with Button later in the season with a view to offering a pay packet that rewards his status as world championship leader.
"He took voluntary a major reduction but he does have a contract for several years to come and we will discussing at some stage later this year what we do to make sure he is rewarded fairly," Fry told AUTOSPORT. "But it is not something we are discussing at the moment."These contracts are quite complicated but it is not something that is vexing us at the moment. He has done a great job and later in the year he will win more races and have a discussion."
How much the team is able to pay Button could depend on what commercial deals it is able to put together. But Fry is confident that the team has the resources not only to keep Button, but also to keep developing the Brawn BGP 001 that has won five out of six races this year.
"There is no issue whatsoever with funding through this year. Even if we didn't get another penny in sponsorship we are able to do what we need to do."We are using our money wisely, and that means spending money on the performance of the car and, for example, the whole team including Ross and I flying Easyjet."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:50 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn to make Button offer
Saturday, 30 May 2009
The Turkish Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes
The historic Monaco Grand Prix is a tough act to follow, but it’s clear that Istanbul Park, which will host next weekend’s Turkish race, is more than up to the challenge. State of the art, and featuring one of the most challenging corners on the calendar, the already legendary Turn Eight, it’s no wonder the drivers can’t wait to get started...
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 2nd
“I love racing in Turkey: it’s a real challenge because you need to attack the lap to get a good time, but you also need to be careful with your tyres - if you push too much, particularly through Turn Eight, then your tyres are going to suffer. It’s all about finding the perfect balance in practice and being disciplined in the race so you don’t overdo it. I also love the fact that it’s a new circuit that has really captured the flavour of some of the older, classic tracks - it’s got a bit of everything and is fantastic to drive. Also, as it’s anti-clockwise, it gives your neck a bit of a workout - but you just need to make sure you’ve exercised the left side of your neck a little more than usual before getting in the car.”
Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 2nd, 2008 Race - 12th
“Turkey is all about Turn Eight - the high-speed, four-apex left-hander. On a good day in qualifying, it’s flat-out - and that’s a pretty good feeling when you get it right. It’s also very important to look after your tyres through Turn Eight - you put a lot of load through the tyres, particularly the fronts, so it’s a good idea to look after them during the race. The best place to overtake here is into Turn 12, the corner at the end of the back straight. You can get a good tow and slipstream past - with KERS we should hopefully see some exciting racing.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“The Istanbul Park circuit is one of the most challenging modern circuits - for both teams and drivers. Firstly, it’s a real set-up challenge - you need to find a handling balance between the high-speed corners, the slower, infield section and the long straights. In addition, tyre-wear - particularly to the heavily loaded front-right through Turn Eight - is a crucial factor in determining overall strategy. For the drivers, a combination of multi-apex and blind corners adds to the challenge. We go to Turkey in the knowledge that the track characteristics are a bit less likely to suit our package than Monaco, but we are improving all the time, have several minor upgrades for MP4-24 and look forward to assessing our competitiveness against our rivals.”
Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President
“The layout of the circuit is challenging and, in Turn Eight, comprises the longest and fastest corner on the calendar as well as very slow corners where good braking stability and good traction are needed. KERS should again be a good support to improve our lap times, but nevertheless the Turkish Grand Prix will be a demanding challenge for us.”
Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 9th, 2008 Race - 5th
“I hope our dismal performance in Monaco proves to be a glitch and that it was down to that particular circuit being unsuitable for our car. After all, there were signs of a forward trend at the previous race in Spain, and the next update is ready for Istanbul - also including a double diffuser.
"The Istanbul circuit has some extremely good sections, particularly Turn Eight, of course, which is quite a challenge - very long, fast and with several apexes. For the long straight with the right-hand kink you need a good top speed. It’s a vast city, very international and fascinating.
"I’ll be there on Wednesday already for an event with our partner Intel. I’m staying at a hotel on the European side again and will take a motor scooter to carve my way through the congestion over the bridge to Asia.”
Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 4th
“The track in Istanbul is totally different to Monaco. It is a very modern race track with a couple of high-speed corners. The most famous high-speed corner there is the left-hander Turn Eight. Of course, we hope to perform better in Istanbul than in Monaco.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
“Ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix our results are quite sobering. Nobody in the team expected the season to pan out as it has so far. After taking a forward step in Spain, we were clearly off the pace in Monaco. To regain our competitiveness we will have to ramp up our development speed significantly. In Istanbul we will have the next step of our development ready and will be using a multistage diffuser for the first time. After three successful years, this phase is our first setback. We can deal with it. After all, it was the same team in Munich and Hinwil that ensured our progressive advancement since the BMW Sauber F1 Team was founded. We are all determined to get ourselves back among the front runners again.”
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
“We’ll be lining up in Turkey with a new development package, which also features a double diffuser. Since the F1.09 concept was not designed for this, we had to make a number of aerodynamic adjustments. There are modifications to the front wings, side bargeboards, rim shields and the rear part of the engine cover. We expect this to take us a step forward, although we know that our rivals are not standing still. After the race in Monte Carlo we also had an in-depth look at the tyre problems. For the race in Turkey, Bridgestone is providing the soft and hard compounds, which are hugely different. The harder of the two compounds in particular will pose a challenge for the engineers. The Istanbul Park circuit is run in an anti-clockwise direction and it’s as varied as it gets. It has slow sections where good traction is crucial, but there are also fast parts such as the spectacular Turn Eight with its four sections, which has to be taken in a single line at around 250 km/h. Overall, the track makes stringent demands on the car’s balance. After the disappointing outcome in Monte Carlo, we hope to come away with a positive result here.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 20:57 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: The Turkish Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Brawn Newsletter
After achieving pole position on Saturday, Jenson led the race from the front to secure his fifth win of the 2009 Formula One season with team-mate Rubens Barrichello taking second place for the team's third one-two finish of the year.
Rubens made an excellent start from third on the grid to take second place from Kimi Raikkonen before the first corner. "I had a really good start on the option tyre and was able to get ahead of Kimi before the first corner which put me in a great position to challenge Jenson" said Rubens.
Both starting on the softer option tyre, Jenson and Rubens drove composed two-stop strategies, using the prime tyre for their second and third stints. "Rubens had a great start to get ahead of Raikkonen and was showing excellent pace before his first set of rear tyres began to grain heavily as a result of following Jenson so closely" confirmed Ross Brawn regarding the first stint of the race.
Rubens put up a strong fight to hold off the Ferrari of Raikkonen and maintain his second position whilst Jenson took the chequered flag at the end of the 78-lap race for his first victory around the streets of Monte Carlo, a dream come true for the British driver. "Wow! Winning the Monaco Grand Prix is something that you dream about as a child and as a racing driver and the reality of taking that victory just feels awesome. With Rubens taking a superb second place, a one-two finish for the Brawn-Mercedes team in Monaco is fantastic. The race felt like it went on forever and you feel that the barriers are getting closer and closer as the end of the race approaches. But for the last couple of laps, I was able to relax and really enjoy the moment. It's been an unbelievable day, capped with my impromptu sprint down the pit straight to the podium. I can tell you it's a very long way but it was amazing to get such a fantastic reception from the crowd and I hope the fans enjoyed what was a great race for the team. The car felt good today but we didn't have the best of starts to the weekend so it makes this victory even more of an achievement. For the team, for Mercedes-Benz and for my family who were here in Monaco watching the race this weekend, today has to be the high-point of what has been an exceptional season."
After six rounds of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, Brawn GP leads the Constructors' Championship with 86 points with Jenson leading the Drivers' Championship with 51 points and Rubens in second place with 35 points.
"Fantastic drives from Jenson and Rubens, outstanding pit stops from the team and the performance of our Mercedes-Benz engine secured an amazing one-two victory for Brawn GP here in Monaco" declared Ross Brawn. "The Monaco Grand Prix is an incredibly special race and to win here means so much to everyone here at the track, at the factory in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth. Special congratulations to Mercedes-Benz for supplying an engine that has now won three Grands Prix, a modern day record in Formula One."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 18:49 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn Newsletter
Brawn budget secure for 2009
Brawn GP CEO Nick Fry says the championship-leading team has no worries over its budget for the remainder of 2009, insisting it will be able to continue to develop its car as it wants to even if it didn’t secure another sponsorship deal.
After Ross Brawn’s management buyout saved the Brackley-based squad from closure over the winter following Honda’s sudden withdrawal from Formula 1, the new team owner admitted its current financial arrangement was a “medium-term solution” and it needed to find sponsors going forwards. A high-profile tie-up with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group was subsequently sealed on the eve of new season in Melbourne, while the team has also announced several other smaller deals.
But while yet to secure a title sponsor or other major brands, Fry has confirmed that the team already has the budget it needs to keep developing the pacesetting BGP 001, and start work on the 2010 model, right through the season as it bids to claim the world titles.
“There is no issue whatsoever with funding through this year,” he said in Monaco.“Even if we didn’t get another penny in sponsorship we’d be able to do what we need to do.“We are using our money wisely and that means spending it on the performance of the car and the whole team, including Ross and I, going EasyJet – that’s how it should be, that’s what you do in constrained economic environments.“But as far as development of the car goes we are in good shape.”
Brawn’s remarkable run of success in the opening third of the season has, according to Fry, naturally helped its attempts to entice new sponsors on board.Indeed while revealing it has received a number of offers already, Fry says the team is in a position where it can afford to cherry pick the deals which offer the best long-term benefits.
“The beauty in our situation is that we don’t need to take the first deal that comes along; indeed we haven’t taken the first deal that comes along because we don’t need to,” he revealed.“We want to do what’s right for three years and even five years out, and that’s what we are trying to do at the moment.
“If we can do that it will be wonderful for us because then we can get on with the racing and be working with partners that will be developing their brands alongside and we maybe relax at least on one front.”He added: “What we are trying to do is get the best business proposition and that means hanging on a little bit and 1-2s at Monaco don’t harm the situation.”
While Virgin logos have been the major sponsor presence on the team’s car and Branson has attended several races so far in 2009, the tie-up has yet to progress to the “ two-stage deal” envisaged when it was announced in Australia.Reports in the British press ahead of last weekend’s Monte Carlo race suggested rival teams had also been courting Virgin, with Brawn and Branson having yet reached agreement on a longer-term deal.
Asked about the latest state of its sponsorship search, Fry said talks with both Virgin and other potential sponsors remained ongoing.
“We are very close to several commercial agreements,” the team CEO said.“I am sure other teams are interested in Virgin and I would expect them to look with others.“But we are continuing discussions with Virgin and we are talking to many others as well.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:40 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn budget secure for 2009
Monday, 25 May 2009
No title talk, says Button
Jenson Button has denied that the world championship is 'his to lose' after his stunning start to the 2009 season.
No driver has ever lost the title having won five of the opening six rounds, but Button said it was far too early to start thinking that the championship was in the bag."I don't know how you can say that after six races," he said."You are sort of putting a bit of negative energy in there and saying it is mine to lose."I wouldn't put it like that."I am 16 points in the lead and I have more of an advantage than others to win the championship, but it is all to play for."I am doing the best I can and at the moment that is good enough."
He said he was enjoying every moment of his ultra-successful year rather than letting thoughts of the championship and what other drivers had achieved after such strong starts to seasons fill his head."Facts obviously don't excite me too much, especially after the last couple of years that I've had, but winning does and winning here is very special," said Button."I'm not thinking about the last few races, it's this race I'm feeling at the moment.
"If you stop asking me the same questions over and over again about winning the world championship I might be able to concentrate on the next race."I'm taking it as it comes. Nothing's changed."I don't know what would change if I did think about the world championship, to be fair."But I'm enjoying myself, as you can imagine and I'm just looking forward to the next weekend in Turkey."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 20:19 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: No title talk, says Button
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Button run after Monaco win
Jenson Button tightened his vice-like grip on the 2009 world championship with a dominant first Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday, leading team-mate Rubens Barrichello home in another Brawn 1-2.
In winning five of the season's first six races the 29-year-old matched the records of Jackie Stewart (in 1969), Nigel Mansell (in 1992) and Michael Schumacher (in 2002 and 2004) – a doubly remarkable feat given the Brawn team’s troubled winter.
Button was shadowed by Barrichello in the early laps but snuffed out the Brazilian’s challenge through superior management of the super-soft tyres as the rubber dropped off dramatically for several drivers in the first stint.As Barrichello fell back on the worn rubber, Button pulled out a big cushion and thereafter controlled the race expertly from the front to increase his championship lead over the Brazilian to 16 points.
Ferrari enjoyed by far its best race of 2009 so far, with Kimi Raikkonen taking third and Felipe Massa chasing him across the finish line in fourth.
Red Bull's Mark Webber finished just behind Massa after making good use of a long opening stint to leapfrog the Williams of Nico Rosberg, although the team will no doubt be disappointed with its weekend especially after Sebastian Vettel crashed out early on.Brawn's third 1-2 result of the season was virtually sealed at the start.
Both of its drivers made inch-perfect getaways, Button easily converting pole into the lead and Barrichello, for the second successive race, hooking things up brilliantly at the lights and outdragging Raikkonen down to Ste Devote.
Otherwise, while the usual jockeying took place on the short run down to the first corner, the grid order remained relatively stable and all 20 cars expertly navigated their way through the tight right-hander and up the hill.This wasn’t exactly the scenario Lewis Hamilton had been eyeing to make big progress from the back of the grid, the Briton and his McLaren team having decided to keep an aggressive fuel strategy rather than brim his MP4-24 up with fuel and play the often beneficial long Monaco waiting game.
While the current world champion making no progress from 19th (Timo Glock perhaps more wisely having opted to start from the pit lane), the man who currently looks most likely to succeed him, Button set about opening a first stint lead.With both Brawns starting on the grippier super-soft tyres, they pulled steadily away from Raikkonen who had started on the slower, but more durable, harder compound.
Barrichello initially kept his championship leading team-mate firmly in sight, meaning Button’s lead was just 1.7s after six laps.However, the Brazilian was soon to suffer the same fate that was quickly developing on fourth-placed man Vettel’s similarly super-soft tyred Red Bull.
Despite starting with the lightest fuel load of any of the top 10 runners, the German’s rear tyres quickly went off and he dropped over 10 seconds off the front three.His struggles became so severe that eight cars stacked up behind him as he toured around the twisty streets up to 3s off the pace, with Massa and Rosberg heading an increasingly frustrated queue of drivers.
Having made one failed move on Vettel at the harbourside chicane on the previous lap, Massa tried again on lap seven but the RBR driver positioned his car perfectly under braking and the Ferrari overshot the braking zone and straight-lined the corner.Knowing he had to give the position back to Vettel, Massa slowed on the short straight towards Tabac – but misjudged the speed and only succeed in allowing Rosberg to muscle through too.
However, both Rosberg and Massa would finally be released from behind the increasingly slow Red Bull just two laps later when Vettel’s rear tyres totally gave up the ghost and he lost all grip.
After being powerless to prevent his two rivals and team-mate Mark Webber through, he headed for the sanctuary of the pit lane to take on the harder tyres. Yet Vettel’s increasingly miserable afternoon ended soon afterwards when he slammed into the tyre barrier at Ste Devote. While all this was going on, Barrichello was now experiencing the same problems and started to fall behind Button at an increasingly fast rate of knots – allowing Raikkonen to close onto his gearbox.
Logical wisdom dictated that Button should be suffering the same fate given as he was on the same tyres yet the Briton was in total control of the situation and continued to lap some 1.5s faster than Barrichello.
Raikkonen, now climbing all over the back of the second-placed Brawn, was the first of the leading runners to stop on lap 14 to take on another set of harder tyres.Brawn then covered this on the very next lap by bringing Barrichello’s fuel stop forwards so he could finally switch to the same tyres as Raikkonen and not lose crucial track position.
Button then followed a lap later on lap 16 having opened up a 15s advantage over Barrichello, rejoining the track behind Rosberg and just ahead of Massa who had been homing in on the Barrichello/Raikkonen squabble after finally disposing of Vettel.Indeed the Williams and Ferrari had been lapping around a second faster than Button prior to the Briton’s stop, with the pair now the quickest on the circuit.However, while Rosberg was initially the man banging in the benchmark times, he would lose fourth to his Ferrari rival as a result of taking on more fuel at his lap 17 stop (in a bid to minimise the time spent on the super-softs in the final stint) and Massa staying out two laps longer.
So with the front runners first of two stops for the day out of the way, the long middle phase of the race settled into a more predictable pattern – although there were several intriguing cat and mouse games to keep drivers’ full attention on the tortuous wall-lined streets.
The first was between Button and Barrichello, as although the race leader had by this stage opened up a 16s advantage his team-mate, initially at least, Barrichello attempted to try and exert some distant pressure, getting the gap down to under 14s early in the stint.
But in truth Button was simply controlling the gap and as the laps wore on, his advantage stabilised and then even steadily increased back up again as he wound up for his final stop.Barrichello was in turn keeping a healthy distance ahead of the two Ferraris now they were all on the same rubber, with Massa in particular continuing to look racy behind Raikkonen.
Indeed the Brazilian was pushing so hard that his race engineer Rob Smedley had to tell him to on two occasions over the radio that the team had received two warnings from race control about him taking too much kerb at the chicane and turn 15.Another man showing good pace was Webber, the Australian having moved up to fifth through the pit stop phase after staying out longer than both Rosberg and McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen.
With passing the Ferraris on track going to be a tall order, the Red Bull driver’s only hope of improving his position was likely to come in the final stint when all three switched to the tricky super-softs.However, with far more grip down on the track than in the early laps, the ‘option’ tyres held on for longer and all three managed to hold on for the final laps.
In the end Button cruised to a brilliant victory 7.6s ahead of Barrichello, the Brazilian picking up the fourth Monaco runners-up trophy of his career.Behind the top five, Rosberg couldn’t maintain his pace from the early laps during his long middle stint and eventually claimed a solid three points for Williams.
Fernando Alonso had a lonely drive to seventh in the Renault, the Spaniard’s car not having the pace to challenge for a higher position.The final point went to Toro Rosso’s under-pressure driver Sebastien Bourdais, the Frenchman narrowly beating Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella after both made great progress on a one-stop strategy.
Toyota and BMW’s miserable weekends ended with the inevitable no-score, as did Hamilton’s who eventually wound up 12th.Having made up little ground early on, the Briton struggled with understeer throughout the race after damaging his front wing after tagging Nick Heidfeld’s BMW at Ste Devote early on. McLaren would have scored some points with Kovalainen, but the Finn clouted the barriers after dropping his MP4-24 on the exit of the Swimming Pool.
Monaco Grand Prix result - 78 laps
1. BUTTON Brawn
2. BARRICHELLO Brawn +7.6s
3. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +13.4s
4. MASSA Ferrari +15.1s
5. WEBBER Red Bull +15.7s
6. ROSBERG Williams +33.5s
7. ALONSO Renault +37.8s
8. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +63.1s
9. FISICHELLA Force India +65.0s
10. GLOCK Toyota +1 lap
11. HEIDFELD BMW +1 lap
12. HAMILTON McLaren +1 lap
13. TRULLI Toyota +1 lap
14. SUTIL Force India +1 lap
15. NAKAJIMA Williams +2 laps
16. KOVALAINEN McLaren +27 laps
17. KUBICA BMW +50 laps
18. VETTEL Red Bull +63 laps
19. PIQUET Renault +68 laps
20. BUEMI Toro Rosso +68 laps
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 18:04 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button run after Monaco win
Brawn continue support for Stevens
The Brawn GP team have confirmed that they will continue to support up-and-coming British driver Will Stevens on a long-term driver development programme.
The association continues Stevens’ previous relationship with Honda and will provide the platform for him to develop the level of performance that is required to potentially become part of Brawn’s Formula One programme in the future.Stevens, 17, is widely regarded as one of Britain's top rising young motorsport stars. Following a prodigious karting career, he is now competing in the Formula Renault UK Championship with Fortec Motorsport in his rookie year in single-seater car racing.Nick Fry, Brawn GP’s CEO, commented: "We are very pleased to be continuing our support of Will's motorsport career and extending the relationship that he has had with the team since 2008. We look forward to working with Will and will be keeping a close eye on his developing motorsport career."
Commenting on Thursday’s announcement, Stevens said: "I am extremely proud to be part of the Brawn GP team. What the team has achieved so far this season is incredible and the future looks very exciting."To have the opportunity to be a part of the team is amazing. I would like to thank Ross, Nick and Ron Meadows for their continued support and commitment to my future and I intend to ensure that their belief in me is rewarded."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 12:47 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn continue support for Stevens
Brawn: Button Schumacher
Ross Brawn has taken his hat off to the Michael Schumacher-type qualities that have helped Jenson Button emerge as the dominant force in Formula 1 this year.With Button taking a brilliant last-gasp pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, Brawn says that although the world championship leader has a different personality to Schumacher, they are showing remarkable similarities in their approach to the job in hand."I worked with Michael for 15 years and this is only my second year with Jenson, so it is very difficult to make comparisons," said Brawn."They are different types of character, but both are obviously highly talented. And I think this opportunity that Jenson has got has made him focus very hard on what is happening, what it is and why it is happening - so he is similar [to Michael] in that respect."
Brawn acknowledges that Button has upped his work ethic this year – with the Briton claiming earlier this weekend that success has turned him into a 'boring bastard'."Any competitive sportsperson, if he gets an opportunity, focuses on that opportunity," explained Brawn. "Of course it is like all of us – when you are at the sharp end and thinking about things, then it is in your thoughts all the time.
"Probably last year to be honest he was glad to forget about it, whereas this year he is enjoying thinking about it. I think both drivers do spend a lot of time discussing things with their engineers away from the track, so it is nice to hear – but it doesn't surprise me because last year he would be glad to forget what is going on. This year is different."
Brawn admitted he thought his team had lost the chance of pole position in the closing stages of qualifying – but that Button once again shocked him with his late effort.When asked if Button kept surprising him, Brawn said: "He does in a way. He kind of portrays an air of not going to do it, and then he does it. That is the thing that keeps surprising me.
"He just keeps doing it, and up until final qualifying I thought maybe first/second row of the grid, but the car did not look bad in race spec, so we could have an interesting race."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:28 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn: Button Schumacher
Button takes Monaco pole
World championship leader Jenson Button put himself in the ideal position to extend his remarkable 2009 winning streak by taking an exquisitely judged, last-gasp pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix.The Brawn driver lurked beneath the radar in the first two knockout sessions and then pulled out all the stops on his crucial final Q3 lap to pip an on-form Kimi Raikkonen by a scant 0.025s.Brawn’s other driver Rubens Barrichello took third on the grid on his 37th birthday ahead of Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari.
After showing strongly throughout practice Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying challenge ended in tears when he crashed in the first knockout session, consigning him to 16th on the grid – a bitter disappointment for the world champion who felt he had a rare opportunity to contend for victory on the Principality’s streets.As ever in Monaco qualifying sessions – where more is at stake than at any other circuit given the difficulty of overtaking and the premium on grid positions – the action was frenetic from the outset and built up to a thrilling climax.
Button was second fastest in Q1 but only snuck through Q2 in eighth place and did not look like the strongest bet for pole.But as in Spain two weeks ago, the Brit methodically adjusted his car’s set-up through the hour, found its ‘sweet spot’ at exactly the right moment, and then delivered the goods with an on-the-limit but impeccably controlled final lap to knock Raikkonen off pole.
Kimi’s performance was a testament to Ferrari’s improved form and gives the Scuderia its first realistic shot at a race win this year.Barrichello and Vettel (who it transpired was carrying a very light fuel load) were respectively 0.175s and 0.369s off the pace in third and fourth, with Massa 0.435s adrift in fifth.
The Ferrari driver was fortunate to escape from Q1 after clattering the barrier in the Swimming Pool complex and damaging the nosecone of the F60.The Brazilian regained his composure but the incident perhaps broke his rhythm and took the edge off his pole challenge.
Nico Rosberg qualified sixth for Williams, his best grid position since round two in Malaysia, but looked like he might have done better still after topping Q1.
With Hamilton on the sidelines, Heikki Kovalainen was McLaren’s standard-bearer in seventh, while Mark Webber (Red Bull), Fernando Alonso (Renault) and Kazuki Nakajima (Williams) rounded out the top 10.
Hamilton’s quest to get into the pole battle for the first time this season was over halfway through Q1 when he deposited his McLaren in the Mirabeau tyre barrier.The world champion lost control as he strayed over the top of the crown in the road in the braking area for the downhill right-hander and smashed the rear corner of his MP4-24 against the tyre wall.Hamilton was unable to drag the damaged car back to the pits and therefore ruled himself out of the rest of the qualifying hour – the first Q1 exit of his F1 career.His demeanour as he despondently walked away from the car and later apologised to the team for his error spoke volumes about the golden opportunity he had squandered.
Both BMWs and both Toyotas completed a novel and high-profile cast of Q1 casualties, although given their wretched weekends to date it didn’t come as a great surprise.
Force India profited from their malaise to get both its cars into Q2, as did Toro Rosso.Rookie Sebastien Buemi again won the STR bragging rights, taking 11th with team-mate Sebastien Bourdais 14th, while Giancarlo Fisichella was an excellent 13th for Force India despite having one of his time annulled for short-cutting the chicane.
Monaco GP starting grid
1. BUTTON Brawn
2. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn
4. VETTEL Red Bull
5. MASSA Ferrari
6. ROSBERG Williams
7. KOVALAINEN McLaren
8. WEBBER Red Bull
9. ALONSO Renault
10. NAKAJIMA Williams
11. BUEMI Toro Rosso
12. PIQUET Renault
13. FISICHELLA Force India
14. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso
15. SUTIL Force India
16. HAMILTON McLaren
17. HEIDFELD BMW
18. KUBICA BMW
19. TRULLI Toyota
20. GLOCK Toyota
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:02 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button takes Monaco pole
Monday, 18 May 2009
Monaco GP preview
In a week when budget caps and how best to slash costs are causing all manner of political heartache in Formula 1, it is a little ironic that the championship is about to pitch up at its most ostentatious location: Monte Carlo.
A street race around a millionaires' paradise tax haven, along a harbourside lined with the super-yachts of the world's most wealthy, the Monaco Grand Prix is not just a tribute to excess - it's also arguably the most evocative and historic venue in all of motorsport.
Singapore demonstrated last year that modern street tracks could be a big hit, but it cannot compete with Monaco's incredible 80-year heritage.Apart from additional safety features, less dust and more advertising, many parts of the course still follow the same route as the Bugattis and Maseratis did in the inaugural race in 1929.
It doesn't matter that the race is inevitably processional, for it's the challenge of threading the cars between the barriers, coping with the constantly mutating grip levels on the treacherous public roads and the unique echo of the F1 V8s screaming off the harbour walls that makes Monaco a joy to watch even if wheel-to-wheel moments are rare in the extreme.The 2009 regulation changes will not do much to change the latter situation.
Aerodynamic turbulence is not the problem in Monaco - indeed with so many slow corners cars actually follow each other more closely here than anywhere else.
The reasons why overtaking is so scarce are purely because there isn't the space to get two cars comfortably side by side in many places, because the straights are too short to build momentum for a move, and because the track is so treacherous off the racing line.KERS might help a bit on the brief sprints between the final and first corners, and through the tunnel towards the chicane, but neither the 'boost button' nor an adjustable wing will overcome the sheer lack of space or the dirty surface.
Tyre performance variation will not be so big a factor either, for Bridgestone has decided to temporarily halt its policy of bringing two very different compounds to each race for Monaco only, instead providing the relatively similar super softs and softs.It will still be intriguing to see what difference this makes to the outcome, for tyre wear has contributed to some of Monaco's finest racing in recent years.
In 2002 David Coulthard did a masterful job to hold off a growing pack of challengers as his Michelins went through a graining phase that saw even the Minardis out-pacing the eventual winner for a while.But three years later, during the season when mid-race tyre changes were temporarily banned, the Renaults plunged down the order as their Michelins wilted, losing so much grip that even Monaco's narrow confines could not protect them from being overtaken.
Strategy is always tough to call in Monte Carlo, particularly in the current era of qualifying on race fuel.Until that system was introduced, most Monaco winners tended to make relatively late single stops.
On paper that tends to remain the fastest strategy for most, but pole position simply isn't going to happen if you're taking 40 or more laps of fuel into Q3.
The pole contenders therefore have to go light, and gamble on being able to pull away sufficiently before their first stop to ensure that they are not then stuck amongst the heavier cars - because these drivers are sure to be going much, much further before pitting, and will be almost impossible to overtake.With so many cars so closely matched on pace, those qualifying decisions will be tougher than ever.
Logically Monaco should see a continuation of Brawn and Red Bull's ongoing battle, but Ferrari is now also a factor to consider following its big leap in Spain.McLaren insists it will be in much better shape on the streets - where it has won for three of the last four years - as well.
Recent Williams chassis have tended to suit Monaco well, too (although converting that speed into results has proved harder), and the team could desperately do with getting back to its early-season level of competitiveness - as could Toyota after a poor Spanish GP.Never count out double Monaco winner Fernando Alonso either, and watch out for a star performance from Force India's Adrian Sutil - who topped final practice here in 2007 and ran an amazing fourth last year until being clobbered by Kimi Raikkonen.
It would now be startling if Jenson Button didn't win the world championship, for his four out of five record so far is just too good a start to be overcome unless something bizarre happens in the remainder of the season.But Monaco regularly delivers surprises, or trips up the otherwise dominant.
Hence Coulthard and Jarno Trulli's shock wins for McLaren and Renault in 2002 and 2004, both seasons when Michael Schumacher was looking unstoppable, or Williams turning around an anonymous start to the year to take Juan Pablo Montoya to Monaco victory in 2003.
Normally anyone who had won every dry race so far in a season could be relatively confident of success, but there are no certainties in Monte Carlo, so this will be just as nerve-wracking a weekend for Button as it will be a big opportunity for the rivals he has been summarily dismissing on-track up till now.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 17:34 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Monaco GP preview
Sunday, 17 May 2009
BGP 001 - Technical Specification
Chassis
Construction: Construction Moulded carbon fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Suspension: Wishbone and pushrod activated torsion springs and rockers
Dampers: Sachs
Wheels: BBS forged magnesium
Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza
Brakes: Brembo calipers
Brake discs/pads: Carbon/Carbon
Steering: Power assisted rack and pinion
Steering wheel: Carbon fibre construction
Electronics: FIA standard ECU and FIA homologated electronic and electrical system
Transmission
Gearbox: Seven speed unit with carbon composite maincase
Gear selection: Sequential, semi-automatic, hydraulic activation
Clutch: Clutch Carbon plate
Dimensions
Overall length: 4700mm
Overall height: 950mm
Overall width: 1800mm
Mercedes-Benz FO108W - Technical Specification
Type: Mercedes-Benz FO108W
Capacity: 2.4 litres
Cylinders: 8
Maximum rpm: 18,000 (FIA regulatory limit for 2009)
Bank angle: 90°
Piston bore: 98mm (FIA regulation)
No of valves: 32
Weight: 95kg (minimum FIA regulation weight)
Fuel: Mobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)
Lubricants: Mobil 1
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 14:40 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: BGP 001 - Technical Specification
2009 Spanish GP - race
Brawn GP achieved the team’s second one-two result of the 2009 Formula One season today with Jenson Button taking his fourth victory of the year at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and team-mate Rubens Barrichello securing second position.
Starting from third on the grid, Rubens had a fantastic start to the race as he passed Sebastian Vettel and Jenson, who started on pole, on the run down to the first corner. A multi-car collision brought out the safety car for the first four laps of the race with Rubens and Jenson heading the field in first and second positions.
With the racing underway on lap five, the two Brawn-Mercedes drivers concentrated on building a gap at the front. Jenson pitted first on lap 18 where his planned three-stop strategy was switched to a two-stop, followed by Rubens on lap 19. Rubens pitted for the second of his three stops on lap 31 and struggled with his tyres throughout his third stint which allowed Jenson to edge ahead on strategy by the time he came in for his final stop on lap 50.
Jenson took the chequered flag at the end of the 66-lap race to achieve his fourth victory and fifth consecutive podium of the season. Rubens’ second position and fastest lap of the race capped a fantastic start to Formula One’s European season for Brawn GP and engine partner Mercedes-Benz. The team has now extended its lead in the Constructors’ Championship with 68 points. Jenson leads the Drivers’ Championship on 41 points with Rubens in second place on 27 points.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P1 01:22.899
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-01 P2 01:22.762
Weather Warm and sunny
Temperatures Air: 23-24°C Track: 37-44°C
JENSON BUTTON
“We thought that three-stops would be the quicker strategy here and that was what we fuelled for in Q3 yesterday. I had a good start from pole but Rubens had an absolute flier and I couldn’t hold him off. Having lost the lead and with the prospect of being caught behind Rosberg, we made the decision to switch to a two-stop strategy. The car felt so heavy with the fuel on board after my first stop but I worked really hard on my final two stints to make the strategy work for me. To come away with the win is a little unexpected but it means so much to continue our run of success. Obviously Rubens is disappointed not to have got the win today and he has been a huge help over the weekend in helping me overcome the issues that I faced on Friday. His turn will certainly come. There’s a great feeling within our team and I am very proud of them for producing such a great car. A special thanks to all the guys back at the factory in Brackley and to Norbert Haug and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. They supported our team through the difficult times and we couldn’t have achieved this without them.”
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“The race began really well for me and I had a great start overtaking Sebastian and Jenson to be leading the race coming out of turn one and through the safety car period. The car was feeling really good during the first stint and getting out from my first stop ahead of Nico on track set the race up nicely for me. I was quite surprised when Jenson’s strategy was switched and from then I knew that I had to go flat out to make my strategy work. However I suffered on my third set of tyres and was not able to get the lap times which would have kept me ahead of Jenson. It was a great result for Jenson and the team today but I am disappointed not to have won the race after having such a good weekend. I am a positive person however and I am confident that my victory will come soon.”
ROSS BRAWN
“A fantastic result for the team today after a great deal of hard work to maximise the performance of our new developments this weekend. Rubens had a great start to be leading the race from lap one and we asked both drivers to push as hard as possible to build a lead over the chasing pack. As we approached the window for the first pit stops, it became apparent that Jenson would come out directly behind Nico Rosberg if we went with his planned three-stop strategy. We therefore made the decision to switch Jenson onto a two-stop strategy to ensure that he could run in clean air. Rubens was going extremely quickly at the front at that time and his three-stop strategy was clearly the quickest option for him. Unfortunately his tyres did not perform well after his second stop which compromised his pace and ultimately cost him the race. Rubens has performed extremely well throughout this weekend and it has been largely thanks to his input that we have been able to maximise our pace and achieve the successes of today. Our second one-two finish is a fantastic way to start the European season and I am extremely proud of Jenson, Rubens and the team. Our thanks as always to Mercedes-Benz and all of our team partners for their continued support.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 14:37 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: 2009 Spanish GP - race
ROSS BRAWN - SPANISH GRAND PRIX DEBRIEF
Q: Another great weekend for the team in Spain?
A: Our second one-two finish was a fantastic way to start the European season and we came away with maximum points to extend our lead in the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships. Jenson’s pole position on Saturday and the one-two result came after a great deal of hard work to maximise the performance of our new developments and I am extremely proud of Jenson, Rubens and the whole team.
Q: What was your strategy for the Spanish Grand Prix?
A: Our strategy in Spain was for both drivers to have three pit stops. That was clearly the quickest strategy from our calculations and it gave us the advantage of a light fuel load for qualifying which paid off with Jenson on pole and Rubens in third position. Rubens had a fantastic start to the race to overtake Sebastian Vettel and Jenson before turn one and to be leading the race when the safety car came out. As the race developed and we approached the window for the first pit stops, it became clear that Jenson, who was stopping earlier than Rubens, would come out directly behind Nico Rosberg if we went with his planned three-stop strategy. That meant our strategy would have failed and therefore we changed him to two stops, as a conservative approach, to ensure that he could run in clean air. Rubens was going extremely quickly at the front at that time and his three-stop strategy was clearly the quickest option for him. Unfortunately his tyres did not perform well after his second stop which compromised his pace and ultimately cost him the race.
Q: How did Rubens feel immediately after the race?
A: Straight after the race, when the adrenaline is still pumping like mad and they are immediately into the press conference and speaking to the media, the drivers often don’t know the full perspective of what happened during the race. They are in a little cocoon, effectively a goldfish bowl, during the race. All they see is what they are staring at through their visor. They don’t see all of the perspective of the race, they don’t know where the other cars are and they don’t know where they are going to come out after the pit stops. Rubens was naturally very angry and frustrated that he didn’t win the race. And in a way, I’m pleased that he’s angry and frustrated, as I don’t want drivers who are happy to concede. When Rubens got back and we had a full debrief, he was absolutely fine. Rubens has a Latin temperament and he wears his heart on his sleeve. That’s what led to his comments after the race and once he understood what had happened, those feelings disappeared completely.
Q: The team has always maintained that it does not have a number one driver. Is that the case?
A: Yes. We do not have a number one driver and we do not intend to have one. Jenson and Rubens are on equal terms and conditions and they both get exactly the same equipment as best as we can.
Q: How is the atmosphere within the team?
A: We are a small and close-knit team, both at the race track and at the factory, and our success is largely due to the fact that everyone is working so well together. Jenson and Rubens have been with the team for a few years now and they are fully integrated. Both are great team players. One of the key factors in creating such a good atmosphere comes from complete honesty. We have been, and will continue to be, completely honest with the drivers. They know the situation, their engineers know the situation, the team knows the situation. There is no favouritism.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 14:34 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: ROSS BRAWN - SPANISH GRAND PRIX DEBRIEF
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix: Trulli heads all-Toyota front row Bahrain F1 2009
Formula One F1 Formation lap Grand Prix: Trulli heads all-Toyota front row Bahrain F1 2009
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 13:14 0 comments Links to this post
Season so far
Driver Team Points
1. Jenson Button Brawn GP 41
2. Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP 27
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 23
4. Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 15.5
5. Jarno Trulli Toyota 14.5
6. Timo Glock Toyota 12
7. Fernando Alonso Renault 9
8. Lewis Hamilton McLaren Mercedes 9
9. Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 6
10. Nico Rosberg Williams 4.5
11. Heikki Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes 4
12. Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 3
13. Felipe Massa Ferrari 3
14. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 3
15. Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:57 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Season so far
Future of former Honda team secured - Brawn GP
Honda and Ross Brawn have confirmed that they have reached agreement to secure the future of the former Honda Racing F1 Team, with ownership passing to team principal Brawn with immediate effect. Subject to FIA approval, the team will become known as the Brawn GP Formula One Team.Brawn has agreed a partnership with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, Brixworth, UK to supply the team with its 2.4 litre Mercedes-Benz FO108W Formula One engines. This too remains subject to FIA approval.The team have also confirmed that their race driver line-up for the 2009 season will combine the talents of two of Formula One's most experienced drivers in Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The race-winning drivers continue their partnership at the team for a fourth consecutive year, forming the most experienced driver partnership on the grid with 423 Grand Prix starts between them.Brawn commented: "The past few months have been extremely challenging for the team but today's announcement is the very pleasing conclusion to the strenuous efforts that have been made to secure its future. "Firstly, it is a great shame that having worked with Honda Motor Company for so long we can no longer continue together. I would like to thank Honda for the fantastic co-operation and support we have received throughout this process - particularly those members of the senior management who were closely involved with concluding our agreement - and for the faith they have demonstrated in myself and our team."I would also like to take this opportunity to pay due credit to our staff at Brackley. The levels of motivation and commitment that I have witnessed at the factory deserve the highest praise."I am delighted that Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will form our race driver line-up for the 2009 season. The vast experience and knowledge that both drivers bring to our team will prove invaluable as we aim to get up to speed in the shortest possible time to be ready for the first race of the season in Melbourne on 29 March. In what will be their fourth season together, their experience with our team in Brackley, our systems and our engineers, will prove a real asset.”Hiroshi Oshima, Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. responsible for Corporate Communications and Motor Sports, commented: "Since announcing our withdrawal from Formula One racing on December 5 of last year, we have conducted various studies and discussions so that the team can continue its activities as a new team. We are very pleased that we could sell the team to Ross Brawn, with whom we have been partaking in the challenges of F1 competition, and are grateful for his decision. We offer our sincerest wishes for the new team which will be led by Ross."Brawn and the team will now focus its efforts on the remaining pre-season tests, in Barcelona (March 9-12) and Jerez (March 15-17) prior to heading to Melbourne, Australia for the start of the 2009 Formula One season
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:32 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Future of former Honda team secured
Brawn GP car makes track debut
The newly renamed Brawn GP team revealed its long-awaited 2009 car during a shakedown test at Silverstone on Friday.
On the same day that Honda finally confirmed that it had sold its Brackley-based F1 operation to existing team principal Ross Brawn to save the squad from closure, its latest car – now to be called the BGP 001 – appeared on track for the first time fitted with new Mercedes-Benz engine.Jenson Button, whose career along with that of returning team-mate Rubens Barrichello have been saved by the Brawn buyout, was behind the wheel for his first F1 track appearance since last November.The car was painted in Brawn GP’s official colours of white, black and florescent yellow, with it featuring a low, drooping front nose and heavily sculptured rear-end.
The ex-Honda Racing team has continued to work on the first car built under Brawn’s technical leadership throughout the uncertain period since its Japanese owner put it up for sale last December.Before Honda's bombshell withdrawal, Brawn had expressed confidence that its 2009 challenger had the potential to be a "front-runner" after opting to write off much of last season to focus on ensuring it was ready to take advantage of Formula 1's technical overhaul.
It is now uncertain how competitive the BGP 001 could be given the limited track time it will have between now and the Australian Grand Prix on March 29, especially with the team having had to incorporate a Mercedes engine after it was initially designed around Honda's V8.Both new owner Brawn and Barrichello were on hand in the garage at Silverstone on Friday as the team began its uphill struggle to get ready for Melbourne.It will rejoin the group testing action at Barcelona from Monday before finalising its track preparations at Jerez the following week.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:30 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn GP car makes track debut
F1 :Button shakes down new Brawn car at Silverstone
Just hours after it was announced that the former Honda team will compete this season, Ross Brawn’s men were already hard at work shaking down their new car ahead of the season opener later this month. Friday’s private test took place at Silverstone, close to the British team’s Brackley headquarters.Jenson Button, who has been retained to race for the new team, took charge of the Mercedes-engined BGP 001. Team principal Brawn and Button’s team mate for the 2009 season, Rubens Barrichello, were also in attendance as the team’s on-track preparations for the Australian Grand Prix finally got underway.Following Friday’s outing the team will journey to Spain, where they will join their rivals and test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya for four days from Monday.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:28 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: F1 :Button shakes down new Brawn car at Silverstone
Formula 1 - Kimi fastest, Brawn impresses in Spain
Kimi Raikkonen sent out a signal to Ferrari’s rivals ahead of the new season by comfortably topping the second day testing times at Barcelona on Tuesday.
However, the world champion team’s performance was slightly blotted by the return of reliability glitches on its F60 car – with a small leak in its KERS cooling system meaning the team had to cut short its simulation of a grand prix weekend.
Nevertheless despite completing just 55 laps Raikkonen’s time of 1m20.314s was still good enough to keep him almost 0.6s clear of Williams’s Kazuki Nakajima and the Brawn GP team, as the Brackley squad again caught the eye.
And ominously for the rest of the grid, Raikkonen – who now hands the F60 over to Felipe Massa for the remaining two days – says Ferrari has yet to unleash the car’s full raw pace."I'm happy with how the car works now, so far it's been good,” he told reporters afterwards.“We haven't pushed 100% to try to do any special lap times but car is handling well and I'm happy with it."
Behind Raikkonen it was again an interesting picture, with Nakajima putting Williams as high as it has been on a pre-season timesheet recently and the returning Rubens Barrichello starring for Brawn.Again it was the former Honda squad’s performance that will hit the headlines, with it adding a further 111 laps-worth of mileage to the BGP 001 following the 82 it racked up on its official track debut on Monday.Barrichello had been not been in an F1 cockpit since the Brazilian Grand Prix in early November but showed no rustiness on his return to shave two tenths off team-mate Jenson Button’s opening day time to clock 1m20.966s.
Jarno Trulli was a steady fourth for Toyota and yet again enjoyed bullet-proof reliability from the TF109 to complete 121 laps in total, including a series of long runs.The Italian now signs off from track duties until the Australian Grand Prix in two weeks time and is confident that when Melbourne comes around the team is ready to attack the front of the field after an impressive pre-season.
"Today was my last day of testing for the winter,” he said.“We again did a lot of laps including some interesting long runs as we finalised our preparations for Melbourne.“It's clear we will only find out the true picture in Australia but I'm happy with our work in the course of the tests we've done.“The car has been competitive and consistent so we can head into the first race with confidence. I feel ready."
Mark Webber was sixth for Red Bull and only just completed a race distance (66 laps) after the team took time to identify and resolve a mechanical gremlin on the RB5.
BMW, meanwhile, had no such reliability concerns and Nick Heidfeld wrapped up his own on-track preparations for Melbourne during a mammoth 127 laps.
The day one pacesetter didn't set a time within a second of his Monday benchmark but the team's focus was set on completing a run-through of a race, including pit stops, before evaluating further set-up options on the F1.09.
Force India took seventh courtesy of Adrian Sutil, with the German again lapping faster than both Renault and the team's technical partner McLaren Mercedes in a best time of 1m21.834s.
The Silverstone-based squad tried out some aero tweaks on its VJM02 and Sutil believes the team is making good progress with both reliability and tyre management."We could do a lot of running again today, which was the main aim of the programme," Sutil said after 82 laps."I feel a lot more confident in the car now we have got some reliability and can start to look at different set-ups and making the tyres work."We know we have a lot of work to do, particularly with the tyres as we still struggle to bring them in, but we now have a good idea of how the car is behaving."I'm looking forward to Melbourne now."
Former world champion Fernando Alonso was making his first appearance of the week for Renault but his best effort of 1m21.937s was well off Raikkonen's pace.
However both team and driver appeared content with it's day's work following 111 laps.
McLaren’s second consecutive appearance towards the foot of the order may raise speculation that all is not well with the team’s MP4-24, although Heikki Kovalainen was much closer to the rest of the field than was the case on Monday – albeit still over 1.5s back on Ferrari.
The Woking squad continued to assess the merits of the new front wing, floor and top body it has introduced onto the car for this week, with managing director Jonathan Neale saying Kovalainen's two days in the car had been "very productive" ahead of Lewis Hamilton's return on Wednesday.
The team was spared another day at the foot of the timesheet by Toro Rosso who endured a problematic second full day of running with the STR4.
Sebastien Bourdais had his day cut short after 14 laps after the team discovered a problem with the car’s front suspension, with parts needed to be shipped in from its Faenza base to fix the issue.
So with its development plans for the day out of the window, it decided to give Sebastien Buemi his first experience of the 2009 car with the 20-year-old completing just six ‘in’ and ‘out’ laps in total.Testing times from Barcelona (Tuesday 10 March)
1. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m20.314s
2. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m20.907s
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m20.966s
4. TRULLI Toyota 1m21.182s
5. WEBBER Red Bull 1m21.347s
6. HEIDFELD BMW 1m21.615s
7. SUTIL Force India 1m21.834s
8. ALONSO Renault 1m21.937s
9. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m21.991s
10. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m23.039s
11. BUEMI Toro Rosso no time
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:27 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn impresses in Spain, Formula 1 - Kimi fastest
Barcelona day three - Button stuns in Spain
Jenson Button was the man to beat as this week’s test continued at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday. Button, driving the Brawn GP 001, was the only runner to dip below the 1m 20s mark, clocking a best time of 1m 19.127s around the Spanish track to better the Ferrari of Felipe Massa by over a second.
Third fastest was Robert Kubica for BMW Sauber. As it was Kubica’s first day at the test, he concentrated on carrying out a variety of different race-related situations to fine tune the working relationship between him and his pit crew. He also worked to find solutions for the F1.09's set-up and covered 109 laps in total.“Today was very productive,” said the Polish driver. “We tried various solutions we weren’t able to complete last week in Jerez because of the unfortunate weather conditions. Obviously our main target today was to do a lot of evaluations for the forthcoming Australian Grand Prix.”More details to follow.
Unofficial Wednesday times from Barcelona:1. Jenson Button, Brawn BGP 001, 1:19.1272. Felipe Massa, Ferrari F60, 1:20.1683. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber F1.09, 1:20.2174. Timo Glock, Toyota TF109, 1:20.4105. Fernando Alonso, Renault R29, 1:20.8636. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB5, 1:21.1657. Nico Rosberg, Williams FW31, 1:21.3248. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India VJM02, 1:21.5459. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso STR4, 1:21.56910. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren MP4-24, 1:21.657
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:25 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barcelona day three - Button stuns in Spain
Brawn confirms Fry retains CEO role
Ross Brawn has confirmed that Nick Fry will continue in the role of chief executive officer following his buyout of the former Honda Racing team.
Speculation in recent days has suggested that CEO Fry had been marginalised following the creation of Brawn GP last Friday.Indeed Fry was not mentioned in Honda’s press release confirming the sale to Brawn, despite appearing as the team's representative at FOTA's press conference in Geneva the day before.
However, speaking to journalists for the first time about his new challenge as a team owner at the Barcelona test on Tuesday, Brawn put the rumours to bed by insisting Fry had been instrumental in helping secure the team’s rescue and that he remained a key player at the new squad."Nick has been a key member of the team, he retains his position as CEO and his position hasn't changed, despite the speculation,” Brawn told reporters.“He's been a vital part of putting this all together."
While the former Ferrari technical mastermind may be the figurehead for the newly-renamed team, Brawn admits the Brackley-based squad would have closed had the management not stuck together and seen the buyout through.
"It's been stressful for the management, if we hadn't stayed together as a group it would have been very difficult to achieve, because there were some very black days in trying to keep this team alive,” he said.
“But I'm glad to say here we are and we are going to Melbourne."If I'm frank there were no choices.“Because if the management group hadn't taken this task on all of the team would have been made redundant.”
Although Honda was believed to be willing to part with its F1 operation for a token sum following its decision to quit the sport last December, no confirmed details have yet emerged about how Brawn GP will finance its first season or structure its budget going forwards.
Reports have suggested that Honda will continue to fund the squad to a large extent during 2009, as it remains a cheaper option to shutting the whole team down, with further income coming from commercial revenues from Formula One Management.
Speaking on Tuesday Brawn didn’t go into details on his team's financial state, but did admit that although it had a solid budget to complete this year a long-term plan needed to be devised to ensure the squad’s survival well into the next decade.
And while he insisted this didn’t necessarily mean finding a longer-term owner, he did concede that his team needed to secure sponsors to boost its budget – hinting that the on-track performance of its so-far promising BGP 001 car this year would be key to doing that.
“Things can go wrong, but we are optimistic, but if we can capitalise on the performance of the car, and the car looks good, then the team has a future,” he said.
"This is a medium term solution and we need to find a solution for the long term.“We are comfortable for the season.“We need to find partners and sponsors to support the team.“We need to be flexible on what we do but we will have proper structure going forward.”
Brawn's BGP 001 car has run without branding in its early pre-season test appearances with the team's lack of sponsors a legacy of Honda's decision to forgo on-car sponsorship since 2007 to promote environmental issues via its 'Earth Dreams' concept.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:20 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn confirms Fry retains CEO role
Barcelona day four - dazzling Barrichello ends test on a high
The potent pace of the Brawn BGP 001 continued to impress at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday, as this week’s multi-team test - the last major session before the season opening Australian Grand Prix later this month - drew to a close.Rubens Barrichello finished fastest in the newly-launched car, clocking a best time of 1m 18.926s to finish eight-tenths of a second ahead of Williams’ Nico Rosberg. After an initial delay due to heavy fog, the Spanish track basked in sunshine and Barrichello was able to cover 110 laps as he completed a race simulation.
The team will test again at Jerez next week."We are extremely pleased with the inaugural test of the BGP 001 car in Barcelona this week,” said team owner Ross Brawn. “The team made a very late start to our pre-season testing programme with only seven days in which to run the car before the first race in Melbourne, therefore our focus has been on reliability and achieving as much mileage as possible. “Both of these aims have been successfully achieved this week. That the car has run so reliably 'out of the box' is a tribute to the strong team that we have at our factory in Brackley and they have done a great job during a very difficult period. The car is performing to our expectations and the feedback from Jenson (Button) and Rubens has been positive with both drivers completing full race distances.”Rosberg in second completed 120 laps in the FW31, as he carried out set-up work and reliability tests.
Third quickest was Toyota’s Timo Glock, who covered 128 laps. Glock’s programme focused on the TF109’s set-up, and even though he stopped on the circuit with a mechanical problem on his last lap, the German was pleased. "That was another useful day to round off our good winter of testing,” he said. “We did more work on set-up and long runs and everything went well until the very last lap! Still, overall the car feels strong and we seem to have good pace so we can look forward to Australia. Of course we'll only see the real results on Saturday in Melbourne but everyone at Toyota can be happy with our work so far.”Sebastian Vettel completed 83 laps on his way to fourth in the times, as Red Bull completed their pre-season testing.
Finishing just under a tenth down on the German was Renault’s Fernando Alonso, who ran 64 laps in the R29. Alonso evaluated components in an effort to improve the car's mechanical balance.“We had a problem at the beginning of the afternoon and so we lost some track time, but overall I think it was an interesting day and we improved our understanding of the car,” said the Spaniard. “We tried some new development solutions and so today was not about outright performance but simply exploring new ideas for developing the car into the season.
”Felipe Massa finished sixth on Ferrari’s final test day. Massa worked through a programme of set-up adjustment checks and completed 92 laps. Seventh quickest was Robert Kubica for BMW Sauber. Kubica carried out a race simulation and covered 134 laps, bringing the F1.09’s total mileage for the week to 2,162 kms."Our final pre-season test was very productive,” said BMW Sauber's technical coordinator Willy Rampf. “We worked on the mechanical set-up of the car as well as the aero configuration. In addition, we also improved our KERS. Our second goal was to prepare for the season's first Grand Prix in two weeks in Melbourne. We simulated a proper race day on Tuesday with Nick Heidfeld and today with Robert Kubica, each covering a complete race distance without any technical problems."McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton finished in eighth.
Hamilton covered 70 laps and concentrated his attentions on mechanical set-up. The team will test again at Jerez next week. Just over a tenth down on Hamilton was Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi, who covered 62 laps in the STR4 before handing it over to team mate Sebastien Bourdais after lunch. Bourdais eventually finished in 11th. Sandwiched between the two Toro Rosso drivers was Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella in tenth. As it was the team’s last day in action before the Australian Grand prix, Fisichella carried out a race weekend simulation and completed a mammoth 141 laps. “It was a very good conclusion to the eight days of testing,” said Force India’s James Key.
“Over the week we have completed more than 2,000km and have a very strong basis to start the season from. We don't have any major concerns and the car is now very reliable so we can really start to look at areas that will improve performance."With the Barcelona test complete, the majority of teams will head back to their respective factories to continue preparations before travelling to Melbourne. For McLaren, Renault, Williams and Ross Brawn’s team, however, the on-track work will continue in Spain at Jerez next week.
Unofficial Thursday times from Barcelona:1. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn BGP 001, 1:18.9262. Nico Rosberg, Williams FW31, 1:19.7743. Timo Glock, Toyota TF109, 1:20.0914. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB5, 1:20.5765. Fernando Alonso, Renault R29, 1:20.6646. Felipe Massa, Ferrari F60, 1:20.6777. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber F1.09, 1:20.7408. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren MP4-24, 1:20.8699. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso STR4, 1:21.01310. Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India VJM02, 1:21.04511. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso STR4, 1:21.629
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:18 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barcelona day four - dazzling Barrichello ends test on a high
Barrichello heads start of final test in Jerez
Rubens Barrichello was the leading runner around Jerez on Sunday, as the final pre-season test got underway at the Spanish circuit. Barrichello made sure Ross Brawn’s was again the fastest team of the three present, with a best lap of 1m 19.236s.
As in Barcelona last week, the Brawn BGP001 looked both quick and reliable. Barrichello’s time was over half a second quicker than nearest rival, Renault’s Fernando Alonso, and the Brazilian completed 107 laps as he worked on a series of set-up and tyre evaluations, in addition to a number of race start simulations."We had a good day of testing today,” said Barrichello. “It is hotter in Jerez than it was in Barcelona last week and therefore more representative of the temperatures that we can expect for the first few races, so it is good preparation for myself and the car. The car ran very well once again and we are increasing our understanding of its characteristics every day.
"Alonso’s day got off to a bad start, with a trip through the gravel early on causing damage to his R29. The team got him back out in the afternoon, but the Spaniard managed just 40 laps in total."Unfortunately I made a mistake this morning which was a shame as we lost a lot of track time, but sometimes this happens in testing when you are looking for the limits of the car,” said Alonso.“This afternoon the team put the car together as soon as possible and we tried to complete our main priorities for the day, which was testing some new parts on the car. In the end we managed to do it and we were pleased with the results, although we certainly would have liked more laps.
”Williams tester Nico Hulkenberg completed the line-up for Sunday, which saw fine and sunny conditions throughout the day. The German covered 69 laps in the FW31 and finished two-tenths down on Alonso.
The Brawn team, Renault and Williams are all due to continue at Jerez until Wednesday, with McLaren also expected to run from Monday to Thursday.
Unofficial Sunday times from Jerez:1. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn BGP 001, 1:19.2362. Fernando Alonso, Renault R29, 1:19.8193. Nico Hulkenberg, Williams FW31, 1:20.015
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:16 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barrichello heads start of final test in Jerez
Button 'open minded' about Oz chances
Jenson Button is remaining cautious about Brawn GP's chances in the season-opener in Melbourne, but is confident that the team will be among the front-runners.
After a winter of turbulence and uncertainty, the former Honda squad's future was secured just weeks before the season - and the Mercedes-powered BGP 001 chassis then stunned the paddock by dominating winter testing once it hit the track.
That pace has made Button many people's favourite for Australian Grand Prix victory, but while pleased to have a competitive package after two years of misery, he isn't taking anything for granted yet."It's not a pressure, it's a nice feeling," he said.
"We've done seven days of testing and I've done three days."We've been reliable, I feel comfortable in the car and I've made it quite personal to myself."We come here with an open mind - testing is one thing, we've been reliable and done good lap times.
"But in 2006 we did well in testing and then got to the first race and were blown away by the Ferraris, so you never know."We are not going to be slow, I know that."But how quick, we'll have to wait and see."
Brawn's prospects have been clouded today with the confirmation that several rival teams have lodged official protests against its diffuser design.
Toyota and Williams have also had their cars challenged for the same reason.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:14 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button 'open minded' about Oz chances
No weight advantage for Brawn GP cars
The Brawn GP cars, which locked out the front row of the grid for the Australian Grand Prix, have been revealed to have had no weight advantage in qualifying after the FIA published a list of each car's race-start load.
With each car's minimum weight set at 605kg (including driver), the Brawns of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello weigh in at 664.5kg and 666.5kg respectively. This suggests an opening race stint for the pair of more than 20 laps, depending on safety car intervention.
By comparison, Sebastian Vettel weighs in at 657kg from third on the grid, with fellow second-row starter Robert Kubica at 650kg. This means that the BMW Sauber driver is the lightest car in the field, helping him to qualify well despite not showing that kind of pace in free practice.Of the top 10 in Q3, only Toyota's Timo Glock was on a heavier fuel load than the two Brawns, although Toyota's times have been disallowed.
Nelson Piquet's Renault is the heaviest car on the grid at 694.1kg, which should allow him to run more than 10 laps longer than the Brawns, with both Nick Heidfeld and Heikki Kovalainen also tipping the scales at over 690kg.Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima's weight has been officially declared to be 612.5kg, although it is understood that figure could be amended to around 685kg.
The 10 cars who made it through to Q3 all qualified at their declared race-start weights, plus the fuel needed for them to complete that session, while those who fell in Q1 and Q2 have been allowed to choose their start loads after qualifying.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:12 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: No weight advantage for Brawn GP cars
Branson: Virgin could be new team name
Richard Branson has revealed that his Virgin Group’s sponsorship of Brawn GP could soon include the brand taking over the naming rights of the team.
The expected tie-up between Virgin and Ross Brawn’s new squad was announced in the Albert Park paddock on Saturday, with both parties anticipating that the tie-up will develop into a “broader relationship” in the coming weeks.
Speaking to journalists after the announcement, Branson revealed details of how the tie-up could quickly move forwards – with Virgin replacing Brawn as the name of the former Honda Racing outfit an option under consideration.“It’s a possibility, we’ll see what happens over the next three or four weeks,” he said. “The team don’t want to waste the name of the team on something that is not promoting anything. “Everyone knows that it has a great engineer, the team doesn’t need to be named after an engineer and that may well change."
And asked if he agreed that any such move would necessitate a long-term commitment to the sport from Virgin, Branson replied: “If it happened we’d be committed for a long time.”Branson flew into Melbourne on Friday to seal the deal with Brawn, with the Virgin logos immediately on the car in Saturday afternoon's final practice and qualifying sessions.And after the agreement was reached just hours before he boarded the plane, Branson said more time would be needed to flesh out the full scope of the sponsorship deal – but that he was confident it would be quickly established.
“We all need more time,” he said.“We are a Virgin bride and someone else may come in and offer something even better before this bride marries them. “But I’m sure we will get something together.”
Branson was initially rumoured to be considering buying the former Honda outfit outright last month, but said he wouldn’t bring Virgin into the sport until it became both cheaper and greener.
However, with FOTA confident of slashing budgets by 50% and the FIA planning on introducing an optional budget cap to entice new teams into F1 by 2010, Branson believes the time is right for Virgin to enjoy a successful relationship with Brawn.
“I’ve enjoyed it [F1] for years and in past got tempted but it’s been such an expensive sport,” he said.“But the recession has been bringing the cost of entry down to a more reasonable level and the new rules that are coming out to encourage new teams to come in for more sensible amounts of money will make it a more exciting sport.
“When the Honda team got into trouble and it looked like a possibility of it disappearing altogether we spoke with Honda. “I think we’ve ended up with the best of all worlds with a fantastic engineer and a great brand like Virgin. “It’s something which could develop into something exciting in the years to come.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:10 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Branson: Virgin could be new team name
Button: More to come from Brawn GP 2009
Jenson Button believes there is more to come from Brawn GP after the team dominated the Australian Grand Prix and says it will improve its performance in Malaysia.
The Briton led home team-mate Rubens Barrichello in a one-two for Ross Brawn's team on its debut, but highlighted areas for improvement such as his slow second pitstop.
"I am looking forward to getting back in the car and building it into something even more special, because we are not there yet," . "It is not perfect and we didn't get the best out of it this weekend.
"I won the race, but our pitstops, I lost six seconds at the second pitstop. So we have a few areas we are weak in and that was always going to be the case because we haven't done any testing, so it has been very, very difficult for everyone to be perfect.
"There is room for improvement and that is what I am looking forward to achieving."
Button also expects a greater challenge from the likes of McLaren and Ferrari at Sepang and in the coming races and is eager to make the most of the opportunity his team has now."We don't know who is going to be quick there [Sepang] as it is such a different circuit. You would say we are going to be competitive, but it is a question of who else is going to be up there with us.
"I think people will start to make big leaps forward. I don't know if it is going to be at the fly away races, but when we get back to Barcelona people will have new aero packages and they will be on our arses."So we need to make the most of this and get the best out of everything, which we haven't quite done. But it is nice to have had not quite a perfect weekend and come away with a pole position and a win."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:09 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button: More to come from Brawn GP 2009
Brawn GP to shed around 270 jobs
Australian Grand Prix winner Brawn GP will make around 270 members of its staff redundant this year.The team, saved by an 11th-hour buyout led by Ross Brawn, will be reducing its staff by a third in order to return to 2004 levels, when the squad was known as BAR, before Honda bought it.
Brawn led a successful management buyout less than a month ago to keep the team alive, but the Brackley-based outfit is unlikely to have the same budget it had when owned by Honda.Most F1 teams have made, or will be making, staff redundant as a result of the in-season testing ban and the need to reduce costs.
"It's about 270 (jobs)," the team's CEO Nick Fry told Reuters. "We are about 700 people at the moment and we talked to the staff about going down to about 430, something like that, which is where we were in 2004."It's very unfortunate that we've got to do that but it's the change of technical regulations and obviously we are now a private team."
Despite the uncertainty over its future, Brawn GP dominated its maiden race on Sunday, with Jenson Button leading team-mate Rubens Barrichello to a one-two victory.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:08 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn GP to shed around 270 jobs
Button storms to pole again in Malaysia
Jenson Button showed Brawn GP’s fairytale start to Formula 1 life is not about to end any time soon by storming to his second successive pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The winner of last week’s season-opener in Melbourne had run under the radar for much of practice but again demonstrated his and the team's stunning speed by coming to the fore when it really mattered to pip Toyota’s Jarno Trulli to the top spot at Sepang.
Button’s stunning final Q3 lap of 1m35.181s initially put him half a second clear of his rivals, but Trulli so nearly matched it on his own final run and finished just under 0.1s slower to claim a still impressive front row berth.
Sebastian Vettel again showed strong speed in the Red Bull to set the third best time, outpacing the second Brawn car of Rubens Barrichello.
However, both drivers had penalties hanging over them heading into qualifying and will drop down the order to 13th and eighth places respectively, promoting the second Toyota of Timo Glock to third and Williams's Nico Rosberg to fourth.
Again like the Australia season-opener, the appearance of the Brawn, Toyota, Red Bull and Williams cars at the front of the grid shows a new order is beginning to emerge in F1's new era.
Reigning world champion team Ferrari had been tipped to join them here after showing stronger pace in practice following its dismal showing last week.
But the threat did not materialise as Raikkonen struggled towards the bottom of the top 10 (his ninth place becoming seventh courtesy of the penalties) while Felipe Massa was knocked out early and will start 16th after a Q1 gamble spectacularly backfired.
The Brazilian and his engineers thought his two early flying laps on the softer compound rubber would be enough to safely see him through to the second stage, especially as he returned to the garage fourth on the times.
But while Ferrari prepared Massa’s car for Q2 in the garage, over half of the field were in a scramble to ensure they weren’t knocked out as they moved onto the softer tyres in the closing minutes.
Ferrari’s worst nightmare then played out as driver after driver posted a quicker time than Massa and, with the track picking up grip all of the time, the pole-sitter here for the past two years was shuffled below the cut line.
Indeed Raikkonen was lucky not to suffer the same fate as he walked the same tightrope, but his slightly faster flying lap meant he just stayed above the elimination line in 14th.
The Finn's F60 didn't pick up much as the hour progressed and he will now be pinning his hopes on his KERS system catapulting him past the cars directly ahead of him on Sunday's grid.
The drivers most at risk will be Mark Webber, who will lead Red Bull's challenge after Vettel's penalty, in fifth and BMW's Robert Kubica.
Behind Barrichello in eighth will be Fernando Alonso, who showed commendable battling spirit to haul his previously uncompetitive Renault into the top 10 despite struggling with an ear infection.
Vettel’s demotion means Nick Heidfeld will start 10th, but the German again failed to follow team-mate Kubica into the pole position shootout despite being the sole BMW driver carrying the advantageous KERS unit.
Still, there was little to choose between Alonso, Heidfeld and the second Williams of Kazuki Nakajima on the Q2 cut line – with the Renault man finishing ahead of the pair by under 0.1s.
Nakajima will share the sixth row with reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, the McLaren man putting the trauma of the previous day behind him to show the MP4-24 appears to be be making progress after finishing just 0.2s shy of the top 10.
The penalised Vettel slots in to 13th, ahead of the second McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen.
Sebastien Bourdais earned Toro Rosso its first Q2 appearance of the season after a fine lap on the soft tyres in the first phase, the Frenchman starting 15th.
Massa’s first Q1 elimination for three years means he starts from the unusual position of 16th and with it all to do if he is to open his points account for 2009.
Nelson Piquet Jr is a more regular driver to make up the Q1 drop zone and the Brazilian, under pressure for much of his debut season due to continued qualifying struggles, may be able to about to come under renewed scrutiny from his Renault bosses after failing to get beyond the first phase for the second race in a row.
He was joined again by the Force India duo, although Fisichella got off the back row and briefly put himself in a position to make Q2 until the dramatic late shuffle of the order knocked him back down to a more familiar position.His team-mate Adrian Sutil will join Toro Rosso rookie Sebastien Buemi on the back row, the latter enduring the first disappointment of his F1 career after outqualifying Bourdais and scoring two points on his debut.Buemi was 0.3s up on his best time following the first sector of his final lap, but fell of the road at turn eight.
Malaysian GP starting grid
1. BUTTON Brawn
2. TRULLI Toyota
3. GLOCK Toyota
4. ROSBERG Williams
5. WEBBER Red Bull
6. KUBICA BMW
7. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
8. ALONSO Renault
9. BARRICHELLO Brawn*
10. HEIDFELD BMW
11. NAKAJIMA Williams
12. HAMILTON McLaren
13. VETTEL Red Bull**
14. KOVALAINEN McLaren
15. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso
16. MASSA Ferrari
17. PIQUET Renault
18. FISICHELLA Force India
19. SUTIL Force India
20. BUEMI Toro Rosso
* five-place penalty for gearbox change
** 10-place penalty carried from Melbourne
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:06 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button storms to pole again in Malaysia
F1 grid for malaysia 2009
1 Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes 1:35.181
2 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:35.273
3 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:35.518
4 Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes 1:35.651
5 Timo Glock Toyota 1:35.690
6 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:35.750
7 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:35.797
8 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1:36.106
9 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:36.170
10 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:37.659
11 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:34.769
12 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:34.788
13 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:34.905
14 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren- 1:34.924
15 Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:35.431
16 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:35.642
17 Nelson Piquet Jr Renault 1:35.708
18 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Mercedes 1:35.908
19 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:35.951
20 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:36.107
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:05 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: F1 grid for malaysia 2009
F1 malaysia 2009 Button and Brawn win Grand Prix
Jenson Button continued Brawn GP’s sensational start to 2009 by winning in Malaysia after a Biblical downpour forced the race to be abandoned after 31 of the 56 laps.
Officials initially hoped the race could be resumed but continuing rain, the volume of standing water and the fading daylight made that impossible.
With the official clock and timekeeping system continuing to run, the race ultimately hit its two-hour cut-off point and the result was declared – albeit with half-points being awarded to the top eight.Button had slipped from pole position to third on the opening lap, but regained the lead with two stunning laps prior to his first pit stop.
Timo Glock was lying second at the time the red flag was shown, but the result was based on the last full lap of green-flag racing and he was shuffled back to third behind German compatriot Nick Heidfeld.Glock had carved his way up the order thanks to a tactical masterstroke from Toyota, which put him on intermediate tyres in the earlier damp conditions when everyone else opted for full-wets.
Heidfeld’s progress was typically stealthily. The BMW veteran, who started 10th and heavily laden with fuel, profited from making a single pit stop for wet tyres compared to at least three for all his rivals.Jarno Trulli finished fourth to complete a fine day for Toyota, while Rubens Barrichello made it an even better one for Brawn GP with fifth place.Red Bull’s Mark Webber emerged with sixth ahead of Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Nico Rosberg (Williams).
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:04 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: F1 malaysia 2009 Button and Brawn win Grand Prix
Malaysian GP results
Jenson Button Brawn GP 0h55m30.622
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber + 22.722s
Timo Glock Toyota + 23.513s
Jarno Trulli Toyota + 46.173s
Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP + 47.360s
Mark Webber Red Bull Racing + 52.333s
Lewis Hamilton McLaren Mercedes + 60.733s
Nico Rosberg Williams + 71.576s
Felipe Massa Ferrari + 76.932s
Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso + 102.164s
Fernando Alonso Renault + 109.422s
Kazuki Nakajima Williams + 116.130s
Nelson Piquet Jr Renault + 116.713s
Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari + 142.841s
Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing + 1 lap
Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso + 1 lap
Adrian Sutil Force India + 1 lap
Giancarlo Fisichella Force India + 2 laps
Robert Kubica BMW Sauber + 30 laps
Heikki Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes + 31 laps
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 11:02 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Malaysian GP results
Brawn predicts formbook shake-up during 2009 grand prix season
Ross Brawn believes it is only a matter of time before struggling champions Ferrari and McLaren get to grips with the 2009 regulations and catch up with the current pace-setters.
Brawn’s team has sensationally dominated the opening two grands prix, despite being on the brink of extinction until March following Honda’s withdrawal from F1 at the end of last year.
Meanwhile perennial title rivals Ferrari and McLaren have barely troubled the scorers, with a single point between them courtesy of Lewis Hamilton’s seventh place in the rain-shortened Malaysian GP last Sunday.
But rather than heralding a ‘new world order’ in F1, Brawn reckons the shake-up in the pecking order is simply a logical consequence of teams’ differing priorities last year.“I think it's a reflection on what's gone on over the last year or two with such a big change in regulations,” he said at Sepang.“McLaren and Ferrari had a championship to fight over and I can understand that it was very difficult for them to say 'we'll stop pushing this year and put all our effort into next year'.
“For us it was a very easy decision. It wasn't a clever decision, it was a very easy one.“We didn't have a good car so why waste time on it?”While his team has clearly stolen a march on the field, Brawn feels the intrinsic quality of Ferrari and McLaren means they will rapidly make up ground in the development race.“They're both very strong and fantastic engineering companies, so I'm sure they will sort it out, but I think they're just paying the price for winning the championship last year,” he said.
“Because normally if you're fighting for a championship you develop a car and that same car goes forward into next year so you don't lose anything.“Everything they did last year for the championship last year was in the bin after the last race. It was gone.“We had slick tyres, new aerodynamics, so virtually everything they ended last year with they could throw away.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:59 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn predicts formbook shake-up during 2009 grand prix season
Branson working on new Brawn F1 Advertising deal
Richard Branson has made an offer to up his Virgin Group's sponsorship involvement with Brawn GP - but has insisted he will not break the bank to have a bigger presence on the team's cars.
Virgin announced at the Australian Grand Prix that it was to become a sponsor of Brawn, and Branson said at the time that there was a chance of him expanding the deal - to potentially become title sponsor.
Discussions about such plans are still ongoing, and Branson said in Bahrain on Saturday that he has laid out the terms to the team – and was now awaiting an answer.
"The team have become very popular since the beginning of the season," said Branson. "We are negotiating, as are other people, and we may or may not end up doing a full branding exercise."If we end up not doing it, we will obviously be the sponsor for this year and would be delighted with the way it has gone. If we end up doing it, even better.
"Let's see how it goes. Someone could come in and pay a silly price, and we will bow out gracefully if that happens. But we've made an offer we feel we can afford."Team principal Ross Brawn did not rule out a deal happening as soon as the Spanish Grand Prix, but said no decision had been made about what they were going to do.
"It's still in discussion," he explained. "We are looking to try and develop a bigger longer term relationship and it is understanding what they want and what we want. So it is still ongoing. The right deal could happen any time.He added: "Any team is looking for medium term commitments particularly in this environment so it would be nice to have our principal funding in place for the next few years."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:56 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Branson working on new Brawn F1 Advertising deal
Button and Brawn capture a F1 Bahrain victory
Jenson Button reasserted his grip on the 2009 world championship with a brilliant victory in searing desert heat in Bahrain – his third win in four races extending his title lead to 12 points.The Briton and his Brawn team turned around the form book from qualifying to beat pre-race favourites Sebastian Vettel and Jarno Trulli thanks to a perfect strategy and inch-perfect driving, the Red Bull and Toyota drivers finishing second and third respectively
Button had expressed optimism that his BGP 001 remained a force to be reckoned with over a race distance after only qualifying fourth and after jumping the front-row Toyotas during the first pit-stop phase, a strong middle stint ensured he wouldn’t be caught at the front.Toyota’s hopes of finally scoring its maiden Formula 1 victory faded after both its drivers made early pit stops, Chinese GP winner Vettel eventually vaulting ahead of pole-sitter Trulli into second place.
Lewis Hamilton completed McLaren’s best weekend of the season so far to take a morale-boosting fourth, ahead of the second Brawn of Rubens Barrichello who now slips more than a win behind team-mate Button in the points standings.Meanwhile, Ferrari managed to avoid the worst start to a Formula 1 season in its history by finally getting on the scoreboard at the fourth attempt, Kimi Raikkonen racing hard to sixth place.
As had been the case all weekend at Sakhir teams were faced with sweltering race-day conditions and as the 20 cars lined up on the grid under the beating sun the track temperatures nudged 50 degrees.
At the lights, the significantly lighter-fuelled Glock outdragged pole-sitting team-mate Trulli off the line to take the lead into the first corner.And while this may have been a pre-planned arrangement given Glock’s inferior fuel strategy, Trulli came under attack for real by a predictably fast-starting Hamilton – the world champion’s KERS system's power boost having helped him catapult past Button and Vettel off the line from fifth.
Hamilton then put his KERS to good effect again on the long uphill straight betweens turns three and four to speed past Trulli.
But the world champion didn’t stay here for long, running wide under braking which allowed the Toyota to regain the position.Hamilton was then demoted to fourth at the start of the next lap by Button, the Brawn driver judging an out-braking move to perfection down the inside of the first turn.
The pass turned out to be crucial as it ensured the championship leader could keep the Toyotas in sight over the first stint.Glock, meanwhile, had immediately opened up a one second advantage at the front, but despite his lighter fuel load he never shook Trulli off by more than two seconds.
Indeed by the time he dived into the pit lane at the end of lap 10 his lead was only 1.8s and, after the published fuel loads suggested Trulli would be carrying on for several more laps, his team-mate now seemed set to take the race by the throat.
Surprisingly however the Italian headed for service himself at the end of the very next tour, Toyota seemingly bringing its driver’s planned stop forwards.
Whatever the reason for the change of strategy, it changed the complexion of Trulli’s afternoon and gave Button – who had remained just 1.5s adrift of the Italian – the chance he needed to flex his BGP 001’s muscles.
For Trulli, while he exited the pit lane ahead of Glock – the German just starting a mysterious slide down the order after switching to the medium tyres – he encountered problems in the shape of Fernando Alonso’s KERS-equipped Renault.Having held off his old team-mate on rejoining the track, Alonso quickly showed he was in no mood to have his crucial laps before his own pit stop spoiled by a heavier-fuelled Toyota by sensationally muscling his way around the outside of the Italian at turn four.
That certaintly wasn't in Trulli's gameplan but in any case as things turned out this made little difference to the Italian's hopes of staying ahead of Button, the Brawn driver using his extra four laps-worth of fuel to easily leapfrog the Toyota.
This was also the stage of the race when Vettel turned around his afternoon following a difficult first stint spent behind Hamilton in fifth.
Carrying the most fuel of the leading runners, the German’s RB5 had looked less balanced than it had done when he sped to the fastest time in low-fuel Q2 on Saturday but, as his fuel burned off, he began to push on as the cars ahead of him peeled into the pits.
By the time he eventually pitted from the lead by lap 18 – promoting Button to the head of the field – he had done enough to not only jump Hamilton, but get himself tagged onto the back of Trulli.However, the re-appearance of the notorious ‘Trulli Train’ scuppered his hopes of taking the fight to Button on the super-soft tyres.While Trulli was lapping up to a second slower on the medium compound, frustratingly for Vettel all he could do was follow the Toyota around the 3.3-mile track again, again and again – the German and Hamilton running under a second behind the Italian for most of the next 18 laps.
This was a god-send for Button, who had no similar road-block preventing him exploiting the full potential of the soft tyres and he duly scampered away into the distance.
The championship leader’s advantage was 16.8s when he pitted for the second and final time on lap 36, the Brawn driver exiting the pit just as Trulli and Hamilton entered for their own respective final stops.With Vettel again stopping later than his respective rivals, the Red Bull star almost inevitably was going to move up to second and his three extra laps on track were indeed enough to allow him to stop and then rejoin ahead of Trulli.
The situation was now reversed, however, with the Toyota driver now the one on the super-soft rubber. Trulli duly made a renewed charge and closed onto Vettel’s gearbox, but it was too little and too late and the pole-sitter had to settle for the lowest rung of the podium.As long as the now faster Toyota remained tucked up behind the RBR, Button was always going to cruise to the flag and ultimately clocked off the final laps to take the win 7.1s ahead of Vettel.
Hamilton struggled on the harder tyres in the closing stages but nevertheless finished a comfortable fourth, with Barrichello fifth after his gamble on a three-stop strategy never paid dividends despite some impressive overtaking moves.
Early leader Glock eventually came home right behind Raikkonen in seventh, thus maintaining his 100% points-scoring record in 2009.But he and Toyota will be seeking answers as to how his race unravelled in the middle stint so badly.
Alonso may have taken the honours for ‘overtaking move of the race’ with his move on Trulli earlier in the day, but a single point was not what the Spaniard or Renault would have been hoping for this weekend after making big progress last week in China.
Felipe Massa, however, is still waiting for his first points of the season after last year’s championship runner-up finished a lap down in 14th. The Brazilian made a poor start from eighth despite having KERS and then had to pit for a new nosecone after lap one contact. But while his Ferrari team can take comfort from Raikkonen’s result, rival BMW will want to forget its Bahrain weekend as quickly as possible after its most uncompetitive race showing as an F1 team owner.
Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finished last of the classified runners after both picking up damage to their F1.09s on the opening lap, each having to pit for new front wings.A driver who enjoyed a more positive day, however, was the under-pressure Nelson Piquet Jr who produced his best race performance of his tough season so far to move up from 15th to the top 10 for Renault.
Bahrain Grand Prix result (57 laps)
1. BUTTON Brawn 1h31m48.18s
2. VETTEL Red Bull +7.1s
3. TRULLI Toyota +9.1s
4. HAMILTON McLaren +22.0s
5. BARRICHELLO Brawn +37.7s
6. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +42.0s
7. GLOCK Toyota +42.8s
8. ALONSO Renault +52.7s
9. ROSBERG Williams +58.1s
10. PIQUET Renault +1m05.1s
11. WEBBER Red Bull +1m07.6s
12. KOVALAINEN McLaren +1m17.8s
13. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +1m18.8s
14. MASSA Ferrari +1 lap
15. FISICHELLA Force India +1 lap
16. SUTIL Force India +1 lap
17. BUEMI Toro Rosso +1 lap
18. KUBICA BMW +1 lap
19. HEIDFELD BMW +1 lap
20. NAKAJIMA Williams +9 laps
Fastest lap: TRULLI 1m34.556s (lap 10)
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:55 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button and Brawn capture a F1 Bahrain victory
Brawn F1 team bring on improvements for Barcelona
The Brawn team is confident that it has the resources to stay ahead in the development race as the likes of McLaren and Ferrari try to fight back.
Although the Brawn GP BGP001 was designed and developed with the full might of Honda behind it, the team - now owned by Ross Brawn - has become much smaller since it was sold off by the Japanese manufacturer.
Jenson Button has been concerned that the pack has rapidly caught Brawn up after its dominant start to 2009, but the team's chief executive Nick Fry said Brawn could withstand whatever the established big guns threw at it.
"I think our team has got all the resources,” Fry told the Times newspaper.We have got a reasonable upgrade package for Barcelona."Whether it will be as big as some others, we don't know."Do we have the resources to develop for the rest of the year?""Yes, we do.”
Ross Brawn admitted that there had been a pause in the arrival of new parts due to the winter of uncertainty that the team endured after Honda pulled the plug, but said development had now been ramped up again.
"From the time that Honda announced they were stopping at the end of November, the budget was limited, the developments weren't coming,” he said."But they are coming now, so we can get the ball rolling again in terms of improving the car.”
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:54 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawn F1 team bring on improvements for Barcelona
Button gains Barcelona pole
Jenson Button showed his mettle yet again with a brilliant last-gasp lap to snatch pole position away from Sebastian Vettel for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.
The championship leader had left his Brawn garage for his crucial final Q3 lap far later than any of his rivals for pole and nearly didn’t even get time to complete his crucial effort after crossing the line just two seconds before the chequered flag fell.But none of this flustered the in-form Briton who, after matching provisional pole man Vettel’s pace through the opening two sectors, nailed an inch-perfect final sector to beat his Red Bull rival to the top spot by just over 0.1s.Button, who leads the title race by 12 points, is now in the perfect place to aim for a fourth win in five races – although the consistently impressive Vettel is set to be a serious threat after the young German maintained his impeccable top-three qualifying record in 2009.
Button’s late heroics denied Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello a front-row start, the Brazilian veteran – who topped the low-fuel Q2 - briefly having held provisional pole until Vettel and then Button made bigger gains late on.Barrichello will share the second row with compatriot Felipe Massa after the Brazilian appeared to prove Ferrari’s major F60 upgrade has given the beleaguered reigning champion team a big step forward with its best qualifying result of the year.
However, the Maranello squad was unable to completely banish the memories of its wretched start to the season as Kimi Raikkonen dropped out in Q1.The team inexplicably repeated its mistake with Massa from Sepang and wrongly assumed the Finn had set a fast enough lap time early in the session to progress, only to see other cars set faster times on the soft tyres while its driver sat helplessly in the garage.
Nevertheless its prospects of points are still far higher than old rival McLaren as it slumped to 14th and 18th on the grid with Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen respectively.Meanwhile, fifth place went to Vettel’s RBR team-mate Mark Webber, while Bahrain front row-starter Toyota was unable to repeat its feat from two weeks ago and Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli will line up sixth and seventh.
Home hero Fernando Alonso may also be disappointed with his qualifying session after only managing eighth in the updated Renault.Williams’s Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica in the heavily revised BMW F1.09 rounded up the top 10.
Rosberg’s team-mate Kazuki Nakajima will start 11th for the third time in five races after once again narrowly failing to make the top-10 shootout – the Japanese driver this time missing out by two hundredths of a second.Renault’s under-pressure driver Nelson Piquet Jr was similarly unlucky after his final Q2 lap provisionally put him eighth on the second session times, only to be eventually relegated by several drivers including team-mate Alonso.But 12th place still represents the Brazilian’s best grid position of the season and he can take heart from lapping just under a tenth of a second slower than the sister Renault.
Nick Heidfeld will line up 13th after failing to reach Q3 again following his morning smash, the BMW driver to start alongside reigning world champion Hamilton.
Having admitted ahead of the weekend that the Circuit de Catalunya was likely to expose the MP4-24’s continuing aerodynamic flaws, Hamilton was even more downbeat following Friday practice and doubted he would make Q3.That’s how things played out and the world champion will now have to produce another strong race performance to have any hope of adding to his meagre 2009 points tally.
It will be the same uphill battle for Raikkonen from 16th after the decision to only complete two flying laps backfired spectacularly, with late Q1 improvements from Barrichello, Trulli, Heidfeld and Piquet eventually seeing him tumble to an embarrassing early exit.
The elimination marks the first time the Finn has failed to clear the first qualifying hurdle since the 2007 Monaco GP and just the third time overall since the three-stage format was introduced the year before.
Sandwiching the two superstars on the grid in 15th will be rookie Sebastien Buemi after Toro Rosso’s big aero update didn’t make an impression over a single lap.
However, while Buemi did at least clear Q1, team-mate Sebastien Bourdais again couldn’t match his Swiss team-mate's pace and failed to make the cut with 17th.The Frenchman will share the ninth row with Kovalainen, who fared even worse than Hamilton and only claimed 18th in the struggling McLaren.
Force India’s latest updates, including updated diffuser and driver-adjustable front wing, couldn’t lift the VJM02 any closer to an elusive spot in Q2 and its drivers were again slowest of all.Nevertheless Adrian Sutil [19th] can at least take encouragement from lapping under a tenth slower than Kovalainen and almost half a second quicker than his team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
Spanish GP starting grid
1. BUTTON Brawn
2. VETTEL Red Bull
3. BARRICHELLO Brawn
4. MASSA Ferrari
5. WEBBER Red Bull
6. GLOCK Toyota
7. TRULLI Toyota
8. ALONSO Renault
9. ROSBERG Williams
10. KUBICA BMW
11. NAKAJIMA Williams
12. PIQUET Renault
13. HEIDFELD BMW
14. HAMILTON McLaren
15. BUEMI Toro Rosso
16. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
17. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso
18. KOVALAINEN McLaren
19. SUTIL Force India
20. FISICHELLA Force India
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:52 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Button gains Barcelona pole
Brawns Spanish 1-2 with Button and Barrichello
Button beats Barrichello for Brawn 1-2 Spanish Grand Prix
Jenson Button maintained his dream start to the 2009 season with his fourth win in five races after using a superior strategy to beat team-mate Rubens Barrichello in a Brawn-dominated Spanish Grand Prix.Brazilian veteran Barrichello led the first stint of the race after catapulting past pole-sitter Button by the first corner and opened up a handy gap over the championship leader before his later opening stop.
But while Button, pitting for fuel one lap before his team-mate, opted to switch to a two-stopping race, Barrichello strangely stayed on a three-stopper – a move that would scupper his hopes of claiming his first victory since 2004.The Brazilian couldn’t pull out enough of a gap during his short second stint and from there the momentum swung fully in Button’s favour, the Briton eventually beating his team-mate by 13s to increase his championship lead to 14 points.
With Brawn nevertheless in a class of its own, Red Bull’s Mark Webber recovered from a disappointing qualifying session to claim third after staying out in the middle stint longer on the faster soft-compound tyres.
That allowed him to vault past third and fourth placed men Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), his RBR team-mate having spent a frustrating afternoon tucked up behind Massa.
Indeed Vettel followed Massa until the closing laps, only eventually getting past the Ferrari after a refuelling miscue left the Brazilian short on fuel by one lap.It meant Massa had to cruise over the remaining laps, losing fifth place to home hero Fernando Alonso’s Renault.
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:50 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Brawns Spanish 1-2 with Button and Barrichello
Barrichello thought Spanish F1 victory was in his grasp
Rubens Barrichello admitted that he thought he had Spanish Grand Prix victory wrapped up until losing pace during his third stint.
The Brazilian had charged into the lead from third on the grid at the start, and then opened up a huge lead when his team-mate Jenson Button was switched from a three to a two-stop strategy at the first stops.
But Barrichello could not maintain his pace in the second half of the grand prix and had to settle for second behind his team-mate again.
"I was running a tiny bit quicker than Jenson to begin with," he said."Then I heard that they'd changed Jenson's strategy, and I had to keep on pushing."My third set of tyres was not good.
"I don't know if something was broken on the car - I couldn't keep my pace up as well on the last set either so I guess it wasn't the tyre, it has to be something to do with the car."And from there on it was a struggle, just a big, big struggle to keep the car on the track, and a relief to come second."
Despite his personal disappointment, Barrichello praised the Brawn team for managing to stay on top even as its larger rivals hurled upgrades at their cars for this race."It's still first and second back in Europe," he said."I'm disappointed that I didn't win the race because I thought I had it in the bag today, but it's still a good effort from the whole team."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:49 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: Barrichello thought Spanish F1 victory was in his grasp
Rubens and no Brawn team orders
Rubens Barrichello says there is no way he would accept Brawn GP using team orders to favour Jenson Button, but he is confident that he is being given equal opportunities at present.The Brazilian lost yesterday's Spanish Grand Prix to his championship-leading team-mate after Button was switched to a two-stop strategy mid-race and Barrichello failed to pull out a big enough gap to beat the Briton on his three-stop plan.
Still harbouring unhappy memories of having to obey team orders when alongside Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in 2000-05, Barrichello said he simply wouldn't be racing for Brawn if he thought the same situation applied."If I get the slightest sniff of the fact that they have favoured Jenson, I will hang up my helmet tomorrow," he told US broadcaster SPEED.
"But I know Ross wouldn't do that."He asked me to drive for him and he knows I want to race fairly with Jenson."
In the press conference Barrichello said he had vowed never to accept team orders again after his frustrations at Ferrari, when he famously had to hand Schumacher first place in the 2002 Austrian GP within yards of the finish."I'm very experienced with that, and if that happens, I won't follow any team orders any more," the veteran insisted.
"I'm making it clear now, so everybody knows."It's much different to how it used to be at Ferrari.
"We have a much more friendly situation, so I'm not sitting down on the side blaming this or that."It's in the best interests of myself to learn what went wrong because I had the ability to win the race but I didn't and this is a full stop.
"Jenson is on a flier and he's doing very well."There's a bit more pressure on my side, obviously, because he's won four races and I've won nothing but I'm there, I'm working and I won't stop working."
Button also dismissed any hint of team orders having been imposed and insisted Barrichello had been expected to win the race."Our strategy said that a three-stop was quicker, full stop," he said.
"We're all here to win; it went my way today and it might go Rubens's way in Monaco, and that's just the way it is."He had a problem in his stint and I didn't.
"I made it work and I won the race today but you know that can swing around at the next race and that's the way we go racing and that's the way racing should be and I think it has been, within most teams in Formula 1."I don't ever want to go down that avenue of talking about [team orders] because it's so far from the situation within our team."
Team boss Ross Brawn was adamant that Barrichello lost the race due to a lack of speed in his third stint rather than any team orchestration."Rubens was quite slow [in that stint], much slower than we anticipated and what he could or should have been doing," he told the BBC.
"That was the crucial bit of the race that really spoiled it for him, because until then he was looking good [to beat] Jenson."We were choosing a strategy for Rubens to win the race.
"It's very early in the championship, and both drivers are driving for it."As you saw at the beginning of the race, they've got freedom – the only rule is don't knock each other off."
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:43 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Rubens and Brawn team orders
brawn and button achieve bahrain victory
Jenson Button reasserted his grip on the 2009 world championship with a brilliant victory in searing desert heat in Bahrain – his third win in four races extending his title lead to 12 points.The Briton and his Brawn team turned around the form book from qualifying to beat pre-race favourites Sebastian Vettel and Jarno Trulli thanks to a perfect strategy and inch-perfect driving, the Red Bull and Toyota drivers finishing second and third respectively
Button had expressed optimism that his BGP 001 remained a force to be reckoned with over a race distance after only qualifying fourth and after jumping the front-row Toyotas during the first pit-stop phase, a strong middle stint ensured he wouldn’t be caught at the front.Toyota’s hopes of finally scoring its maiden Formula 1 victory faded after both its drivers made early pit stops, Chinese GP winner Vettel eventually vaulting ahead of pole-sitter Trulli into second place.
Lewis Hamilton completed McLaren’s best weekend of the season so far to take a morale-boosting fourth, ahead of the second Brawn of Rubens Barrichello who now slips more than a win behind team-mate Button in the points standings.Meanwhile, Ferrari managed to avoid the worst start to a Formula 1 season in its history by finally getting on the scoreboard at the fourth attempt, Kimi Raikkonen racing hard to sixth place.
As had been the case all weekend at Sakhir teams were faced with sweltering race-day conditions and as the 20 cars lined up on the grid under the beating sun the track temperatures nudged 50 degrees.
At the lights, the significantly lighter-fuelled Glock outdragged pole-sitting team-mate Trulli off the line to take the lead into the first corner.And while this may have been a pre-planned arrangement given Glock’s inferior fuel strategy, Trulli came under attack for real by a predictably fast-starting Hamilton – the world champion’s KERS system's power boost having helped him catapult past Button and Vettel off the line from fifth.
Hamilton then put his KERS to good effect again on the long uphill straight betweens turns three and four to speed past Trulli.
But the world champion didn’t stay here for long, running wide under braking which allowed the Toyota to regain the position.Hamilton was then demoted to fourth at the start of the next lap by Button, the Brawn driver judging an out-braking move to perfection down the inside of the first turn.
The pass turned out to be crucial as it ensured the championship leader could keep the Toyotas in sight over the first stint.Glock, meanwhile, had immediately opened up a one second advantage at the front, but despite his lighter fuel load he never shook Trulli off by more than two seconds.
Indeed by the time he dived into the pit lane at the end of lap 10 his lead was only 1.8s and, after the published fuel loads suggested Trulli would be carrying on for several more laps, his team-mate now seemed set to take the race by the throat.
Surprisingly however the Italian headed for service himself at the end of the very next tour, Toyota seemingly bringing its driver’s planned stop forwards.
Whatever the reason for the change of strategy, it changed the complexion of Trulli’s afternoon and gave Button – who had remained just 1.5s adrift of the Italian – the chance he needed to flex his BGP 001’s muscles.
For Trulli, while he exited the pit lane ahead of Glock – the German just starting a mysterious slide down the order after switching to the medium tyres – he encountered problems in the shape of Fernando Alonso’s KERS-equipped Renault.Having held off his old team-mate on rejoining the track, Alonso quickly showed he was in no mood to have his crucial laps before his own pit stop spoiled by a heavier-fuelled Toyota by sensationally muscling his way around the outside of the Italian at turn four.
That certaintly wasn't in Trulli's gameplan but in any case as things turned out this made little difference to the Italian's hopes of staying ahead of Button, the Brawn driver using his extra four laps-worth of fuel to easily leapfrog the Toyota.
This was also the stage of the race when Vettel turned around his afternoon following a difficult first stint spent behind Hamilton in fifth.
Carrying the most fuel of the leading runners, the German’s RB5 had looked less balanced than it had done when he sped to the fastest time in low-fuel Q2 on Saturday but, as his fuel burned off, he began to push on as the cars ahead of him peeled into the pits.
By the time he eventually pitted from the lead by lap 18 – promoting Button to the head of the field – he had done enough to not only jump Hamilton, but get himself tagged onto the back of Trulli.However, the re-appearance of the notorious ‘Trulli Train’ scuppered his hopes of taking the fight to Button on the super-soft tyres.While Trulli was lapping up to a second slower on the medium compound, frustratingly for Vettel all he could do was follow the Toyota around the 3.3-mile track again, again and again – the German and Hamilton running under a second behind the Italian for most of the next 18 laps.
This was a god-send for Button, who had no similar road-block preventing him exploiting the full potential of the soft tyres and he duly scampered away into the distance.
The championship leader’s advantage was 16.8s when he pitted for the second and final time on lap 36, the Brawn driver exiting the pit just as Trulli and Hamilton entered for their own respective final stops.With Vettel again stopping later than his respective rivals, the Red Bull star almost inevitably was going to move up to second and his three extra laps on track were indeed enough to allow him to stop and then rejoin ahead of Trulli.
The situation was now reversed, however, with the Toyota driver now the one on the super-soft rubber. Trulli duly made a renewed charge and closed onto Vettel’s gearbox, but it was too little and too late and the pole-sitter had to settle for the lowest rung of the podium.As long as the now faster Toyota remained tucked up behind the RBR, Button was always going to cruise to the flag and ultimately clocked off the final laps to take the win 7.1s ahead of Vettel.
Hamilton struggled on the harder tyres in the closing stages but nevertheless finished a comfortable fourth, with Barrichello fifth after his gamble on a three-stop strategy never paid dividends despite some impressive overtaking moves.
Early leader Glock eventually came home right behind Raikkonen in seventh, thus maintaining his 100% points-scoring record in 2009.But he and Toyota will be seeking answers as to how his race unravelled in the middle stint so badly.
Alonso may have taken the honours for ‘overtaking move of the race’ with his move on Trulli earlier in the day, but a single point was not what the Spaniard or Renault would have been hoping for this weekend after making big progress last week in China.
Felipe Massa, however, is still waiting for his first points of the season after last year’s championship runner-up finished a lap down in 14th. The Brazilian made a poor start from eighth despite having KERS and then had to pit for a new nosecone after lap one contact. But while his Ferrari team can take comfort from Raikkonen’s result, rival BMW will want to forget its Bahrain weekend as quickly as possible after its most uncompetitive race showing as an F1 team owner.
Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finished last of the classified runners after both picking up damage to their F1.09s on the opening lap, each having to pit for new front wings.A driver who enjoyed a more positive day, however, was the under-pressure Nelson Piquet Jr who produced his best race performance of his tough season so far to move up from 15th to the top 10 for Renault.
Bahrain Grand Prix result (57 laps)
1. BUTTON Brawn 1h31m48.18s
2. VETTEL Red Bull +7.1s
3. TRULLI Toyota +9.1s
4. HAMILTON McLaren +22.0s
5. BARRICHELLO Brawn +37.7s
6. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +42.0s
7. GLOCK Toyota +42.8s
8. ALONSO Renault +52.7s
9. ROSBERG Williams +58.1s
10. PIQUET Renault +1m05.1s
11. WEBBER Red Bull +1m07.6s
12. KOVALAINEN McLaren +1m17.8s
13. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +1m18.8s
14. MASSA Ferrari +1 lap
15. FISICHELLA Force India +1 lap
16. SUTIL Force India +1 lap
17. BUEMI Toro Rosso +1 lap
18. KUBICA BMW +1 lap
19. HEIDFELD BMW +1 lap
20. NAKAJIMA Williams +9 laps
Fastest lap: TRULLI 1m34.556s (lap 10)
Posted by Sam L. Clemens at 10:39 0 comments Links to this post
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