Formula One is not usually on the SpeedHunters menu, however we would like to salute the achievements of Jenson Button and Brawn GP who took the 2009 Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships at Interlagos, Brazil, yesterday.
This achievement is all the more incredible as just eight months ago the team did not exist but it rose phoenix like out of the ashes of Honda's Formula One departure.
After a disastrous 2008 season many long hours were put in through last winter developing the new car with no guarantee that the team would ever make it to the first race. The faith of all at the team has been rewarded.
Jenson Button is a most worthy winner of the title having won six races this year and despite a terrible qualifying performance in Brazil he raced with a real Champion's authority making clean passes all race. Here he goes by a possible star of the future, Toyota's Kamui Kobayashi.
Spare a thought for his team mate, Rubens Barrichello, who snatched pole position at his home Grand Prix and was in contention for the title himself until towards the end of the race.
But in the end team and driver had much to celebrate and I suspect that Sao Paulo saw some major league revelry last night.
Congratulations to Jenson and to Brawn GP
John Brooks
Photos copyright and courtesy of Brawn GP
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
woo hoo!!
Just awesome.... http://jake.dingblog.com/
I couldn't stop screaming at my TV. It was such an amazing race and I've been rooting for Button even during his darkest of days with Honda! Such a fairytale storyline for the Brawn team. It was no WDC decider like the previous year's with last race, last lap, at the last corner, but it was still a great race to watch.
And about time
He reeally deserved the win
agree with Modster91 ... bout time he won ... was touch a go though quailifying and look like it was gonna go to abu dabi, but pulled it out the bag
Be good to see what brawn bring to 2010
Bout damn time Button, been watching the race for the title all season. Well deserved *clap clap*
Bout damn time Button, been watching the race for the title all season. Well deserved *clap clap*
More F1 on Speedhunters in the future?
More F1 on Speedhunters in the future?
Not a day, the Honda directors will want to remember
Paid for so much development on that car during 2008, which gave them such an advantage (over the other teams who were focused on 2008 car) and then walk away....
Expect to see Mercedes-Benz star on the car next year. Just hope Jenson stays now
@andy blackmore: I hope jenson stays too i just hope they can agree a contract soon. rumours abound that nico may join him...and welll done jenson he thorughly deserved it. Back to back british champions not since stewart and graham hill in 68 and 69. can we have a feature on those years please john?
they should of won with all the time they were developing their car while Ferrari and McLaren were racing last season...Cheers to Brawn
A washed up British has been winning a championship when he cannot even race out of Q2 in Brazil is a perfect reflection of how ironic and worthless this F1 season has been. At least the off track drama has been entertaining.
Thanks... Why do you have to put results in the headline, I had not watched the race yet...
the little team that could! congrats to jenson, rubens and the entire team of brawn gp..
Wonderful! I watched part of the race, but couldn't watch it all cause I had some business to take care of, but what I saw, man that was interesting for a F1 race! The look on Jenson's face in the last shot is priceless!!! I think that last shot should be a desktop:) So... Mr. Brooks, any chance of having that in large and standard sizes in the desktop section?
Or even the first shot for that matter, there's nothing better to a smile than a bright pure smile of joy!
@ Fooman, Dude it's all over the news anyways... xD
The photos were taken from the Brawn GP website... ask them
@Foorman --- So 2 days after the race which had the largest chance to end the championship all season you leisurely check all your automotive news sites, then blame them for posting automotive news. Bravo to you sir!
He definitely took the long way to the Championship, but it was well deserved. Not quite as exciting as last years deciding race, but it was quite fun watching Button and Hamilton show their dry weather setups and charge up from the back of the grid.
It's not over YET... but I'm still torn on weather I can't wait for next season or can't wait for next season to be over with. Alonso to Ferrari, Kubica to Renault, bunch of new teams, no refueling, more whack rules and possibly Jean Todt keeping on the tradition of ruining the sport in Mosley's absence. The drama continues, like only F1 can deliver!
Congrats to Brawn, the whole team deserved it! Id love to see some more F1 coverage from you guys too!
No mention of Webber's great performance?
GO WEBBER!!!
^I second the "GO WEBBER!!!"
I hate how Webber's second career win was overshadowed by this.... however, I do congratulate Jenson on his championship. Kobayashi was amazing if a little aggressive and I was extremely disappointed that he took out Nakajima whilst braking... he sure didn't need that but still an impressive race and no doubt a future star and I think Toyota found their second driver now.
I'm disappointed no mention of Webber was made as he dominated the race and barely got a mention in any of the ensuing chaos. "Limp home" Jense may have driven well at Interlagos but his performances this year were like a really average poker player that limped all in against better players only for him to suck them out on the river card every hand. His middle name is Houdini by the way and the first lap chaos between Trulli, Alonso and Glock was proof of that. from 14th to 9th in 7 corners is the stuff of magicians.
This year so very nearly could not have been Jenson's. I've met him and his father John a few times in the past and he is a really genuine guy but I was less than impressed by this years efforts. John by the way, likes to drink red wine from the bottle, not the glass!
Oh and that last shot is the look of a man who cannot believe his luck, haha!
Congrats to button
I was cheering for Rubens. hopes he takes another year and does the same as button
@everyone......thnx for reading and commenting.
My brief from Rod was to prepare a brief feature saluting Button & Brawn............not to do a race report, which is why I did not mention Mark Webber................he is without any shadow of a doubt one of the best blokes in F1......he represents what is good about Australians.....I knew him when he raced for Mercedes in sportscars...but he did not win the World Championship this year nor did Red Bull.
@Adam how exactly is F1 your speciality? Do you go to the races in some capacity?
I have not been to a Grand Prix since 1987 so do not feel comfortable writing about the actual races and frankly I am often attending another event so don't even see the TV coverage.
I leave the editor to decide what coverage SpeedHunters does of F1 in the future.
John Brooks
John, nowhere near the amount of work you have done within the field over the years. I suppose growing up in Adelaide helped "bring me about" somewhat. I went to my first race in 1985 actually and I only missed one race when we had it - Adelaide really did have the best event on the calendar by far and you would have to look pretty hard to find someone who didn't love it. Since being stolen by Melbourne, people have not stopped bemoaning the fact that the event it isn't as good but the reality is that it is virtually impossible Adelaide will regain the right to host a race what with the astronomical fees Bernie Ecclestone and the FOM administration charges for such a thing. Now that I'm in Japan, I'm definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to motor sporting events but have attended the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 F1 events here, obtaining some exclusive access along the way.
When I speak of F1, it is a specialty to me in the sense that it's the only form of motor sport that holds something spiritual for me. I look at all forms of motor sport, and participate myself but none of them mean as much to me as F1 does and has done since I was 7 years old. This, in turn, has affected my involvement in the sport whether it be from a passive or active point of view. I'm sure you understand exactly what I speak of when I say this.
On Mark Webber, besides being an approachable and amiable bloke, he's one of the best racers out there and sadly, like Heidfeld, doesn't get the respect he very much deserves.
Regards,
Adam Zillin
I wonder when the last time a driver has lead the championship from start to finish. other than Schuey, that has to be rare.. Highly deserved, even if he had a few off Qualifying performances. People can knock Button all they want, but as he says, he is World Champion and thats ll that matters....and beat his team mate in the process
.
Interesting that its the 2nd year car #22 powered by Mercedes-Benz, driven by a Brit, finished 5th in the Brazilian GP to take the World Championship. Wonder who will have #22 in 2010
I was there =D...rooting for the rain...but it didnt happen, button race was amazing, greetings from Brasil!!
good on him and I hope kobayashi gets a seat
jenson had the most points, he had the most wins, of course he deserves to win the championship. If it was still a honda team, would they have run the mercedes engine? i doubt it.
You KNOW, somewhere in Japan, Honda executives are kicking themselves. Two British champions in two years make me feel patriotic about being a Brit... and I'm not one! Good on them and good luck next year to Button, Barrichelo, and Brawn GP!
@Andy Blackmore: A Brit winning the WDC at Interlagos, in the #22 car, by placing 5th...with a Brazilian rival (I think there may even be another coincidental similarity w/ last year's title run)