Change Comes to the Pinnacle of Auto Racing
Could this be what Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA had in mind when they decided that their sport needed some of the most radical rule changes in the 60 year old history of Formula One racing? In a sport dominated for years by legendary teams like Ferrari and McLaren, a Formula One racing team that did not even exist a month or two ago, Brawn GP, finished first and second at the 2009 Melbourne Grand Prix in a race filled with thrills and drama. The sport had not seen a debut team finish 1-2 since the 1954 French Grand Prix. 
Brawn GP Formula One driver Jenson Button of Britain, right, celebrates with teammate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil after winning the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the Albert Park racetrack in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. Barrichello finished second. (AP Photo/Oliver Multhaup)
Myself, I was of the opinion that last year's tightest ever battle for the World Driver's championship was pretty damn exciting as things ended up. After all, the driver's championship only went down to the final turn, on the final lap, of the final race of the year. Shouldn't that be enough? But Bernie and crew thought they could make their already incredible spectacle of a sport even more exciting then it already was. Is it possible they have succeeded? Incredibly, they just may have pulled it off...
Brawn GP Formula One driver Jenson Button of Britain speeds past the checkered flag to win the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the Albert Park racetrack in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. He won in front of teammate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil and Toyota Formula One driver Jarno Trulli of Italy. (AP Photo/Oliver Multhaup)
I don't think even Bernie could have imagined a team that actually folded last year, could be arising like a phoenix from the ashes of the former Honda team. (I wonder how the folks at Honda feel about now, after all that money spent without a victory?) Ross Brawn's Brawn GP team is an absolute classic underdog story. No one could have imagined a scenario like this unfolding last year. What motorsports fan would not enjoy seeing such a little known “David” of the racing world experiencing a glorious moment of triumph over the storied racing giants that are Ferrari and McLaren?
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The car of Red Bull Formula One driver Mark Webber of Australia, right, crashes into the Mercedes of McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen of Finland, left, at the start of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix auto racing at the Albert Park racetrack in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. Bottom of picture is Brawn GP Formula One driver Rubens Barrichello of Brazil. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
The race was absolutely thrilling right from the start. While the surprise pole sitter Jenson Button got off to a rocket ship start, his team mate on the front row starting grid had big trouble. Rubens Barrichello had accidentally nudged his anti-stall button and remained in neutral as cars got by him. Ruben's problems then led to more trouble at the very first turn of the very first race for the World championship of Formula One....jpg)
The pack is seen with BMW Sauber Formula One driver Nick Heidfeld of Germany, middle right, sliding and Red Bull Formula One driver Mark Webber of Australia, center, crashing into McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen of Finland, second left, at the start of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the Albert Park racetrack in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Yet Rubens and Brawn were able to overcome even the very hard bashing his car sustained to the rear at that point early in the race. They clawed their way eventually back to the top 4 cars. Meanwhile, Jensen Button was establishing a lead he never gave up.
Brawn GP Formula One driver Jenson Button of Britain leads the pack by a margin one lap after the start of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the Albert Park racetrack in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Oliver Multhaup)
After lap after lap of excitement behind Button, it looked as if Robert Kubica's BMW was finally going to reel in last year's rookie sensation Sebastian Vettel for second place at lap 55. But then, as Kubica tried to pass, Vettel made a mistake and disaster struck, especially for Kubica when Sebastian sideswiped him and they both ended up out of the race...
Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany is seen driving past Williams Formula One driver Nico Rosberg of Germany, left, on three wheels after his crash with BMW Sauber Formula One driver Robert Kubica of Poland during the final stages of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the Albert Park racetrack in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)
Vettel later admitted he pushed the super soft tires he was running at the time way past their graining limit. But what was disastrous for Kubica and Vettel, became the window of opportunity for three drivers, Barrichello, who had worked his way back to the front, Jarno Trulli and his Toyota, and World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who performed beautifully getting his car into the top 5, after starting way back on the grid in 18th.
Toyota Formula One driver Jarno Trulli of Italy, bottom, leads McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain through turn two during the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Even though Trulli ended up celebrating on the podium with the Brawn team, his celebration was cut short by a steward's ruling that he had passed Hamilton's car on a safety car lap. Trulli was bumped to 12th place, and Lewis Hamilton's amazing drive earned him 3rd place. A fact that was yet another bitter pill for Scuderia Ferrari, who will be only too happy to forget the Australian Grand Prix. Last year's near Champion, Felipe Massa, did not finish the race with a broken suspension and former World Champ Kimi Raikkonen raced well for a while, but ended up spinning into a wall and out of the race.
Change has come to Formula One in the form of an exciting new contending team literally from out of nowhere. Can the world's most popular (and expensive) form of motor racing continue to surprise? Or will the tradition of McLaren and Ferrari dominance return to the sport with the most technologically advanced motor racing machines on the planet? Stay tuned...
Nice Review of the all the teams results: "...Brawn Supremacy"
Here are the Speed Channel guys with their usual stellar analysis:
Here is a great video expalining the rule changes, with comments by Lewis Hamilton, Timo Glock and a super cool 3D video with Red Bull's Sebastien Vettel:
Australian Grand Prix results:
1. Jenson Button, England, Brawn GP, 58, 1:34:15.784, 121.649 mph.
2. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Brawn GP, 58, 1:34:16.591.
3. Lewis Hamilton, England, McLaren, 58, 1:34:18.689 .
4. Timo Glock, Germany, Toyota, 58, 1:34:20.219.
5. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault, 58, 1:34:20.663.
6. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams, 58, 1:34:21.505.
7. Sebastien Buemi, Switzerland, Toro Rosso, 58, 1:34:21.788.
8. Sebastien Bourdais, France, Toro Rosso, 58, 1:34:22.082.
9. Adrian Sutil, Germany, Force India, 58, 1:34:22.119.
10. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, BMW, 58, 1:34:22.869.
11. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Force India, 58, 1:34:23.158.
12. x-Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota, 58, 1:34:17.388.
13. Mark Webber, Australia, Red Bull, 57
14. Sebastien Vettel, Germany, Red Bull, 56.
15. Robert Kubica, Poland, BMW, 56.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari, 55. Not Classified
17. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari.
18. Nelson Piquet Jr., Brazil, Renault.
19. Kazuki Nakajima, Japan, Williams.
20. Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, McLaren.
Drivers' standings
1. Jenson Button, England, Brawn GP, 10.
2. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Brawn GP, 8.
3. Lewis Hamilton, England, McLaren, 6.
4. Timo Glock, Germany, Toyota, 5.
5. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Renault, 4.
6. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams, 3.
7. Sebastien Buemi, Switzerland, Toro Rosso, 2.
8. Sebastien Bourdais, France, Toro Rosso, 1.
Constructors' standings
1. Brawn GP, 18 points.
2. McLaren, 6.
3. Toyota, 5.
4. Renault, 4.
5. (tie) Williams, 3.
5. (tie) Toro Rosso, 3.
Comments
Great article and pics. Terry does a great job with writing as well as taking terrific pictures. Should have been an author.
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