Brazilian Grand Prix- In the Mirrors- Button drives like a champion: Part 3

October 22, 2:12 AMFormula One ExaminerTerrence Connolly

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Brawn GP's Jenson Button, of Britain, left, embraces teammate Rubens Barrichello, of Brazil, as they celebrate with mechanics after Button won the Formula One World championship by finishing fifth during Brazil's Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/ Martin Rickett )

Lap 8

Rubens sets fastest lap of the race so far. Button and Kobayashi still battling. Button really looking great as he pulls out all the stops going for the title! Barrichello is light on fuel, while Jenson is fuel heavy.

1-Rubens, 2-Webber +1.7 seconds, 3-Kubica + 2.5 , 4-Rosberg + 3.5

Lap 10

Webber new fastest lap.

Lap 16

Rubens now resets fastest lap.

Lap 20

Heidfeld pits, options to prime, 7.8 seconds.

Lap 21

Rubens pits, prime to prime, rejoins behind Kaz, but in front of Vettel. Now Vettel puts a real nice pass on the just refueled Rubens as they charge uphill. Heidfeld is stalled, it turns out he ran out of fuel, since his pit never got their rig attached during his stop on Lap 20. Bad mistake by the BMW crew.

Now its Lewis challenging Rubens. He can't quite pass him though. But the Kobayashi/Button battle has been continuing and finally Jenson is able to pull off a pass. But Kobayashi passes him right back! Great fun!

Lap 23

Kubica pits and he rejoins in front of Barrichello. Things are not going Rubens way today at his home track once again.

Lap 24

Rosberg pits, primes 8.7 seconds.

Lap 25

Finally Button gets past Kobayashi, with a championship winning pass. Now Kobayashi and his Japanese countryman Nakajima are wheel to wheel. Kaz passes Kamui, but Kamui passes him right back. Great action again! Vettel now trying to get by Kobayashi but he can't do it. The rookie Toyota driver is very impressive.

Lap 26

Webber pits from the lead. Prime to prime 8.3 seconds, and he rejoins in the lead! Great stop by the Red Bull team. Rosberg is getting passed by many cars, he is having issues.

Lap 27

Rosberg retires, gearbox issues. It is Nico's first DNF in 27 races.

Lap 30

Jenson pits, prime to prime, 7.5 seconds, he is on a 2 stop strategy, since he still needs options.
Nakajima with a big crash, he rear ended Kobayashi leaving the pit. He is even airborne after losing his nose, he hits the wall hard and is out of the race. His crash leaves clods of dirt all over the track.

Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, drives his McLaren Mercedes  (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
 

Lap 32

Lewis trying to pass Rubens, he can't do it. Jenson just “whistles by” Buemi's Toro Rosso for another beautiful pass at turn 1 once again. His 4th pass of the race so far, which gives him 8th place.Jenson is now in the points. He gets a little loose in the Senna S's and nearly clips Buemi, but he gets back under control. Button looks like a champ.

Lap 34

Rubens and Lewis still at it.

Lap 36

Vettel in the pits, the crew has issues with his left front tire. Out in 9.2 seconds, but the slip up costs them as he rejoins in 7th behind Rubens.

Lap 43

Kimi pits, prime to options, 8.0 seconds. Rejoins in 11th. Lewis also in the pits.

Lap 46

Kubica pits from 2nd. Out in 7.2 seconds, rejoins in 3rd just ahead of Jenson.

Lap 47

Rubens up to second, but he is 15 seconds behind Webber.

Lap 50

Rubens pits from 2nd, prime to options, 6.3 seconds, back in 6th.

Lap 51

Webber pits from the lead, prime to soft, 8 seconds, rejoins in the lead again, another great stop by Red Bull.

Lap 55

Button pits, prime to options, 6 seconds. Rejoins behind Kobayashi, in front of Heikki. Kovalainen now passes Jenson with a daring move through the dirt left by Nakajima's crash. Jenson now in 8th.

Brawn GP's team principal Ross Brawn drinks champagne surrounded by members of his team after driver Jenson Button won the Formula One World Championship during Brazil's Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track in Sao Paulo, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
 

Lap 56

Vettel pits, prime to options, 5.8 seconds, rejoins in 5th.

Lap 60

Webber has 5 seconds on Kubica in 2nd.

Lap 61

Rubens on the radio to pit, “Lots of vibration on the right front tire.” Brawn pit, “You have to look after it”. Lewis now passes Rubens, but there's a cost. McLaren pit to Hamilton, "Your right front end plate is broken on your wing.”

Lap 62

Brawn pit to Barrichello, “You have a puncture.”

Lap 63

Rubens pits for tires. He ran over Hamilton's end plate which punctured his left rear tire. 6.8 seconds, rejoins in 8th.

Lap 68

1-Webber (+1), 2-Kubica (+6), 3-Lewis (+14!), 4-Vettel (+11), 5-Button (+9!)

Lap 71

Webber wins, it is his first finish in 6 races since Hungary. Button crosses the finish line in 5th, clinching the Formula One World Championship in his 169th start, which is the longest streak without a title since Nigel Mansell in 1992.

So Jenson earned his title in Brazil, no one could deny that. Throughout the F1 Paddock, to a man, the praise poured in for Button and the Brawn team. Truly the story of the 2009 season, the Brawn GP team were in doubt of even having a season back in March, after their sponsor Honda pulled out of F1. Brawn GP is the first ever debut team to win the Driver's title and the Constructor's title, a true Cinderella story. The British press has embraced their hero Jenson Button once again.

Perhaps the most valuable praise came from the legendary 7-time Champion of Formula One, the great Michael Schumacher, “Congratulations to Jenson and Ross and the whole team - what they managed to achieve this year has my full respect. If you only look at what they have been through you realize what an incredible story this is: just one year ago they did think everything was over. I am extremely happy for Ross who I’ve known for such a long time now. He deserves this success.”

Of course, I echo what Michael said, Ross Brawn is the master strategist of Formula One, and Jenson
Button pulled out the stops and drove his Brawn race car in Brazil like a true Champion. Congratulations Jenson!

Ferrari's Formula One driver Felipe Massa, of Brazil, waves flag as Brawn GP's Jenson Button, of Britain, approaches the finish line to win the 2009 F1 World Championship by arriving fifth at the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix, on the Interlagos racetrack in Sao Paulo, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Result of the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos in Sao Paulo on Sunday

1. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull-Renault 1h 32:23.081

2. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber +00:07.626

3. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren - Mercedes 00:18.944

4. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 00:19.652

5. Jenson Button (Britain) Brawn - Mercedes 00:29.005

6. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 00:33.340

7. Sebastien Buemi (Switzerland) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 00:35.991

8. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Brawn - Mercedes 00:45.454

9. Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Toyota 01:03.324

10. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Ferrari 01:10.665

11. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Force India-Mercedes 01:11.388

12. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren - Mercedes 01:13.499

13. Romain Grosjean (France) Renault 1 lap

14. Jaime Alguersuari (Spain) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1 lap

r. Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) Williams - Toyota 41 laps

r. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams - Toyota 44 laps

End of Part 3

See also:

Brazilian Grand Prix- In the Mirrors- Button drives like a champion: Part 1

Brazilian Grand Prix- In the Mirrors- Button drives like a champion: Part 2

Brazilian Grand Prix- Button and Brawn clinch titles-Webber wins race