2009 F1 Season Review

2009 marked the 60th Formula One Championship and was the year when a new team was born, won both the Constructors Championship and the Drivers Championship, and then died – all in a single season.  2009 was the year of Brawn GP.

The 2009 F1 season was the first  to be run on slick tyres since they were outlawed after 1997. In an effort to cut costs and increase overtaking the FIA also introduced revised front and rear wings, changes to the diffusers, the removal of winglets and other bodywork appendages and the introduction of the KERS system whereby energy was stored from braking to be used via a ‘push to pass’ button for a limited time.

The new look cars were not without their critics. They were described as ugly and out of proportion, driver Christian Klein labelled the car the ugliest he’d ever seen.

While FIA president Max Mosley had introduced these changes to lower costs and ease the financial pressure this hadn’t been enough to prevent Honda from pulling out. The team had produced a disastrous 2008 car and inexplicably ran without sponsorship which compounded the financial problems. The team had abandoned the development of the 2008 car to put full effort in to the 2010 chassis but it would never have ran if Ross Brawn hadn’t managed to pull off an 11th hour buy-out of the team.

The new car now named Brawn GP had the definite advantage of having a lot of the prior season spend dedicated to its development and it showed. Driven by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello it was the class of the field when it entered the first race of the season at Melbourne in Australia. However the first race did not pass without controversy – three teams Toyota, Williams and Brawn GP has made clever interpretation of the new rules governing the diffusers using the rear crash structure to extend the diffuser and create extra downforce – so called the double diffuser.

Before the season started the new designs were contested as the other teams claimed they were against the spirit of the rules and the FIA were asked for clarification on the matter. On the Wednesday before the season opener an official complaint was launched by seven of the teams claiming the diffusers were illegal but the FIA scrutineers disagreed and the cars were declared as legal. The teams countered by launching an appeal which would be heard before the Chinese Grand Prix, the third race of the season.

Brawn dominated the early season with Jenson Button opening the account in Australian Grand Prix which meant the Brawn GP team had won its first ever race. Making the statistics look even better Barrichello came home second. Fellow double diffuser users Red Bull were also running very well with Vettel in second until he collided with the BMW Sauber of Kubica. The race finished behind the safety car and Jarno Trulli took the final podium position.

The second controversy of the 2009 season occurred owing to an incident between Jarno Trulli and McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton. McLaren claimed that whilst under yellow flags Trulli had overtaken Hamilton. When asked by the Stewards both McLaren Sporting Director Dave Ryan and Lewis Hamilton said they had not intentionally let the Toyota driver through. However, they were caught out by the FIA when the team radio was analysed showing that Hamilton had been instructed to allow Trulli past. The net result was they lied to the Stewards, Dave Ryan was sacked, and Hamilton disqualified.

During the media storm at the following race in Malaysia, Hamilton claimed he was on the verge of quitting the sport. Hamilton expressed his great regret at the incident and stated he was just following team orders, essentially making Ryan the scapegoat for the incident. Hamilton’s reputation as clean-cut took a massive blow.

Meanwhile the double diffuser row continued but was laid to rest, for a while at least, when the FIA declared the diffusers legal. Interestingly the double diffusers were also allowed for the 2010 season despite the issues they create with overtaking, but are banned from 2011.

During the race the heavens opened and the race was run in monsoon conditions before being stopped. Button won but only half points were awarded as the race did not run full distance, the fifth time in the championship’s history only half points have been awarded.

In China it was wet again but this race was one for the Red Bull team with Sebastian Vettel leading team mate Mark Webber home to record the team’s first win. However, this was only a temproary blip in the Brawn armour as Button went on to win the next four races in Bahrain, Spain, Monaco, and Turkey.

After winning six of the first seven races and having the car declared legal despite its double diffuser, Brawn looked set to walk the 2009 championship but the British Grand Prix was the turning point of the season. In the second half of the season Adrian Newey had helped the Red Bull team adapt the car to run a double diffuser after initial difficulties owing to the unique design of the rear suspension…it was now game on.

Red Bull dominated the British Grand Prix much to the disappointment of Button, and again it was Vettel who led Webber for a 1-2 finish. For the first time that season Button failed to get on the podium only managing sixth for his efforts, but Barrichello saved the day for the team by finishing third.

At the German Grand Prix it was the same story with Red Bull proving the new class of the field. Webber took his first pole and won the race despite a drive through penalty threatening to ruin his day. Vettel capped another 1-2 for the team with Felipe Massa finishing third in the improving but difficult Ferrari.

The podium in Germany was to be Massa’s last race of 2009 after being hit by a spring that had fallen from the Brawn of Barrichello whilst travelling at 162mph during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Massa suffered severe head injuries but somehow managed to slow the car before hitting the barrier. Thankfully Massa would make a full recovery in time for 2010.

The race itself was won by Lewis Hamilton as McLaren fought back to form. The Brawns finished a lowly seventh and tenth while Raikkonen took second and Webber third.

Ferrari announced Luca Badoer, the teams long term test driver would compete in the second seat until the end of the season. Initially Michael Schumacher looked set for a return to F1 racing but a neck injury eventually ruled him out, for the time being.

At the European Grand Prix held at the new Valencia track Rubens Barrichello took victory for the Brawn team climbing from third behind pole man Lewis Hamilton and team mate Heikki Kovalainen. Hamilton eventually finished second followed by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. In the other Ferrari Badoer struggled and qualified last, 1.5 seconds behind the next man, and was lapped in the race itself.

Belgium was next and Giancarlo Fisichella made headlines by putting his Force India on pole over Trulli and Heidfeld. Fisichella had a binding race but was eventually passed by the much quicker Ferrari of Raikkonen, nevertheless he still managed second which was a magnificent result for the team. Vettel took third. Again Luca Badoer qualified last and finished last of the runners. He was demoted back to a test role ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

In the place of Badoer was another fellow Italian. Fisichella’s performance hadn’t gone unnoticed by Ferrari and a deal was secured to allow him to step in to the Ferrari cockpit. In his place was Vitantonio Liuzzi.

During qualifying Adrian Sutil qualified in second behind Lewis Hamilton in the Force India maybe leading Fisichella to question if he had done the right thing. Fisichella found it difficult to get to grips with the Ferrari and only managed 14th place, his team mate well ahead in 3rd.

Barrichello took another victory leading Button by almost three seconds followed by Raikkonen and Sutil. This was only a brief return to form for Brawn as Button looked uncomfortable in qualifying and struggled in the races towards the end of the season.

The season had swung the way of McLaren, Red Bull and to a degree Ferrari and at the Singapore Grand Prix Hamilton took pole ahead of Vettel. Hamilton won and Vettel kept his championship hopes alive with fourth, Jenson Button meanwhile picked up small but important points for fifth.

In Japan Vettel won again, this time from Trulli and Hamilton. The Brawns could only manage seventh and eighth with Barrichello leading. Button was looking like he may throw away the championship that he had dominated in the early part of 2009.

Brazil was the penultimate race of the season and Button knew he was making hard work of the championship. In a wet qualifying Button only made fourteenth on the grid while Barrichello propelled himself to pole in front of his home crowd. Barrichello was himself determined to be champion.

The opening laps were dominated by incidents. Kovalainen hit Vettel exiting the Senna ‘S’ and narrowly missed Fisichella. Vettel was undamaged and continued. Two corners later Trulli collided with Sutil while trying to pass ending with both drivers being out of the race. A row ensued between the two which boiled over to the next race. During the course of the accident Alonso was eliminated and the safety car deployed. The next incident took place in the pit lane. Kovalainen had pitted after his incident with Vettel and left the pit lane with the fuel line still attached, Raikkonen followed him down the pit lane and was sprayed with fuel which ignited. Both drivers continued.

Barrichello controlled the race from the front but with Webber and Kubica close behind. Aided by the incidents at the start Button had progressed to ninth at the end of the first lap and then took Grosjean around the outside at Turn 6 and then Nakajima. Kamui Kobayashi who was making his début for Toyota was running very well and Button was held up much to his displeasure which was expressed via the team radio.

Once Button dispatched Kobayashi he was able to quickly pull out a lead over him and set about the next task. Meanwhile Barrichello was being hunted down by Webber and during the pit stops was passed. Kubica was next to start hunting Barrichello.

During the next stops Button and Vettel made it past Button as Button lost time behind Kovalainen. However this mattered little as Barrichello was fading fast and had the race been called there and then Button would have claimed the title. Button passed Kovalainen for sixth when the McLaren driver pitted while Hamilton demoted Barrichello further by passing him but not before damaging Barrichello’s tyre causing a puncture and relegating him to eighth. With that Barrichello’s title charge had all but ended.

Mark Webber secured victory followed Kubica and Hamilton. Button ended fifth and Barrichello eighth. Vettel was fourth which meant his title challenge was also over leaving Button to be crowned the 2009 Formula One Champion. This marked the tenth title for a British driver and the first British driver to succed another since 1969 when Jackie Stewart followed Graham Hill’s 1968 success.

Brawn took the accolades for the Constructors Championship making history for the team.

The inaugral Abu Dhabi Grand Prix took place at sunset with the start being in daylight and ending under full floodlights. Red Bull secured their fourth 1-2 of the season with Vettel leading.

Button lead the Drivers Championship with 95 points ahead of Vettel on 84 and Barrichello on 77, while Brawn lead the constructors with 172 points from Red Bull on 153.5 and McLaren on 71.

At the season end Brawn were bought by Mercedes who employed the services of Michael Schumacher, and both Button and Barrichello left for McLaren and Williams respectively. The Brawn GP team was no more. But the record stands: One championship entry, one début race win, one constructor’s championship, and one driver’s championship.