Great Britain 2009
FROM THE MOMENT I SAW THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE RACING WEEKEND (COOL, CLOUDY AND SHOWERY), I KNEW THAT JENSON BUTTON WAS IN TROUBLE! THE BRAWN CAR, DESIGNED BY HONDA, HAS CARRIED FORWARD A TRAIT THAT IS COMMON WITH ALL ITS HONDA PREDECESSORS - IT IS KIND TO ITS TYRES.
THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT IS THAT THE TYRES SURVIVE WELL IN HOT TEMPERATURES AND DELIVER GOOD GRIP - THE DISADVANTAGE IS THAT IN COOL TEMPERATURES IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET ENOUGH HEAT INTO THE TYRES AND, BY THEN, THE OPPOSITION HAS DISAPPEARED UP THE ROAD. RUBENS BARRICHELLO HAS A MORE VIGOROUS DRIVING STYLE AND, IN THESE CONDITIONS, COPES BETTER THAN JENSON WHOSE STYLE IS SO SMOOTH.
THIS WAS CONFIRMED IN QUALIFYING AND I KNEW THAT THE THOUSANDS OF BRITISH FANS WHO PACKED INTO SILVERSTONE EACH DAY HOPING FOR A BUTTON VICTORY WERE GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED. EVEN MORE SO WHEN RED BULL UNVEILED A BIG AERO PACKAGE ON THEIR CAR THAT WAS BETTER ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MULTITUDE OF HIGH SPEED CORNERS AT THIS TRACK.
SEBASTIEN VETTEL TOOK POLE, RUBENS 2ND AND MARK WEBBER 3RD WITH JENSON IN 6TH AND SEBASTIEN FLEW FROM THE START, GAINING A SECOND EACH LAP ON BARRICHELLO. MARK FAILED TO GET PAST RUBENS OFF THE LINE AND, AS OVERTAKING IS VERY DIFFICULT HERE, HE COULD ONLY SIT BEHIND THE SLOWER BRAWN AND WATCH HIS TEAM-MATE BUILD A SUBSTANTIAL LEAD.
HE WAS ABLE TO JUMP RUBENS AT THE FIRST PIT-STOPS BUT THE DAMAGE FROM HIS SMALL ERROR IN QUALIFYING WAS ALREADY DONE AND THE RED BULLS CAME HOME TO A 1-2 FINISH WITH RUBENS THIRD. JENSON GAINED A VALUABLE 3 POINTS FOR 6TH PLACE.
IT MAY SEEM FROM THE ABOVE THAT THIS WAS A BORING RACE BUT IT WAS FAR FROM IT WITH TIGHT BATTLES UP AND DOWN THE FIELD, NOTABLY TWO RECENT WORLD CHAMPIONS (AND FORMER TEAM-MATES) BATTLING WHEEL-TO-WHEEL OVER 16TH PLACE! LEWIS HAMILTON LOST OUT TO FERNANDO ALONSO WHO SUBSEQUENTLY MADE IT TO 14TH.
TO ME, THIS IS THE ULTIMATE PROOF THAT IF YOU PUT AN UNDENIABLY TOP-CLASS DRIVER IN A POOR CAR YOU WILL GET POOR RESULTS. ALL THOSE CRITICS OF JENSON BUTTON WHO ARGUE THAT HE IS ONLY LEADING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE OF THE BRAWN CAR, IMPLYING THAT HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ITS SUCCESS, SHOULD NOTE THE HAMILTON/ALONSO RESULTS IN THEIR CURRENT CARS. THEY HAVEN'T LOST THEIR SKILL, THEY ARE JUST IN POOR CARS.
THEY SHOULD ALSO LISTEN TO ROSS BRAWN'S COMMENTS ON JENSON - IF ROSS DOESN'T KNOW HOW A TOP DRIVER PERFORMS IN ONE OF HIS CARS THEN NO-ONE DOES!
STARTING GRID
| | | |
| 1.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 2.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 3.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 4.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 5.
|
Kazuki Nakajima
|
| 6.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 7.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 8.
|
Timo Glock
|
| 9.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 10.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 11.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 12.
|
Robert Kubica
|
| 13.
|
Heikki Kovalainen
|
| 14.
|
Nelson Piquet
|
| 15.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 16.
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
| 17.
|
Sebastien Bourdais
|
| 18.
|
Lewis Hamilton
|
| 19.
|
Sebastien Buemi
|
| 20.
|
Aidrian Sutil
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 2.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 3.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 4.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 5.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 6.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 7.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 8.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers :
| |
| Jenson Button
|
64
|
| Rubens Barrichello
|
41
|
| Sebastian Vettel
|
39
|
| Mark Webber
|
35.5
|
| Jarno Trulli
|
21.5
|
| Felipe Massa
|
16
|
| Nico Rosberg
|
15.5
|
| Timo Glock
|
13
|
Constructors :
|
| Brawn GP
|
105
|
| Red Bull Racing
|
74.5
|
| Toyota
|
34.5
|
| Ferrari
|
26
|
| Williams
|
15.5
|
| McLaren
|
13
|
| Renault
|
11
|
| BMW
|
8
|
| Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
5
|
| Force India
|
0
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
22nd June 2009
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