Abu Dhabi 2009
THERE WERE STILL REASONS TO RACE HERE DESPITE THE COVETED DRIVER AND CONSTRUCTOR CHAMPIONSHIPS GOING THE WAY OF JENSON BUTTON AND BRAWN GP IN BRAZIL LAST TIME OUT.
SEBASTIEN VETTEL WANTED TO CLINCH 2ND PLACE IN THE DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP, LEADING RUBENS BARRICHELLO BY 2 POINTS BEFORE THE RACE, MCLAREN WANTED TO BEAT FERRARI TO 3RD PLACE IN THE CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP, MCLAREN AHEAD BY 1 POINT AT THE START, AND LEWIS HAMILTON WAS DETERMINED TO FINISH AHEAD OF KIMI RAIKKONEN, HIS POSSIBLE NEW TEAM-MATE IN 2009, AGAIN ONLY 1 POINT SEPARATED THEM. IN THE END, THOSE IN FRONT, STAYED IN FRONT.
LEWIS HAD BEEN THE QUICKEST DRIVER ALL WEEKEND AND CLAIMED POLE POSITION ON SATURDAY WHILST HEIKKI KOVALAINEN WAS ALWAYS CLOSE TO HIM AT THE TOP OF THE PRACTICE TIMESHEETS BUT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IN QUALIFYING LEFT HIM IN 13TH PLACE AND A SUBSEQUENT LATER GEARBOX CHANGE INCURRED A 5-PLACE GRID DROP.
THE TWO RED BULL DRIVERS WERE ALSO QUICK AND OUT-QUALIFIED THE 2 BRAWNS EVEN THOUGH JENSON'S SHACKLES, IN THE FORM OF THE TITLE PRESSURES, HAD CLEARLY DISAPPEARED.
IT SEEMED THAT THE RACE WAS LEWIS'S FOR THE TAKING BUT THIS IS F1 AND HE NEVER ESCAPED THE CLUTCHES OF SEBASTIEN AND AFTER 20 LAPS THE TEAM RETIRED HIM ON SAFETY GROUNDS BECAUSE OF A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS REAR BRAKE PROBLEM. THIS LEFT SEBASTIEN IN THE LEAD AND HE WENT ON TO WIN THE RACE.
RUBENS HAD BEEN HAMPERED AFTER A BRUSH WITH MARK WEBBER'S CAR AT THE START THAT DAMAGED HIS FRONT WING. IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO FORCE A NOSE-CONE CHANGE BUT HE LACKED THAT LITTLE BIT OF DOWNFORCE THAT IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED IN TODAY'S CARS WHERE THE SLIGHTEST WEAKNESS HANDS OVER THE ADVANTAGE TO OTHERS.
THERE WERE MANY INTERESTING BATTLES DOWN THE ORDER BUT THE MOST ENTERTAINING WAS THAT BETWEEN WEBBER AND BUTTON FOR 2ND PLACE DURING THE LAST 10 LAPS. JENSON'S CAR WAS BETTER ON THE SOFT TYRE THAN MARK'S AND HE BEGAN TO REEL HIM IN. IT CULMINATED IN A WORTHY, CLEAN BATTLE DURING THE LAST 2 LAPS AS THE NEW WORLD CHAMPION TRIED ALL HE KNEW TO GET PAST. ON THE LAST LAP, THEY SEEMED TO BE SIDE-BY-SIDE FOR MOST OF IT BUT MARK WAS ABLE TO FEND OFF BUTTON'S CHALLENGE.
THE NEW TRACK HAD LIVED UP TO ALL THE HYPE SURROUNDING THE CIRCUIT FACILITIES AND, WHILST IT CANNOT HOLD A CANDLE TO SILVERSTONE, SPA OR MONZA, IT PROVIDED ENOUGH UNCERTAINTIES FOR THE DRIVERS TO MAKE IT A GOOD TRACK AS NEW TRACKS GO.
SO AN EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING AND HISTORIC SEASON HAS DRAWN TO A CLOSE AND WE AWAIT THE NEW SEASON WITH INTEREST. WILL THE FOUR NEW TEAMS ALL MAKE IT TO THE GRID? WILL SOMEONE BUY BMW-SAUBER AND DO A BRAWN? CAN BRAWN AND RED BULL, THE TWO FORM TEAMS OF 2009, KEEP IT UP AGAINST THE RESURGENCE OF MCLAREN AND FERRARI?
MOST IMPORTANTLY, CAN FELIPE MASSA MAKE A SUCCESSFUL RETURN AFTER HIS SERIOUS, ALMOST LIFE-THREATENING INJURY? HOPEFULLY, HE CAN EMULATE MIKA HAKKINEN'S EXPERIENCE AFTER A SIMILAR HEAD INJURY IN AUSTRALIA 1995 - HE WENT ON TO BECOME A DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION IN 1998 AND 1999.
ALL WILL BE REVEALED IN 2010!
STARTING GRID
| | | |
| 1.
|
Lewis Hamilton
|
| 2.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 3.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 4.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 5.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 6.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 7.
|
Robert Kubica
|
| 8.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 9.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 10.
|
Sebastien Buemi
|
| 11.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 12.
|
Kamui Kobayashi
|
| 13.
|
Kazuki Nakajima
|
| 14.
|
Jaime Alguersari
|
| 15.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 16.
|
Vitantonio Liuzzi
|
| 17.
|
Aidrian Sutil
|
| 18.
|
Heikki Kovalainen
|
| 19.
|
Romain Grosjean
|
| 20.
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 2.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 3.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 4.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 5.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 6.
|
Kamui Kobayashi
|
| 7.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 8.
|
Sebastien Buemi
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers :
| |
| Jenson Button
|
95
|
| Sebastian Vettel
|
84
|
| Rubens Barrichello
|
77
|
| Mark Webber
|
69.5
|
| Lewis Hamilton
|
49
|
| Kimi Raikkonen
|
48
|
| Nico Rosberg
|
34.5
|
| Jarno Trulli
|
32.5
|
Constructors :
|
| Brawn GP
|
172
|
| Red Bull Racing
|
153.5
|
| McLaren
|
71
|
| Ferrari
|
70
|
| Toyota
|
59.5
|
| BMW
|
36
|
| Williams
|
34.5
|
| Renault
|
26
|
| Force India
|
13
|
| Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
8
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
2nd November 2009
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