Brawn GP / Mercedes GP

Formula 1 Team reports for the 2009 F1 season includes race previews, reports and reviews
Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:05 am

2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
28 AUGUST

PRACTICE

The infamous Spa weather lived up to expectations today with the first of the practice sessions for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix taking place in very different conditions as Brawn GP's Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello took to the race track again just five days after the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

The first practice session this morning began on a dry track but was interrupted after just thirty minutes by a rain shower which sent all the cars back into the pits. As the rain intensified over the remaining hour of the session, Jenson and Rubens went out on the Bridgestone Potenza wet tyres to get some valuable wet weather track time ahead of the weekend.

By contrast, the afternoon practice session proved fine and dry, enabling the team to make good progress with the planned Friday programme. With the focus on aerodynamic, downforce and tyre comparisons, Jenson and Rubens collected some useful data to help refine the set-up of the car overnight ahead of Saturday's qualifying hour.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice 1 Free Practice 2
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 18 laps 01:50.283 P2 34 laps 01:48.125 P17
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 18 laps 01:52.321 P6 37 laps 01:48.130 P18

Weather Rain in the morning, dry and sunny afternoon
Temperatures Air: 14-18°C Track: 16-34°C

JENSON BUTTON
"It was a tough session this morning as we weren't able to get much done apart from some wet running at the end. However that experience is good here just in case it rains over the weekend which is always possible at Spa. The second session this afternoon was much more useful. We worked through a few aero and downforce comparisons as well as looking at the tyres. We collected a lot of information but obviously at the moment we're not as quick as we would like to be. There are a few areas that we do need to improve on with the balance but the potential is there to do that ahead of qualifying."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"We got through a lot of work today which sets the weekend up nicely. There is still some way to go to realise the full potential of the car but as always on a Friday, the lap times don't tell the whole story. It was pretty useful to get some wet running in this morning just in case the weather plays a part in qualifying or the race. The car doesn't feel as competitive as it did in Valencia last weekend but we're going to be in a good position to fight hard in qualifying tomorrow."

ROSS BRAWN
"A good start to the weekend and we were able to achieve much of our planned testing programme despite the interruptions from the weather this morning. We're not experiencing any issues with tyre temperatures so far which is positive and it's good to see our hard work in this area starting to pay dividends. There is still some way to go to maximise the set-up of the car to the requirements of both drivers so it will be a busy hour of practice tomorrow morning to get ready for qualifying."

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Aug 30, 2009 1:28 am

2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
29 AUGUST

QUALIFYING

Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the second row of the grid tomorrow having qualified his Brawn-Mercedes car in fourth position at the end of a thrilling qualifying hour in Spa. Team-mate Jenson Button had a more challenging session and will start the race from 14th position.

Rubens ran close to the front of the field as he worked on getting the best from his car on the softer option tyre. He progressed comfortably through Q1 and Q2 before taking part in a very competitive final session where his fastest lap was good enough for fourth position as the quickest of the drivers involved in the championship battle.

Jenson struggled with the balance of his car throughout with a lack of rear grip on the option tyre proving crucial in the middle sector. With some quick lap times being set, he was not able to make it out of Q2 and will start from 14th place on the grid.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P16 P3 01:45.237 P6 01:44.834 P4 01:46.513
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P10 P14 01:45.761 P14 01:45.251

Weather Fine and dry
Temperatures Air: 14-16°C Track: 24-32°C

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"I'm extremely happy with our qualifying performance today and the second row of the grid is a great starting position for the race. The results today have to be one of the biggest surprises of the year and it's great for Giancarlo Fisichella to be up there on pole. It's good to see that the 'old-timers' still have it! I took the best out of my car today, particularly in Q2 which was one of my best laps around Spa, but that was only enough for sixth position in that session. We've been quite aggressive on the strategy and the race is wide open tomorrow so I'll push as much as I can and we can get a good result from here."

JENSON BUTTON
"I didn't expect to qualify in 14th position today but we really struggled with grip levels, particularly on the softer tyre. The car hasn't felt quite right all weekend and unfortunately I wasn't able to get any more out of it today. Rubens and I are usually very closely matched but he was quick on the option and I wasn't so we need to look into the reasons for that. I just couldn't find any grip on the softer rubber so the rear end felt unstable and I had no confidence under braking, particularly in the middle sector. It's strange as our set-ups are different but not by much. It's going to be very tough in the race from here but at least we have more time to choose our strategy. We need to get it right and see if we can score some points tomorrow."

ROSS BRAWN
"It was a challenging qualifying hour today and the end result has seen one of the most mixed-up grids of the season which is great for the sport and will probably make for a very interesting race tomorrow. Rubens put in another very strong performance today and fourth place on the grid, with an aggressive strategy, puts him in a good position for the race tomorrow. It's fair to say that qualifying got away from us a little bit today with Jenson. We have been struggling with the car balance on his side this weekend and although some changes were made overnight, we were not able to get the car to a position which he felt comfortable with. Looking on the positive side, our main championship rivals are behind one of our cars and only a few places ahead of the other. We have focused on our race performance during the practice sessions here and believe we will have the pace to take the fight to them tomorrow."

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:28 am

2009 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
30 AUGUST

RACE

An eventful Belgian Grand Prix for Brawn GP saw Rubens Barrichello finish in seventh position at the end of the 44-lap race to score two points for the team's championship challenge, with team-mate Jenson Button retiring from the race on the first lap.

Rubens had a slow getaway from fourth place on the grid due to a clutch problem which dropped him back into the field. The team therefore took advantage of the safety car on the first lap to bring Rubens into the pits and change his strategy. He then drove a determined race to charge through the field and be challenging Heikki Kovalainen for sixth position before an oil leak just two laps from the end put paid to his battle, requiring Rubens to back off and manage the pace to guide the car home.

Jenson had a good start progressing up to 11th position before the rear wheel of his car was struck from behind by Romain Grosjean at turn five on the first lap, an incident which took out four cars and brought out the safety car, ending Jenson's race.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 DNF
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P7 01:48.257

Weather Dry and fine
Temperatures Air: 16-17°C Track: 28-34°C

JENSON BUTTON
"I had a really good start and had made up a few places in the first few corners to be ahead of Lewis and Rubens. I had a good run going down the straight to turn five just after Eau Rouge. I was on the outside of Heikki and turned in for the corner but quite simply Romain outbraked himself and hit my back wheel. That was it for my race today. It's frustrating as I was in a reasonable position having made up some places and with a lot of fuel on board but it's better to have my first retirement here where I haven't been so competitive than when I'm running at the front. We're determined get back on the track at the next race and be more competitive there at a track which should be quite good for our car."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"I have to be happy with seventh place and the two points really after such an eventful race. We should have had far more from today but the problem with the clutch at the start took away any chance of a podium which is frustrating for me and the team. We changed my strategy at the end of the first lap to fuel longer for the first stint which was a good move and gave me the chance to get into the points. I had fun in the race from then on and the move on Mark Webber at the Blanchimont bend was definitely one of the highlights. The oil leak gave us some worrying laps but I was able to manage the pace and bring the car safely home which was a big relief."

ROSS BRAWN
"It was a very disappointing race for us today when there was potential for more. Rubens' car went into anti-stall at the start which left him stranded on the grid which was very frustrating for the whole team. It was a technical problem on the car and we have to get on top of that quickly as it has caught us out too many times this season. When the safety car came out, we took advantage to switch Rubens onto what was effectively a one-stop strategy and he drove extremely well from there. His car had an oil leak with two laps to go therefore we asked him to back off from chasing Heikki Kovalainen and manage the car to the end of the race. Jenson had a really good start from 14th and gained a few places before he was hit from behind at turn five which ended his race. There are important lessons which we can take from this weekend and some hard work to be done back at the factory before the final five races of the season."

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Post by Ed » Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:34 am

2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
MONZA
11-13 SEPTEMBER

PREVIEW

The Italian Grand Prix, Round 13 of the 2009 FIA Formula One World
Championship, will be held this weekend at the Autodromo Nazionale di
Monza just outside of Milan and bring Formula One's European season to
its conclusion.

One of the most historic and atmospheric circuits on the Formula One
calendar, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is situated in the royal park
at the heart of the town of Monza. The original circuit was built in
1922 and included a banked oval course. Although this has not been used
by F1 cars since 1961, it remains as a monument to the iconic races
hosted over the years.

The 5.793km Monza circuit is the fastest of the year with four long
straights enabling the cars to reach top speeds of 340kph and average
lap speeds of 250kph. The emphasis is on engine power and aerodynamic
efficiency which require the cars to be set up with a special low
downforce aerodynamic package to minimise drag.

ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL

Q. What are the technical considerations for the race at Monza this
weekend?

"Visiting Monza during the Italian Grand Prix is a very special
experience and one not to be missed for motorsport fans. It's one of
those classic venues where the grandstands are always packed and the
atmosphere is electric throughout the weekend. From a technical point of
view, Monza should be a track where our car will work well although we
do expect the KERS cars to have a significant advantage. The BGP 001 is
good on both brakes and traction which are important at Monza and we
have the benefit of the Mercedes-Benz engine on this power-sensitive
circuit. With no in-season testing this year, we have not had the
opportunity to test at the circuit prior to the race weekend so it will
be interesting to see how quickly everyone can adapt to the unusually
low downforce configuration with limited running. The aerodynamic
efficiency of the car is crucial so we have a specific package designed
to minimise drag levels and achieve the high top speeds required. Good
engineering can make a significant difference at Monza so we'll be
working hard to get the car set up well to allow our drivers to be
aggressive over the kerbs."

JENSON BUTTON

Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Italian Grand Prix?

"Monza is a fantastic track and I love the passion that the Italian fans
bring to the race weekend. The circuit is very different to most of the
circuits that we race on as the car will be set up with the lowest
levels of drag and downforce possible to take advantage of the long
straights. It always takes a few laps to get used to and as we haven't
tested at Monza this season, the practice sessions will be very
important. Ascari is probably my favourite part of the track but also
Parabolica where the challenge is to brake as late as possible,
particularly in qualifying when you're on a quick lap. It's a circuit
that should be reasonably good for our car if we get the handling right
over the kerbs so we're feeling positive and excited about the
challenge."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

Q. What do you enjoy about visiting Monza?

"There's something very special about Monza and I have always loved
racing there throughout my career. The setting in the park, the sound of
the Tifosi, the speed of the circuit and the memories from my victories
with Ferrari in 2002 and 2004 all make Monza one of the most exciting
races of the year. It's the quickest circuit on the calendar and our car
has the potential to be strong there. The power of our Mercedes-Benz
engine will be really important in maximising speed on the long
straights and our car is quite good under braking which you need to be
aggressive and ride the kerbs effectively. It's been a season full of
surprises so it's impossible to predict what the weekend will bring but
I hope that we can have a good one."

Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Stats

Circuit Length: 5.793km
Race Distance: 306.720km
Number of Laps: 53

Full Throttle: 67%
Brake Wear: Medium
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Medium
Downforce Level: Low - 2/10
Tyre Usage: Low
Average Speed: 245kph (155mph)

Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)

Friday 11 September
Practice 1: 1000 - 1130
Practice 2: 1400 - 1530

Saturday 12 September
Practice 3: 1100 - 1200
Qualifying: 1400 - 1500

Sunday 13 September
Race: 1400

Ed
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Post by Ed » Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:35 am

2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
MONZA
11-13 SEPTEMBER

PREVIEW

The Italian Grand Prix, Round 13 of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, will be held this weekend at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza just outside of Milan and bring Formula One's European season to its conclusion.

One of the most historic and atmospheric circuits on the Formula One calendar, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is situated in the royal park at the heart of the town of Monza. The original circuit was built in 1922 and included a banked oval course. Although this has not been used by F1 cars since 1961, it remains as a monument to the iconic races hosted over the years.

The 5.793km Monza circuit is the fastest of the year with four long straights enabling the cars to reach top speeds of 340kph and average lap speeds of 250kph. The emphasis is on engine power and aerodynamic efficiency which require the cars to be set up with a special low downforce aerodynamic package to minimise drag.

ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL

Q. What are the technical considerations for the race at Monza this weekend?

"Visiting Monza during the Italian Grand Prix is a very special experience and one not to be missed for motorsport fans. It's one of those classic venues where the grandstands are always packed and the atmosphere is electric throughout the weekend. From a technical point of view, Monza should be a track where our car will work well although we do expect the KERS cars to have a significant advantage. The BGP 001 is good on both brakes and traction which are important at Monza and we have the benefit of the Mercedes-Benz engine on this power-sensitive circuit. With no in-season testing this year, we have not had the opportunity to test at the circuit prior to the race weekend so it will be interesting to see how quickly everyone can adapt to the unusually low downforce configuration with limited running. The aerodynamic efficiency of the car is crucial so we have a specific package designed to minimise drag levels and achieve the high top speeds required. Good engineering can make a significant difference at Monza so we'll be working hard to get the car set up well to allow our drivers to be aggressive over the kerbs."

JENSON BUTTON

Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Italian Grand Prix?

"Monza is a fantastic track and I love the passion that the Italian fans bring to the race weekend. The circuit is very different to most of the circuits that we race on as the car will be set up with the lowest levels of drag and downforce possible to take advantage of the long straights. It always takes a few laps to get used to and as we haven't tested at Monza this season, the practice sessions will be very important. Ascari is probably my favourite part of the track but also Parabolica where the challenge is to brake as late as possible, particularly in qualifying when you're on a quick lap. It's a circuit that should be reasonably good for our car if we get the handling right over the kerbs so we're feeling positive and excited about the challenge."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

Q. What do you enjoy about visiting Monza?

"There's something very special about Monza and I have always loved racing there throughout my career. The setting in the park, the sound of the Tifosi, the speed of the circuit and the memories from my victories with Ferrari in 2002 and 2004 all make Monza one of the most exciting races of the year. It's the quickest circuit on the calendar and our car has the potential to be strong there. The power of our Mercedes-Benz engine will be really important in maximising speed on the long straights and our car is quite good under braking which you need to be aggressive and ride the kerbs effectively. It's been a season full of surprises so it's impossible to predict what the weekend will bring but I hope that we can have a good one."

Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Stats

Circuit Length: 5.793km
Race Distance: 306.720km
Number of Laps: 53

Full Throttle: 67%
Brake Wear: Medium
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Medium
Downforce Level: Low - 2/10
Tyre Usage: Low
Average Speed: 245kph (155mph)

Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)

Friday 11 September
Practice 1: 1000 - 1130
Practice 2: 1400 - 1530

Saturday 12 September
Practice 3: 1100 - 1200
Qualifying: 1400 - 1500

Sunday 13 September
Race: 1400

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:01 am

2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
MONZA
11 SEPTEMBER

PRACTICE

The first of the practice running for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix got underway today at the Monza circuit in northern Italy.

Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button used the two ninety-minute sessions to evaluate their Brawn-Mercedes cars in the low downforce configuration required at the fastest circuit on the Formula One calendar.

Rubens completed 59 laps over the course of the day with Jenson totalling 53 laps as the pair focused on set-up work and an evaluation of the two Bridgestone Potenza tyre compounds available this weekend.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice 1 Free Practice 2
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 24 laps 01:24.826 P12 35 laps 01:25.140 P16
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 21 laps 01:24.706 P7 32 laps 01:25.424 P19

Weather Warm and sunny
Temperatures Air: 25-28°C Track: 28-41°C

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"Our programme went pretty much as planned today with the performance of the car as we were expecting. Our set-up work was focused on long runs and I'm fairly happy with how the car feels and with the braking stability. We have some work to do on the balance but overall a good start to the weekend although today's running doesn't really give us an indication of how qualifying will play out tomorrow."

JENSON BUTTON
"We did a lot of set-up work today with the car in the low downforce configuration although we had a couple of issues which meant that I couldn't do the long runs that we had planned so that was a bit frustrating. Everything was sorted out by the end of the day which is good but we have a lot of work ahead of us. It feels very different running with such low downforce but the car has been performing reasonably well. We need to work on the fine-tuning of the set-up overnight to ensure that I'm completely happy with the balance before qualifying."

ROSS BRAWN
"With Monza being such a unique low downforce circuit and the fact that we haven't had the opportunity to here test this year, today's practice sessions were particularly important to work on the set-up of the car. Our main focus has been on race preparation to ensure that we understand how the car feels with the low downforce. We're reasonably happy with our progress over the course of the day and looking forward to the weekend ahead."

Ed
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Post by Ed » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:16 am

2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
MONZA
12 SEPTEMBER

QUALIFYING

Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button qualified their Brawn-Mercedes cars on the third row of the grid for Sunday's Italian Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza with fifth and sixth positions respectively in today's qualifying session.

Rubens and Jenson ran at the front of the field throughout the hour with the BGP 001 cars performing well on both the prime and option tyres. Progressing easily through Q1 and Q2, with Jenson topping the timesheets in the second session, the pair favoured the harder prime tyre for the final session.

Both drivers completed just one run in Q3 with three flying laps to set their quickest time. With heavy fuel loads, Rubens and Jenson both put in great laps for fifth and sixth positions with just fifteen-hundredths of a second separating their times.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P4 P4 01:23.483 P3 01:22.976 P5 01:25.015
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P2 P3 01:23.403 P1 01:22.955 P6 01:25.030

Weather Warm and sunny
Temperatures Air: 26-27°C Track: 38-43°C

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"That was probably one of my best qualifying laps at Monza and I really enjoyed myself out there. We had the ability to be on pole today but strategically we had to consider the pace of the KERS cars off the line and so we put a lot of fuel in the car and focused on what was right for our race. I had a great lap with the fuel onboard and fifth position is the best that I could have achieved so I'm really pleased that we got everything possible out of the car. It will be interesting to see the fuel figures but I'm confident that we're in a good position. I just love racing here so I'm really looking forward to the race tomorrow."

JENSON BUTTON
"I'm really happy with sixth position today. Rubens and I have been so close on lap times all weekend and he's ended up just fifteen-hundredths ahead of me which is the difference between getting your head down on the straights. I obviously didn't do it enough! We got the best out of the car today and it felt good on the heavy fuel load which is important because it's not just about qualifying, you have to consider your race. It's been a positive day and I'm confident that we can have a good race."

ROSS BRAWN
"Qualifying saw an excellent performance from Rubens, Jenson and the team today to put us in a good position for the race tomorrow. Rubens and Jenson drove extremely well in Q3 with our chosen one-stop strategy to secure fifth and sixth positions and the closeness of their lap times shows that they achieved everything possible from the car. We have the majority of the KERS cars just ahead of us so provided our drivers get a good start, there is everything to play for in the race tomorrow."

Ed
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Post by Ed » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:42 am

2009 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX
MONZA - 13 SEPTEMBER

RACE

Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello won the Italian Grand Prix in Monza this afternoon to score his second victory of the season and his eleventh Formula One win. Team-mate Jenson Button came home in second position in his Brawn-Mercedes car to complete a fantastic weekend which sees the team's eighth victory and fourth one-two finish of the 2009 season.

After a strong qualifying performance on Saturday, Rubens and Jenson began the race from fifth and sixth positions respectively with heavy fuel loads for a one-stop strategy. Rubens started on the harder prime tyre with Jenson favouring the softer option. Both drivers had excellent first laps to pass Heikki Kovalainen and get into position behind the two-stopping cars ahead of them.

With aggressive lap times, the pair were able to maintain the gap to the front-runners prior to their pit stops, on lap 28 for Jenson and lap 29 for Rubens, before jumping the three two-stopping cars at their second stops. Rubens crossed the line after 53 laps to take the flag just over 2.8 seconds ahead of Jenson.

Brawn GP leads the Constructors' Championship with 146 points, 40.5 points ahead of second place, with Jenson leading the Drivers' Championship with 80 points and Rubens in second place with 66 points.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P1 01:24.967
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P2 01:24.935

Weather Hot and sunny
Temperatures Air: 26-28°C Track: 37-41°C

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"Monza has always been a great track for me and it feels just wonderful to win here again. We made some great decisions this weekend and the work that we achieved on Friday was the key to setting up the result today. We had to think strategically in qualifying because of the KERS cars and our one-stop strategy really paid off. I had a great start to get ahead of Heikki and from there I had the pace that we needed to beat the two-stopping cars who started ahead of us. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at the factory, here at the track and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth for designing, building and developing such a great car and engine. I'm driving a fantastic car with a fantastic Mercedes-Benz engine and the team is doing a fantastic job! It's going to be a good and healthy fight for the championship over the next few races and I'm really looking forward to that. Two wins in three races is pretty good going and I'll be giving it my all. And finally I would like to dedicate this win to my two sons Eduardo and Fernando who both had their birthdays this month."

JENSON BUTTON
"I had a really good race today and it's a fantastic feeling to be up on the podium again. The team and Rubens did a great job this weekend and congratulations to Rubens for his second win of the season. The car worked very well all weekend and the balance was good throughout the race which meant I could set consistently quick lap times when it really mattered. The strategy that we chose on Saturday for qualifying was the perfect one for us and I was able to get ahead of Heikki on the first lap which was absolutely crucial for my race. Lewis was pushing hard behind me for the final part of the race but I was confident that I had him covered and it's a very difficult circuit to overtake here even with KERS. We have shown that the Brawn-Mercedes is a very good car and credit to the team for the efforts that have gone into improving it over the past couple of months. It's going to be a very exciting end of the season and a challenge that we are all looking forward to."

ROSS BRAWN
"We are all delighted with our result this weekend after two very strong drives from Rubens and Jenson to achieve our fourth one-two finish of the season. We have a lot of very talented people at the team who have made this result possible and I am very pleased with how our race weekend here in Monza was planned and operated. The car worked well in low-downforce and the Mercedes-Benz engine gave us the power required for this high-speed circuit. This weekend has been a great result for Brawn GP but the hard work is far from over. There are four crucial races coming up which will decide the championship battle and we will be back at the factory in Brackley tomorrow and looking ahead to the next challenge in Singapore."

Ed
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Post by Ed » Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:33 am

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT
25-27 SEPTEMBER

PREVIEW

Round 14 of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship takes Brawn GP to the Far East for this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, the first of two back-to-back races with the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka following just one week later.

Formula One's first night race in Singapore last year was a resounding success with the floodlights lighting up the track and the city skyline to provide a spectacular and atmospheric race weekend. The 20:00 race start time will see the track and pit lane once again lit with 1500 light projectors situated four metres apart and 10 metres above the ground.

The 5.067km Marina Bay Street Circuit is made up entirely of public roads with an anti-clockwise layout and an abundance of first and second gear bends included in the 23 corners of the lap. The stop-start nature of the track results in a low average lap speed of just 175kph and sees the cars running with maximum levels of aerodynamic downforce.

Brawn GP's cars will be running with additional Canon branding this weekend as part of the team's partnership with Canon Singapore.

ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL

Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix?

"Formula One's first night race in Singapore last year was a fantastic occasion which was greatly enjoyed by the drivers, teams and fans. The spectacle of running on a barrier-lined street circuit under the floodlights really caught the imagination and provided a weekend that Formula One and the Singapore Grand Prix organisers should be very proud of. It's a venue which everyone at Brawn GP is looking forward to returning to this week. The team and our drivers performed extremely well in Monza to achieve a one-two finish at the last race and we will be hoping to carry that momentum through to Singapore. We have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for the BGP 001 for this weekend which should bring another good step in performance for the final races of the season. The nature of the Marina Bay Street Circuit is tight, twisty and very narrow in places with many first and second gear corners resulting in low average speeds so we will be running the car in a high aerodynamic downforce configuration."

JENSON BUTTON

Q. What did you think of your first experience of the Singapore Grand
Prix last year?

"Last year's Singapore Grand Prix was an amazing experience and it really was one of the highlights of the year. Driving under the lights was great fun and the visibility was pretty good although some corners such as turns one and five were a bit dark which made it more difficult to judge your braking distances. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is pretty challenging and although it has a stop-start layout which isn't usually my favourite type of circuit, I still enjoyed driving it. As last year, we will stay on European timing for the race weekend which means staying awake throughout the night and sleeping most of the day to ensure that we are alert and the body is ready to react in the right way for the evening timetable. I spent some time at the factory last week driving the circuit on our simulator which helps with the track layout, gears and downforce levels so we are well prepared and looking forward to arriving in Singapore and getting the weekend underway."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

Q. Are you looking forward to returning to Singapore?

"The first Formula One night race in Singapore was very exciting last year and I'm really looking forward to returning this week. It's always good to have new challenges and racing under the lights for the first time certainly provided that. I really enjoyed the circuit as it felt like a proper street circuit should with public roads, bumps, barriers and passing some of the famous city landmarks. It's very narrow in places and you can feel quite enclosed particularly with the bright floodlights shining down. It's a very slow track so you need a high downforce aerodynamic configuration on the car and with so many corners, you have to maintain your concentration at all times. I've had a great time over the last month with two victories so we've got some good momentum behind us going into the final four races of the season. I can't wait to get back in the car and get on with the challenge."

Marina Bay Street Circuit Stats

Circuit Length: 5.067km
Race Distance: 308.950km
Number of Laps: 61

Full Throttle: 48%
Brake Wear: High
Tyre Compounds: Super Soft / Soft
Downforce Level: High - 10/10
Tyre Usage: Medium
Average Speed: 175kph (108mph)

Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)

Friday 25 September
Practice 1: 1800 - 1930
Practice 2: 2130 - 1100

Saturday 26 September
Practice 3: 1900 - 2000
Qualifying: 2200 - 2300

Sunday 27 September
Race: 2000

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Post by Ed » Sat Sep 26, 2009 10:07 am

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT

PRACTICE

Brawn GP's Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello took to the track under the floodlights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore this evening for the first of the practice sessions ahead of Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

The first practice session got underway at 18:00hrs in relative daylight which darkened over the course of the ninety minutes. Running with the Brawn-Mercedes cars in a high downforce configuration suited to the demands of the slow and twisty nature of the 23-turn circuit, Jenson and Rubens worked through a series of set-up evaluations with Rubens topping the timesheets at the end of the session and Jenson in second position.

The second session took place in full darkness at 21:30hrs with the Brawn GP drivers focusing on an evaluation of the soft and super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyre compounds available for this race weekend.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice 1 Free Practice 2
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 22 laps 01:50.356 P2 34 laps 01:49.311 P5
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 19 laps 01:50.179 P1 30 laps 01:49.616 P11

Weather Hot and humid - Max 71.9% humidity
Temperatures Air: 30-31°C Track: 29-34°C

JENSON BUTTON
"It's great to be back in Singapore this weekend and everyone is really enjoying the challenge of the night race and adjusting to our different working hours. We had a pretty full-on evening with a busy programme of set-up evaluations and tyre testing. This venue is a tough one with the heat and humidity to contend with and the nature of the circuit and the closeness of the barriers demand your total concentration. The key is achieving consistently quick laps and that's what we've been working on today. The car feels reasonable and with some more work later tonight, we should be ready for a good weekend."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"The car is feeling pretty good here after the first practice sessions and we're pleased with the work that we achieved. It was really busy out there today with traffic affecting our programme a little, particularly in the second session, but that was the same for everyone really. We've been focusing on our pace for Sunday and that's the most important consideration as we need the car well balanced to be quick in the race. I'm feeling positive and we should be able to achieve the right set-up ready for the weekend. It's so different to the rest of the year to be racing here at night and it's been a lot of fun so far."

ROSS BRAWN
"Following on from its successful debut last year, Singapore is once again proving to be a fantastic race venue and the whole team are enjoying the unusual hours that we are working and adjusting our race weekend programme to suit the particular demands of the night race. Looking at the first track activity today, we're pleased with how the two practice sessions went. Both Jenson and Rubens are feeling comfortable with the car and the reliable running throughout both sessions has provided us with a wealth of data to study into the early hours of the morning. This is a circuit which should suit our car provided we get the balance and set-up right for qualifying tomorrow so we're looking forward to the challenge of the weekend."

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Post by Ed » Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:25 am

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT
26 SEPTEMBER

QUALIFYING

A tough evening for Brawn GP at the Marina Bay Street Circuit saw Rubens Barrichello qualify in fifth position for tomorrow's Singapore Grand Prix with team-mate Jenson Button qualifying in twelfth position.

Jenson and Rubens progressed comfortably through Q1 in second and sixth positions respectively before both drivers struggled with the balance of the car on new tyres in Q2. Rubens was able to progress to Q3 with a quick lap at the end of the session however Jenson had not been happy with the balance of his car all day and problems with understeer left him out of the top ten.

In Q3, Rubens was lying in fifth position on his final flying lap when he ran wide on the dust at turn five and hit the wall bringing qualifying to an early conclusion. Rubens will start in tenth position on the grid due to a five-place gearbox change penalty.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P7 P6 01:47.397 P7 01:46.787 P5 01:48.828
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P14 P2 01:47.180 P12 01:47.141

Weather Hot and humid - Max 79.6% humidity
Temperatures Air: 29-30°C Track: 29-31°C

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"It was an eventful qualifying session for me today but I'm still feeling positive with starting from tenth position on the grid. Considering everything that happened, I feel that it's a pretty good result. I had a problem with the car after Q2 when I hit the kerb too hard and probably damaged the floor as the car wasn't feeling quite right at the end of the session. It was a great lap to get into Q3 as we were struggling for pace and I knew that I had to push regardless of any damage. I was really going for it on my final run in Q3 and unfortunately the car bottomed out and I lost control and ended up bouncing off the wall. It's a shame but the car should be ok and we can look forward to the race tomorrow."

JENSON BUTTON
"It was a frustrating qualifying session for us today. The car felt pretty good in Q1 and I was the second quickest which was positive. We had a bit of understeer so we made some changes for Q2 but unfortunately it made the car very difficult under braking and I locked the front left tyre up into turn seven which lost me a lot of time. Then with a flat-spotted front tyre, it's impossible to make the time up around here so that was my qualifying over. We'll make the best of it tomorrow of course but starting from twelfth on the grid is going to make it a tough race."

ROSS BRAWN
"It was a difficult qualifying session for the team in Singapore this evening. Prior to qualifying, we took the decision to change the gearbox in Rubens' car as this is a heavy duty cycle track for gearboxes and further dyno simulations had shown that keeping the box was too risky. Both drivers progressed comfortably through Q1 then we struggled in Q2 and were not able to get the cars balanced. Rubens put in a good lap at the end to progress with Jenson suffering from understeer throughout the day. We made some significant changes to his car prior to qualifying but were not able to get into the top ten. We expected to be more competitive in Q3 but with Rubens' accident, it's clearly not been a great day. We have to tough it out and see what we can recover tomorrow."

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Post by Ed » Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:55 am

2009 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT
27 SEPTEMBER

RACE

Brawn GP extended the team's lead in the Constructors' Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix this evening with Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello bringing their Brawn-Mercedes cars home in fifth and sixth positions respectively.

Both drivers had good first laps to set up the points-scoring opportunity with Rubens gaining two places to be running in seventh position and Jenson making up one place to tenth position. Rubens pitted first on lap 19, gaining a place over Mark Webber, whilst Jenson was held up behind Heikki Kovalainen before pitting earlier than planned when the safety car came out on lap 21.

A problem with engaging neutral at his second stop on lap 46 cost Rubens valuable time allowing Jenson, who was fuelled five laps longer, to gain fifth place when he stopped on lap 51. After a below-par qualifying performance on Saturday, the team recovered well to add a further seven points to its Championship tally with three races of the season remaining.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P5 01:48.369
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P6 01:48.598

Weather Hot & humid - Max 77.6% humidity
Temperatures Air: 29-30°C Track: 29-32°C

JENSON BUTTON
"It was a good race for me and I'm happy with fifth position and four more points today. Getting ahead of Kazuki off the line was key and that really made my race. The first stint was quite frustrating as I could see Rubens getting away from me whilst I was stuck behind Heikki with a heavier fuel load. The safety car then made it very difficult as I still had fuel for a few more laps and should have been able to make up two places at my first stop. I had to put in some quick laps before my second stop to close up to Rubens and then we were pushing to catch Sebastian before deciding to save the brakes and settle for the fifth position. The weekend hasn't been quite what we expected but it's good to come through from 11th on the grid to score points today. I'll go to Japan tomorrow feeling very positive and looking forward to the next race."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"It was a pretty eventful weekend for me and a tough race today. I had a great start to make up two places and everything was going well in the first stint. It's a shame that the safety car didn't play into my hands but I was in a good position. Unfortunately I had a problem on my second pit stop when I couldn't engage neutral and the engine stalled which lost me the crucial time needed to stay ahead of Jenson. After that my brakes were struggling and I couldn't fight anymore so we came home with sixth position. It could have been a better weekend but I only lost a point to Jenson in the championship despite everything that happened so I'm staying positive."

ROSS BRAWN
"Jenson, Rubens and the team put in a very good performance today to achieve two points-scoring positions after what was a disappointing qualifying result for us yesterday. Both drivers did exactly what they needed to do at the start with Jenson getting ahead of Nakajima and Rubens taking two places from Kubica and Kovalainen. From there, the pace was good and whilst the safety car didn't play in our hands particularly for either driver, we were able to make steady progress up the field. A longer than planned pit stop for Rubens when the car stalled as he entered the box lost him some time however the pit crew recovered the situation superbly and he was safe for sixth position. Jenson put in some quick laps before his stop to make up the required time for fifth place which we settled for and decided to bring both cars safely home. We will go away from Singapore with further valuable points in the championship having done as we intended and recovered well from qualifying."

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Post by Ed » Thu Oct 01, 2009 2:06 pm

2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
SUZUKA
2-4 OCTOBER

PREVIEW

Just one week after racing around the floodlit streets of Singapore, Round 15 of the 2009 Formula One World Championship takes the Brawn GP team over 5000kms north-east to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Situated on Honshu, the largest of the Japanese islands, the 5.897km track is owned by the Honda Motor Company and was built in 1962 as a test circuit before hosting its first Formula One race in 1987. The circuit was designed by John Hugenholtz and the 18-turn figure-of-eight layout is unique in the sport and a great favourite amongst the drivers.

Despite various modifications since 2002, Suzuka has retained much of its challenging layout with famous corners including the Spoon Curve and the high-speed 130R. After a three year absence, this weekend's race will be Suzuka's 21st Grand Prix.

ROSS BRAWN, TEAM PRINCIPAL

Q. What are your thoughts ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix?

"Suzuka is a fantastic racing circuit and a classic drivers' track so we are delighted to be returning there this weekend. The venue has played host to some great races over the years and with all the hard work that has been undertaken recently to improve the facilities, it should prove to be an even better venue for the Japanese Grand Prix after the three-year break. From Brawn GP's perspective, I was very pleased with how the team recovered well from a problematic qualifying session in Singapore and came away with further valuable points for the championship challenge. We will learn from those experiences and put the lessons in good practice for the final important three races of the season. We were pleased with the performance of the upgrades that we took to Singapore and expect to continue to see the benefits of this package in Suzuka this weekend."

JENSON BUTTON

Q. Are you looking forward to returning to Suzuka this weekend?

"Suzuka is such a fun circuit and I have lots of good memories from racing there over the years. It's a very fast-flowing lap and a real drivers' circuit just like Silverstone and Spa. I think everyone has missed having it on the calendar for the last few years. 130R is one of the fastest corners in Formula One and you really have to think about how you approach it. We might not be flat through there this year but it is still a real buzz to take the corner carrying speeds of 300kph. I've had some moments there in the past! I've always enjoyed great support at Suzuka in the past from the Japanese fans who are so enthusiastic about the sport so we'll be hoping for more of the same this weekend and I can't wait to race there again and put on a great show."

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

Q. What makes Suzuka such a favourite amongst the drivers?

"Suzuka is a great race track and we are all really pleased to be returning there for the Japanese Grand Prix this year. Besides being a challenging circuit, Suzuka holds some particularly special memories for me from my win from pole position in 2003. It's a tough circuit because of the corners and the track layout and you have to be precise, consistent and get the balance of the car absolutely right to have a good weekend. Spoon and 130R are the undoubted highlights of the lap. Both turns are part of what makes Suzuka so demanding and such a great challenge for the drivers. Overtaking can be tough and generally happens into the slowest corner on the track, the Casio Triangle, into the fast fifth-gear First Curve or occasionally at the Turn 11 hairpin."

Suzuka Stats

Circuit Length: 5.807km
Race Distance: 307.573km
Number of Laps: 53

Full Throttle: 65%
Brake Wear: Low
Tyre Compounds: Soft / Hard
Downforce Level: Medium/High - 8/10
Tyre Usage: High
Average Speed: 233kph (145mph)

Race Weekend Schedule (all times are local)

Friday 2 October
Practice 1: 1000 - 1130
Practice 2: 1400 - 1530

Saturday 3 October
Practice 3: 1100 - 1200
Qualifying: 1400 - 1500

Sunday 4 October
Race: 1400

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Post by Ed » Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:15 pm

2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
SUZUKA
2 OCTOBER

PRACTICE

The first of the practice sessions for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix got underway today with rain showers impacting on the amount of track time for all of the teams around the 5.897km Suzuka circuit.

The morning practice session started on a wet track which began to dry out as the session progressed to allow Jenson and Rubens to run on both the Bridgestone wet and intermediate tyres. Whilst limiting their laps, both drivers concentrated on finding a balance in the wet conditions with Rubens completing 19 laps and Jenson totaling 17 laps.

The afternoon practice session proved to be largely a washout with heavy showers leading to a saturated track and keeping the two Brawn-Mercedes cars in the garage for the duration of the ninety-minutes.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice 1 Free Practice 2
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 19 laps 01:41.821 P9 No time
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 17 laps 01:43.318 P18 No time

Weather Overcast with rain showers
Temperatures Air: 21-22°C Track: 23-22°C

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"As we expected, the rain came to Suzuka today and it led to an unusually quiet opening day of practice. The morning session wasn't too bad but the rain this afternoon was heavy enough to create small rivers on parts of the track and there was nothing to be gained by going out. The limited running makes for a much more interesting and challenging day tomorrow however as getting the right set-up quickly will be very important. Whether it proves to be dry or wet tomorrow, we will need to study the data from today and be focused tomorrow morning to ensure we are well prepared for qualifying."

JENSON BUTTON
"I feel sorry for the fans at Suzuka today but unfortunately we can't get any useful information in these conditions with so much water on the track. We spent the morning session working on the balance of the car with the wet and intermediate tyres to ensure that we are prepared if the same wet weather does continue over the weekend. It was important to achieve some running and it feels good to be back at Suzuka. This is a great drivers' track so hopefully we'll get some dry running tomorrow."

ROSS BRAWN
"The weather conditions impacted on our practice plans today as the wet track meant that we opted for a reduced programme. We completed an installation run on the wet weather tyres this morning before Jenson and Rubens switched to intermediates as the track started to dry out over the course of the session. With a heavy downpour between the two sessions, the condition of the track deteriorated further. As the weather forecast shows a dry qualifying and race and with limited wet weather tyres, we felt that there was nothing further to be learnt from running again this afternoon."

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Post by Ed » Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:11 pm

2009 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
SUZUKA
3 OCTOBER

QUALIFYING

Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button came through a chaotic and delayed qualifying session at the Suzuka circuit today to qualify their Brawn-Mercedes cars in fifth and seventh positions respectively for tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix.*

Both drivers progressed easily through Q1 before taking part in a heavily disrupted Q2. Red flags following big crashes by Jaime Alguesuari and Timo Glock left Jenson and Rubens with just one flying lap at the end of the session which saw them progress to Q3 with Jenson in fourth position and Rubens in sixth position.

Q3 also saw a red flag interruption, this time for Heikki Kovalainen's crash, and the team decided to send Rubens and Jenson out for just one quick lap on new option tyres which saw them qualify in fifth and seventh places.

RESULTS

Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Qualifying 3
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P7 P7 01:31.272 P6 01:31.055 P5 01:32.660
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P9 P3 01:31.041 P4 01:30.880 P7 01:32.962

Weather Warm and sunny
Temperatures Air: 26-27°C Track: 34-40°C

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
"I'm happy with my qualifying today considering the pace that we have here in Suzuka. We didn't have particularly competitive sessions in Q1 and Q2 and it was difficult to predict where we might end up. However my car worked well on race fuel loads and in terms of the championship, I'm pleased to be ahead of Jenson on comparable fuel loads in the final session. It was tough today and you had to maintain your concentration despite all the incidents and delays. Suzuka is a fantastic track, one of the best that we race on, but today shows just how tricky it is to drive."

JENSON BUTTON
"It wasn't the easiest of qualifying sessions with so little practice yesterday and all of the interruptions. Three red flags during qualifying is very unusual and I hope that everyone involved is ok. It wasn't too stressful as we had all the information that we needed and just had to keep calm and focus on our next run. The car was working well in the first two sessions and definitely felt better on low fuel. With fuel onboard in Q3 I struggled with rear grip through the first sector and that's where I lost the time on my quick lap as the car was working well through the rest of the lap. We expected this and knew that we would have to make the best of the situation."

ROSS BRAWN
"Today's qualifying was quite chaotic with long delays in the final two sessions and I'm pleased with how the team reacted to the changing circumstances and kept calm throughout. We were realistic on our expectations prior to qualifying and it is evident that our major area of concern comes in the first sector where our car seems to struggle with the change of direction required through the S Curves. Both drivers did a good job to combat this issue where possible.

* "We have learnt this evening that Rubens and Jenson have been penalised with five-place grid penalties for failing to reduce their speed under the yellow flag in Q2. We acknowledge and respect the decision of the stewards and will do our best to have a good race tomorrow."

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