Formula One news
Webber wins, Button and Brawn Champions
18 October 2009 / Results / PhotosJenson Button has sealed his maiden Formula One title by finishing fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix. His Brawn team also celebrates the Constructors' title in its maiden season after Mark Webber won the race at Interlagos for Red Bull Racing.
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| The field filters through the Senna S on the first lap |
With Jenson Button having been able to pick up the World Championship in Japan a fortnight ago, the challenge looked tough once again in Brazil as a disastrous qualifying session on Saturday left the championship leader, who has never been headed this season, 14th for the start.
Hometown hero Rubens Barrichello achieved his first pole position for five years after a chaotic and much-interrupted grid-deciding session on Saturday, with the third title protagonist - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel - just once place behind Button following a 5-place gearbox penalty for Vitantonio Liuzzi.
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| Kovalainen and Fisichella find themselves in trouble at Turn 2 |
In dry weather, something of a rarity this weekend, the field suffered no start problems although much drama was soon to occur on the most dramatic first lap of the season; first in the wars was McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen, who spun at Turn 2 and was almost t-boned by the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella, which evacuated onto the grass.
With the field squabbling for position down the back straight, Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari was fortunate to escape damage after being squeezed onto the grass by Webber. The sole Safety Car deployment of the race, however, would come as a result of carnage two corners later as Adrian Sutil and Jarno Trulli went wheel-to-wheel.
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| Trulli and Sutil blamed each other although Alonso was an innocent victim |
With a furious Trulli having dropped a rear wheel onto the grass, the Toyota spun into the back of the Force India before continuing into the wall; Sutil, meantime, ploughed across the grass infield section before heading back across the circuit and taking out the Renault of Fernando Alonso. All three drivers escaped unharmed after the carnage at Ferradura.
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| With fuel in his eyes, Räikkönen drove an excellent recovery drive |
The first-lap shenanigans would only come to and end after Heikki Kovalainen pulled away from his pit box with the fuel hose still attached, trailing fuel along the pitlane as contact with Räikkönen's exhaust fumes resulted in a giant fireball at the back of the Ferrari. Thankfully, both cars continued and no bystanders were injured. All suspect incidents are being investigated by the FIA-appointed stewards after the race.
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| Turn 1: A favourite passing place for the new World Champion |
As Barrichello led the field at the restart, championship leader Button had managed to avoid the drama and rise to 9th place, two positions ahead of Vettel, as the duo spectacularly sliced their way through slower traffic; one highlight included a spectacular move by the Champion elect around the outside of Romain Grosjean at Ferradura.
Outgoing Champion Lewis Hamilton was also brought in at the end of the first lap, allowing the McLaren team to end usage of the slower Super Soft compound tyre. The Englishman eventually managed to rise to a podium slot.
Following the Lap 1 smash, three more drivers would retire from the Brazilian Grand Prix. The BMW of Nick Heidfeld was the first, pulling off the track shortly after exiting the pit lane; the German, whose fuel hose had malfunctioned, watched the rest of the race from the sidelines having not had enough petrol to recover to the pits.
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| Nakajima's day ended with a heavy accident at Turn 4 |
Williams also suffered a disappointing day; Nico Rosberg retired into the garage with a suspected gearbox failure as team-mate Kazuki Nakajima flew off the circuit to collide with the Subida do Lago tyre wall - having made contact with compatriot Kamui Kobayashi's Toyota, the front end of the Toyota customer car was lifted off the ground before scraping down the wall, straight-lining the corner and piling into the wall at unabated speed. The driver thankfully climbed out of the car unaided.
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| Pole man Barrichello ended the day in eighth spot |
With the leaders all on 2-stop strategies, Button had already managed to climb to within sufficient proximity of his rivals for the title win although it was a puncture for Barrichello which all but confirmed the premature outcome of the 2009 championship; with Lewis Hamilton pulling to the inside of the start/finish straight, slight contact between the front wing of the McLaren and left-rear tyre of the Brawn was all it took for the Brazilian to have to pit and sink to eighth as the Englishman finished on the rostrum.
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| Button becomes the second consecutive British World Champion |
Sébastien Buemi's superb drive to seventh for Toro Rosso was somewhat overshadowed by the championship battle as Räikkönen's recovery left him sixth, behind World Champion Button. Fourth place was not enough for Vettel, who will continue his battle for 2nd place with Barrichello in Abu Dhabi. As a recovered Felipe Massa waved the chequered flag, Robert Kubica celebrated his first podium finish since Japan last year as the BMW man - who moves to Renault in 2010 - drove a strong race to finish second from eighth on the grid.
With both titles now decided, Vettel slips ahead of Barrichello by 2 points in the battle for runner-up spot and McLaren passes Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship; in the squabble for third place, last year's contenders are just a single point apart with the inaugural, season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix still to go.
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