Jenson Button - Monaco Winner 2009
The Brawn GP Team Formula One driver Jenson Button, claimed his first victory at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, after winning his fifth race out of the six so far this season.
Button had qualified in pole position followed by the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, team-mate Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull.
Button dominated the race from the start as the cars headed to the first corner, with Raikkonen dropping back to third as Barrichello slipped past to follow his team-mate.
On lap 2, Button and Barrichello were followed by Raikkonen, Vettel, Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari, Heikki Kovalainen in the McLaren, Mark Webber in the second Red Bull, Fernando Alonso in the Renault, Kazuki Nakajima for Williams and Nelson Piquet in the second Renault.
Lewis Hamilton in the second McLaren, started from the back of the grid after crashing during the qualifying session and then needing a gearbox change, but by lap three he had moved up to sixteenth place.
Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber pitted on lap 3 with a right rear puncture but ended up retiring from the race on lap 31.
Vettel was running six seconds slower than Raikkonen by lap 7 and continued to hold up Massa, Nico Rosberg and Kovalainen, who were looking for any opportunity to get past. Massa made a move by taking to the escape road but was forced to not only let Vettel back in front but was also squeezed out by the Williams of Rosberg.
As Vettel’s tyres deteriorated rapidly, the queue behind continued to grow leaving the cars ahead free to extend the gap until he finally pitted on lap 11,
Sebastian Buemi in the Toro Rosso ran into the back of Renault driver Nelson Piquet on the first turn of lap 11 putting both drivers out of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, as Hamilton came in for his first pit stop.
Barrichello then began to struggle with the grip on his tyres and was 2 seconds a lap slower than his team-mate, as he slowed further Raikkonen was unable to pass giving Button even more of an advantage to build his lead.
Raikkonen pitted on lap 16 and rejoined in seventh place ahead of Alonso while Vettel lost the rear of his Red Bull and crashed at Sainte Devote, ending his race.
Button came in for his first pit stop on lap 17 and rejoined in second behind the Williams of Rosberg but ahead of Massa and Kovalainen. Rosberg pitted on the next lap putting Button back in the lead and the Williams driver back behind Alonso.
Webber in the Red Bull pitted on lap 23 and rejoined behind Massa but ahead of both Rosberg and Kovalainen, gaining two places.
Alonso in the Renault was on a long first stint and finally pitted on lap 29 while in fourth place but rejoined behind Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India in tenth.
Button lapped Hamilton on lap 37, the Mclaren driver was still only ahead of Adrian Sutil in the second Force India.
Massa began to gain on Raikkonen who was chasing down the second Brawn GP car but was yet again warned over his team radio not to cut the chicane in the process.
On lap 51. Barrichello pitted while the race leader goes in for his final stop on the following lap and slots in behind Raikkonen, who had yet to stop.
On lap 53, Kovalainen ran into the wall exiting turn 14, careered across the track and ended up at the Swimming Pool after running in seventh place.
Raikkonen made his final stop on lap 54, taking the softer tyres and rejoined in fifth place as Button led Barrichello by a gap of 13 seconds.
The Williams driver, Kazuki Nakajima ran his car into the tyre wall on the penultimate lap after running in the top ten all weekend and leaving him to finish down in fifteenth place.
Another Brawn GP first and second on the street circuit of Monaco followed by Raikkonen on the podium for the first time this season.
In fourth place was Massa, ahead of Webber in an impressive fifth, Rosberg in sixth, Alonso in Seventh, Bourdais in eighth, Fisichella in ninth and Timo Glock for Toyota completing the top ten drivers of the day.
Button is now leading the championship with a 16 point lead and with 11 races still to run. Barrichello is running in second while the Red Bull driven by Sebastain Vettel is still Button’s main contender, only 28 points behind.
Here are the results;
Pos Driver Team Time 1. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1h40:44.282 2. Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) + 7.666 3. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) + 13.443 4. Massa Ferrari (B) + 15.110 5. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) + 15.730 6. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 33.586 7. Alonso Renault (B) + 37.839 8. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1:03.142 9. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1:05.040 10. Glock Toyota (B) + 1 lap 11. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 1 lap 12. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap 13. Trulli Toyota (B) + 1 lap 14. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap 15. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) + 2 laps Fastest lap: Massa, 1:15.154 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 52 Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 31 Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 16 Piquet Renault (B) 11 Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 11 World Championship standings, round 6: Drivers: Constructors: 1. Button 51 1. Brawn GP-Mercedes 86 2. Barrichello 35 2. Red Bull-Renault 42.5 3. Vettel 23 3. Toyota 26.5 4. Webber 19.5 4. Ferrari 17 5. Trulli 14.5 5. McLaren-Mercedes 13 6. Glock 12 6. Renault 11 7. Alonso 11 7. Williams-Toyota 7.5 8. Raikkonen 9 8. BMW Sauber 6 9. Hamilton 9 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 5 10. Massa 8 11. Rosberg 7.5 12. Heidfeld 6 13. Kovalainen 4 14. Buemi 3 15. Bourdais 2 All timing unofficial
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