Brawn GP 2009

Two of the former Brawn transporters purchased by the non-starting US F1 team have apparently been put up for sale on the eBay site.

After the American-based team failed to make it onto the grid for the 2010 F1 championship due to financial problems, a high court writ was issued to reclaim assets and the trailers were all that was available here.

One of the transporters is still said to have the name and number of the current World Champions F1 driver Jenson Button and both are in the Brawn livery.  One is fitted out with a machine shop and space for three cars and equipment while the other has enough room for 10 race engineers.

The trailers which are estimated to have cost around £300,000 each, have no reserve and will be awarded to the highest bidder on the site.

FIA

The FIA have now published the 2010 Formula One entry list, featuring only twelve of the expected thirteen teams to line-up on the grid.  The Toyota team are formally bound to put a team forward for the 2010 season by the Concorde Agreement but an announcement concerning their participation in next years championship is expected soon.

McLaren Mercedes
1 Jenson Button (GB)
2 Lewis Hamilton (GB)

Brawn Mercedes Benz*
3 Nico Rosberg (D)
4 TBA

Red Bull Racing Renault
5 Sebastian Vettel (D)
6 Mark Webber (AUS)

Ferrari
7 Felipe Massa (BR)
8 Fernando Alonso (E)

Williams Cosworth
9 Rubens Barrichello (BR)
10 Nico Hulkenberg (D)

Renault
11 Robert Kubica (PL)
12 TBA

Force India Mercedes
14 Adrian Sutil (D)
15 Vitantonio Liuzzi (I)

STR Ferrari
16 Sebastien Buemi (CH)
17 TBA

Lotus Cosworth
18 TBA
19 TBA

Campos Dallara
20 TBA
21 Bruno Senna (BR)

US F1 Cosworth
22 TBA
23 TBA

Virgin Cosworth
24 Timo Glock (D)
25 TBA

*The Brawn McLaren team are expected to change their name to the Mercedes Grand Prix Team

Nico Rosberg

The former Brawn GP team, Mercedes Grand Prix, have confirmed the signing of the 2009 Williams driver Nico Rosberg for the 2010 season.

Although the move has come as no surprise, there is still no clear indication of who his team-mate is likely to be for the year ahead or for how long Rosberg has signed to race for the team.  Michael Schumacher is the latest in a long line of drivers rumoured for the second seat along with Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica.

Rosberg said;

“I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes.  No other brand in Formula 1 can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing. I am very proud that I will now drive for the new Mercedes team and work with Ross Brawn. I am more motivated than ever, and can hardly wait to start testing with the new Silver Arrow and for the first race of the new season in Bahrain.”

Ross Brawn said;

“We are delighted to welcome Nico Rosberg to our Mercedes team and are very much looking forward to working with him.  Nico is a great talent, and with four years of experience in Formula 1 is a driver who will be able to make a valuable contribution to our team right from the outset.

I had the pleasure of working with his father Keke during his Formula 1 career, and it is great to see Nico following in his footsteps. 2009 was Nico’s best season in Formula 1 to-date, and we look forward to seeing his development continue with us at Mercedes next year”.

Jenson Button 2009

The 2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button has allegedly signed with the McLaren team to race alongside Lewis Hamilton in an all British line-up for 2010.

Following the news that Kimi Raikkonen will be taking a year out of Formula One after failing to reach a deal with the McLaren team, an announcement for the signing of Button is expected very soon.

Despite still having a year to run on his Ferrari contract, Raikkonen was replaced by the double world champion, Spain’s Fernando Alonso with the Finn driver insisting that he would only race for one of the top teams as he intends to fight for the championship.

According to Ross Brawn, reports that Button has already signed for the team are not helpful as negotiations are said to be continuing.  Button was allegedly unhappy with the offer made by the Brawn Team for the coming season, seeing it as unacceptable after winning the championship.

Ross Brawn 2009

Mercedes will now have their own F1 team in 2010 after it was confirmed that the company have purchased a controlling stake of Brawn GP Team

The team will be known as the Mercedes Grand Prix as the Brawn title disappears and the Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG along with Aabar Investments will now gain control with a 75.1% joint stake.

Ross Brawn is said to be continuing his role as Team Principle with the current management remaining as for the 2009 season.  Brawn said;

“Brawn GP has been through an incredible journey over the last 12 months.  From fighting for our survival to forging a strong relationship with Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, winning both the constructors’ and drivers’ World Championships, and now accepting Daimler’s and Aabar’s offer to buy our team, which will secure its future.

Both I and my fellow directors at Brawn GP are incredibly proud of our staff, drivers and everyone associated with our team and thank them for their commitment, outstanding teamwork and their focus on achieving results in sometimes difficult circumstances.

We are honoured to be representing such a prestigious brand as Mercedes-Benz in Formula One next year and we will be working together to do our best to reward their faith in our team.”

Mercedes will continue to supply their engines to the McLaren team until at least 2015 although the 40% share holding will be reacquired by the McLaren Group by 2012.

Bruno Senna

Bruno Senna will at last make is Formula 1 debut next season with the all new Spanish based team Campos Meta. Senna said that he had been in talks with other new teams Lotus and Manor GP as well as one other existing F1 team, before making his decision.

The 26 year old nephew of  Formula 1 hero and triple World Champion Ayrton Senna said that he had ruled out a move to Lotus out of sentimental reasons alone. It was with Lotus that Ayrton Senna claimed his first pole position and victory in 1985.

Campos Meta chief Rodriguez de Castro was delighted to announce the signing of Bruno Senna to the team, saying:

“It is an extraordinary honour to return the name of Senna to Formula 1, the deal with Senna confirms and re-enforces our prime objective of being not only the first Spanish Formula 1 team, but rather the first Iberian-American F1 team.”

Senna had tested with Honda in November 2008, weeks before the Japanese manufacturer announced that it would be parting company with Formula One, he was then in the frame for a drive with the Brawn GP team that bought out Honda.

However Brawn decided to stick with the tried and tested partnership of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello for the 2009 season, a decision that was vindicated by winning both the drivers and constructors championship in their debut season.

Senna said two weeks ago that it was vital for him to get a drive in F1 for 2010, fearing that the chance “would be lost if it doesn’t happen then,” and that he was looking for a team that has the potential to deliver results and consistency.

On securing a drive with rookie team Campos Meta, Senna said “I’m absolutely delighted to fulfill a lifetime dream. Now it is time to set new targets.”

nico rosberg last race for williams

Nico Rosberg has confirmed that Sunday’s race at Abu Dhabi will be his last for current team Williams, although he refused to comment on where he would be driving in next years F1 Championship.

The 24 year old German driver who has spent his five year Formula 1 career with the Williams team said it feels a bit strange knowing that Abu Dhabi will be his final race for the team and spoke in glowing terms of the support he has been given over the years.

“They’re the only team, I’ve worked with. Frank Williams, especially,  Adam Parr,  Sam Michael,  Patrick Head have really supported my career over these years and I’d like to say a very big thank you to them. There’s no reason why they can’t be as good as this year next year. But I’m not sure they can win races at the moment, and I would like to win races. It’s been a good season because the team gave me a good car it was an opportunity to raise my share value and to find a winning car for next year.”

Rosberg is being tipped by many to make a move to this years World Championship winning constructor Brawn GP in a swap that will see Rubens Barrichello moving in the opposite direction and racing for Williams next year.

Mark Webber - Brazilian Grand Prix 2009

The Red Bull driver Mark Webber took the chequered flag yesterday in the Brazilian Grand Prix as Jenson Button was crowned the 2009 Formula One World Champion.

Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello started the race from pole position followed by Webber,but after the first set of pit stops it was Webber that took to the front and dominated the race.  Barrichello had managed to create a gap of three-seconds but an early stop lost him the lead as he was passed by both Webber and the BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica.

At the beginning of the race the McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen made contact with the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella at turn 1.  At the same time the Toyota driver Jarno Trulli attempted a pass on the outside of  Adrian Sutil but instead spun into the Force India with Fernando Alonso’s Renault getting collected as Sutil rejoined the circuit.

Kimi Raikkonen used his KERS system to move into third place as he passed Webber at the start of the race but made contact and damaged his front wing.  As the Ferrari returned to his pits for a new wing, Kovalainen exited in front of him with the fuel hose still attached causing fuel to leak and spray the Ferrari which burst into flames.  Raikkonen managed to keep going and rejoined the race without damage.

Rubens Barrichello led the race followed by Webber, Kubica and the Williams of Nico Rosberg.  Jenson Button in the second Brawn GP had moved into seventh place by lap 11 behind Timo Glock’s replacement driver Kamui Kobayashi in the Toyota.

Barrichello pitted from the lead on lap 22 as Nick Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber pulled off track with a problem, apparently running out of fuel after the earlier incident with the fuel hose.  Button finally made it past Kobayashi, moving up into fourth place with Webber taking his pit stop on lap 27 from the lead.

On lap 28 Nico Rosberg retired to the garage after suffering a gearbox problem with the Williams car as Button pitted on lap 30.  On lap 31 the second Williams car of Kazuki Nakajima crashed into the tyre wall after losing his front wing after hitting the  back of the Toyota of Kobayashi.

By lap 41 it was Webber ahead of Kubica, Barrichello, Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren, Raikkonen, Button, Vettel and Sebastien Buemi in the Toro Rosso.

Webber took his second pit stop on lap 53 and rejoined ahead of Kubica as Button took his final pit stop on lap 56, exiting in front of Kovalainen until the McLaren passed him at turn 4.  On the following lap Vettel pitted and rejoined ahead of Kovalainen and Button to sit in fifth place.

On lap 60, Kovalainen made a surprising pit stop with Lewis Hamilton passing the Brawn GP of Barrichello on lap 62.  Barrichello appeared to have a problem with his car and was soon told over the team radio that he had developed a puncture after making contact with Hamilton earlier in the race.

On lap 65, Webber led Kubica, Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Raikkonen, Buemi and Barrichello. Felipe Massa was given the job of waving the chequered flag at his home circuit as Webber crossed the line, followed by Kubica in second and Hamilton in third.

Here are the results;

1. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault 71 laps 1hr 32m 23.081s
2. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber +7.6s
3. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes +18.9s
4. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault +19.6s
5. Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes +29.0s
6. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari-Ferrari +33.3s
7. Sebastien Buemi Switzerland Toro Rosso-Ferrari +35.9s
8. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn-Mercedes +45.4s

Rtd. Kazuki Nakajima Japan Williams-Toyota 30 laps completed
Rtd. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota 27 laps completed
Rtd. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber 21 laps completed
Rtd. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 0 laps completed
Rtd. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes 0 laps completed
Rtd. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota 0 laps completed

barrichello in china gp 2009

Rubens Barrichello has confirmed that he will definitely be racing in Formula 1 next season and says that he is currently holding talks with his current employers Brawn GP and also with the Williams team.

He denied reports that he had already signed for Williams but was ‘privelleged’ to be in this position where he is able to choose the best package for the coming season, accepting that it may be his last in F1.

“Today I feel very honoured that there are teams trying (for me), that there are teams I’m talking to and that my situation is a lot better than for some time. I’m at a very privileged stage of my career in being able to choose the car in which I’ll compete. I very much want a competitive car for next season. It’s my best season and the start of reaping things I sowed in the past.” said the Brazilian driver.

In taking over the Honda team Brawn GP not only saved  Barrichello and Jenson Button from an uncertain future in the sport but has given both drivers a renaissance in their careers.  Both drivers benefited from the early season performance of the Brawn car with Button taking full advantage but faltering as the other teams on the grid have caught up.

Barrichello meanwhile, upset early on by what he saw as favouritism towards Button, has stuck to his task and witnessed some of the best performances of his career.

While Button still remains favourite to win the Championship, Barrichello will take heart form recent races where he has outpaced his team mate. The Brazilian is 14 points behind Button and will, without any doubt fancy his own chances.

Of course Sebastian Vettel may have other ideas, but that’s another story.

The Japanese Grand Prix 2009

The Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel, dominated the Japanese Grand Prix yesterday after qualifying in pole position.

Vettel lined-up on the grid ahead of the Toyota of Jarno Trulli and Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren, but as the lights changed it was Hamilton that moved into the second place spot, using his KERS to get ahead of Trulli. The German Red Bull driver had been fastest in all the qualifying sessions and has now kept his dream alive of being the 2009 World Champion.

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button, started in seventh place on the grid but after a terrible start was down in twelfth place behind the Ferrari of Giancarlo Fisichella.

Trulli managed to pass the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton in his final pit stop, taking a well deserved second position for the Toyota team.

In fourth place was Kimi Raikkonen in the Ferrari followed by the Williams of Nico Rosberg after Nick Heidfeld was held up in the pits when a wheel nut on his BMW Sauber stuck.

Rubens Barrichello crossed the line in seventh place for the Brawn GP team followed by his team-mate Jenson Button in eighth.

Just as the race looked to be a foregone conclusion, the Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari spun exiting the 130º right-hand corner on lap 44.  The safety car was deployed closing the gap as the cars bunched up behind until it came in on lap 49.

Robert Kubica took the ninth position in the second BMW Sauber followed by Fernando Alonso in the Renault in tenth place after starting in sixteenth place.

Sebastien Buemi was the only other retirement in the race after coming to a halt in his Toro Rosso on the starting grid and retiring shortly afterwards with a clutch problem.

Second Toyota driver Timo Glock did not start the race after a huge crash during the Saturday qualifying session left him with a 5cm cut on his lower leg which had been stitched at the local hospital.

Here are the results;

1. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 53 laps 1hr 28m 20.443s
2. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota +00m 04.8s
3. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes +00m 06.4s
4. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari-Ferrari +00m 07.9s
5. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota +00m 08.7s
6. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber +00m 09.5s
7. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn-Mercedes +00m 10.6s
8. Jenson Button Britain Brawn-Mercedes +00m 11.4s

all results unofficial