Germany 2009

MARK WEBBER, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR DRIVERS IN THE F1 PADDOCK, SHRUGGED OFF 8 YEARS OF DISAPPOINTMENTS AND VERY SERIOUS INJURIES (AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR WHILST ON HIS CHARITY CYCLE EVENT LAST WINTER) TO WIN HIS FIRST F1 TITLE IN STYLE. HE WAS FOLLOWED HOME BY HIS TEAM-MATE, SEBASTIAN VETTEL, TO MAKE IT THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE 1-2 FINISH FOR RED BULL.

OFF-HAND, I CANNOT RECALL IF ANY OTHER DRIVER HAS WON A GRAND PRIX AFTER SERVING A DRIVE-THROUGH PENALTY BUT THAT IS WHAT MARK DID. IF THERE IS A PRECEDENT, THEN IT IS A RARE ONE. IT RESULTED FROM A START LINE INCIDENT WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY HIT RUBENS BARRICHELLO'S BRAWN CAR WHILST MOVING OVER TO DEFEND HIS LINE FROM POLE POSITION. AT THE TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE HE WAS PENALISED TWICE BECAUSE RUBENS ACTUALLY LED OUT OF THE FIRST CORNER.

UNDETERRED BY THIS PENALTY, HE FOUGHT BACK BRAVELY AND WAS HELPED IN THIS BY THE FACT THAT SOME CARS WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH GRIP IN THE VERY LOW TEMPERATURES. THEY THUS HELD UP THE CARS BEHIND AND PROVIDED A BIGGER GAP FOR MARK TO SLOT BACK INTO WHEN HE EMERGED FROM THE PIT-STOP HE TOOK SOON AFTER SERVING HIS PENALTY.

BOTH BRAWN DRIVERS SUFFERED FROM THE LACK OF GRIP AND RUBENS WAS ALSO HANDICAPPED BY A FUEL-RIG PROBLEM THAT COST HIM TIME. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RACE, BEFORE HE WAS AWARE OF ALL THE FACTS, HE BLAMED THE TEAM FOR LOSING HIM THE RACE. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT RUBENS HAS ALWAYS SUFFERED FROM BAD LUCK IN THE PAST.

REMEMBER THE DAYS AT FERRARI WHEN IT WAS INVARIABLY HIS CAR THAT HAD THE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WHILST MICHAEL SCHUMACHER CARRIED SERENELY ON HIS WAY. IT ALMOST SEEMED AS IF IT WAS BUILT INTO RUBENS FERRARI CONTRACT THAT HE SHOULD BE THE ONE TO SUFFER. SO HIS OUTBURST, UNFORTUNATE AS IT WAS, IT WAS PERHAPS UNDERSTANDABLE IN THE FRUSTRATION OF THE MOMENT.

FELIPE MASSA DROVE A STEADY RACE TO FINISH 3RD WITH NICO ROSBERG GAINING HIS HIGHEST GP FINISH IN 4TH, JENSON BUTTON 5TH, BARRICHELLO 6TH. LEWIS HAMILTON HAD THE BENEFIT OF MORE UPGRADES THAN HIS TEAM-MATE BUT WASTED THEM BY BADLY PUNCTURING HIS RIGHT-REAR TYRE ON WEBBER'S FRONT WING AT TURN 1 AFTER THE START, DAMAGING HIS FLOOR IN THE RESULTANT OFF-TRACK EXCURSION.

PERHAPS THE UNLUCKIEST DRIVER WAS ADRIAN SUTIL. AFTER QUALIFYING IN 7TH FOR FORCE INDIA - THEIR FIRST TOP 10 PLACE - HE WAS DRIVING WELL DURING THE RACE AND LOOKED TO BE ON FOR THEIR FIRST POINTS WHEN WHO SHOULD HE MEET ON-TRACK AS HE EMERGED FROM HIS FIRST PIT-STOP? KIMI RAIKKONEN. ADRIAN HAD THE INSIDE LINE, KIMI TRIED TO GO ROUND HIM BUT THEY TOUCHED AND ADRIAN'S FRONT WING WAS WRECKED AND HE HAD TO RETURN TO THE PITS FOR A NEW ONE. REMEMBER KIMI WRECKING ADRIAN'S CHANCE OF 4TH PLACE IN LAST YEAR'S MONACO GP?

RED BULL ARE MASTERS OF THE GRIP IN THE COLD - SILVERSTONE LAST TIME OUT AND HERE. BRAWN WILL BE HOPING THAT THE SITUATION WILL BE RECTIFIED AT THE NEXT TWO GP'S IN HUNGARY AND SPAIN. THESE ARE USUALLY HOT BUT IN THESE DAYS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WHO KNOWS!

Race Results posted by
David Little
13th July 2009

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