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Lee McKenzie's End of Season Review 2009 (Part 2)

After a stunning and very different season of Formula One, BBC pit lane reporter Lee McKenzie sat down to write her own review of the year, from Australia to Abu Dhabi, exclusively for GPUpdate.net. Today, Monday, we bring you the second and final part of Lee's 2009 examination.

(Lee McKenzie's End of Season Review 2009 - Part 1)

Crashgate: Generally regarded as the worst scandal in F1 history

The 3 week break was a welcome relief to all after a relentless start to the season. But the news didn't stop. Nelson Piquet Jr. was replaced by Frenchman Romain Grosjean - a move which had been predicted all season. The problem was the Piquet had lots of reasons to be angry and boy, did he make them known. A court case later in the year heard the Piquet had been asked to crash in Singapore 2008, bringing out the safety car and allowing his team mate Fernando Alonso to win. Pat Symonds and Flavio Briatore were another two players taken off the F1 chess board. 

Barrichello ends a near-five-year losing streak in Valencia

The only excitement from Valencia was Luca Badoer getting done for speeding in the pit lane a reported 7 times, although the Stewards stopped at 5. Ironically it seemed like he had hit the pit lane speed limiter on the track. By Monza he had been replaced by fellow Italian Giancarlo Fisichella. 

Rubens won Valencia and Monza. In Spa Fisichella stole the show in his final qualifying for Force India giving them an outstanding pole position and 2nd place in the race, which was won by Kimi Raikkonen. Button and Hamilton tangled on lap 1 with some of the inexperienced racers. Jenson didn't lose any ground in the championship, but neither did he make any. Four races to go and four possible winners - the championship was still very much alive. 

Pole position translates to second for Fisichella in Belgium

From the familiarity and daylight, Formula One headed to the humidity and darkness of Singapore. Renault lost credibility, staff and sponsors. Had Jenson lost his cool in the race of the title? These were subjects making the news. 

Lewis Hamilton loves a street circuit and whipped around the stunning streets of Singapore as if he were the only man on the track. Pole position and a race win showed he was desperate to be back at the top of the sport. 4th for Vettel, 5th for Jenson and 6th for Rubens - not a great night for the class of 2009! But it was worse for Mark Webber who lost not only his brakes but also his championship chances. 

Singapore: The defending Champion's second and final win of the season

Suzuka was back, much to the delight of us all. We arrived at the paddock to F1's worst kept secret. Fernando Alonso would be a Ferrari driver from 2010. Raikkonen was out in the cold. Mathematically Jenson could win the championship in Japan, realistically it was a tall order. It was even trickier if you were Sebastian Vettel. Only a 1st or 2nd would keep his hopes alive.

Qualifying was another dramatic one with lots of very heavy offs. The biggest though was Timo Glock who was airlifted to hospital and despite walking around smiling in the paddock on the Sunday, back problems kept him out of the car for the rest of the season. For the 2nd time this season, only 19 cars started the grand prix. 

Glock's Suzuka qualifying crash ended his season

Vettel had taken a stunning pole position and celebrated like it was a victory. 24 hours later, he was celebrating that too! Although it wouldn't be easy - the star of the future was making his bid for 2009. 

Interlagos was the 5th year in a row that the battle for the driver's Championship had come to the track. Jenson knew that to win the title he needed to finish in the top 3 or his fate would be in the hands of others. As it happened everyone's fate was in the hands of the weather god on Saturday. A massive downpour saw qualifying red flagged. By that time, Vettel was out, starting from 15th. He was visibly upset and struggling to hold in his emotion during my interview. Button also made very hard work for himself and started just one place in front from 14th. The man who stole the Saturday show? Title challenger and local hero Rubens Barrichello. What an emotional day - and there was still 24 hours until the race! 

Vettel dominates in Japan

Sunday saw everyone back to their best before the race started. Vettel was happy and surprised when he learned Jenson would be just one place in front at the start. Many journalists and paddock people had cancelled their championship Button party plans. Jenson though had other ideas. 

He drove like a man who wanted not only to win the championship but who wanted to show he was more than a worthy winner - that he was a class act. He cut through the field. Barrichello struggled, Vettel was on the hunt but for him the flag fell too early. Jenson Button was "World Champion Baby" the interview after was one of the highlights of my career, amusingly the kiss and hug went out live on TV as well as the interview! 

Button and Brawn do the double in Brazil

And then came the F1 trip to the Arabian Vegas or Monaco - most people can't decide. Concerts, lights, glamour, fun and an amazing circuit are not the most obvious associations with a desert island. Abu Dhabi had them all - oh yes there was a race too! 

Hamilton put in an astonishing qualifying performance, 6/10's quicker than the rest of the field but his race was cut short with brake problems. If 2 laps should sum up 2009, it should be the last 2 from Sunday - Mark Webber and Jenson Button battling it out for 2nd position. Outstanding. But it was Vettel who had the last laugh of the season blitzing through the darkness and bringing the curtain down on a tremendous season. 

Yas Marina wowed the F1 fraternity

And what about the main players? Well Sebastian Vettel is not only a great racer but a really decent person and a delight to work with and the same applies to his team mate Mark Webber. Rubens is one of the most open and spiritual people I have met. He has a serene quality and I cannot imagine anyone could be more dignified in defeat as he was. His dream had been taken from him by his team mate and friend and yet he still celebrated - he even lent Jenson his plane so the new World Champion could party in Brazil and fly home the next day! 

And Jenson, well he has always been great to speak to throughout good times and bad but this year he really came into his own. He was courteous, classy, a media dream. Personally I am delighted that he has reached his life-long ambition. 

I have worked in many sports and I really feel very privileged to spend 2009 in F1. I can promise that if you took the top 4 guys in other sports - you would be lucky to find one who measured up to the decency of F1's top 4 this year. It has been an absolute pleasure and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.


Lee McKenzie works as pit lane reporter for BBC F1

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