Brawn GP News

It’s minutes away from the start of the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit.  What a contrast to Saturday, the weather is wet, very wet!  All of the cars are expected to start on extreme wet tyres though it is unknown whether this will be a safety car start at this point.

The rain will make a big difference, effectively the speed of the car’s won’t make a difference as the rain will equal that, we’ve seen this in many races in the past where there are unexpected winners by the end of the race.  The cars that will  benefit are the one’s with the best downforce setup which will help them get round corners quickest and stay on track.  Pit stop strategy will also be key.  If it does get drier later in the race being on the right tyre at the right time will be key as the wrong tyres can have a very adverse effect on lap times.

Ten minutes to start – The race will be started under the safety car.  This plays right into Brawn’s hands as they are fuelled longer than the cars in front, and under the safety car the Red Bulls and Renault will not be able to pull away.

8am (UK Time) The race has started under the safety car, when a race starts under the safety car there is no formation lap.  The spray is extraordinary, I would be amazed if the drivers can see where they’re going, Looking through the onboard camera of Vettel it is very hard to see the safety car ahead, just two yellow lights can be made out through the mist.

2 laps in, still under the safety car and a Ferrari takes to the run off area.  Probably due to cold brakes.  Red Bull ask Vettel the condition of the track and he reports there is water on it!  But that they have driven in worse.

Lap 3 – Adrian Sutil in the Force India also goes of track.  The drivers are complaining of Aquaplaning on the main straight.

Lap 4 – Sutil Pits, Strategy will come into play now, for Sutil he loses nothing, he’s near the back already and can come out of the pits and catch up with the back of the safety car chain.  But what should the car’s at the front do?  If you were Alonso and have just a few laps of fuel left would you pit now, to brim full with fuel and then while your at the back at least have been the first to pit?

Lap 5 – It seems Williams thinks this could be a good idea as they have brought in Rosberg.  He’ll be gambling the safety car will soon come in as he can fly with warm tyres if it does!

Lap 7 – Alonso Pits, perfect timing as FIA announce safety car in this lap, he joins the back of the safety car snake, and is in a good position to jump through the field on fresh tyres.

Lap 8 – The car’s must cross the line in order and then they’re racing, two Red Bulls followed by two Brawns.  The lap times fall as Vettel in the lead flys with a 1:57.140 – much faster than the 2:33′s previously under the safety car.  Lewis Hamilton gets past Raikkonen for 6th place.

Lap 9 – Raikkonen reports his engine is not running well.  Buemi  is crawling all over the back of him, until the last corner when he and two others go onto the run off area on the last corner.

Lap 11 – Hamilton is past Trulli for P5.  He is performing strongly in the rain.  All the cars are going wide in the last corner.   Including Barrichello in the Brawn who then is taken by Button

Lap 12 – Hamilton slows and drops to 11th after spinning the car.

Lap 14 – Heidfeld spins, it really is wet out on the track, dissapointing that Alonso hasn’t been able to benefit from his fresh tyres.  He’s only made it up to 17th.

Lap 15 – Webber pits from second place.  A clean 9.9 second pit stop. and rejoins in 6th.

Lap 16 – Vettel Pits and Button takes the lead, Vettel rejoins in 3rd with just the two Brawn’s ahead.

Lap 17 – Vettel (3rd) is 15.8 seconds behind Jenson Button (1st) but Brawn is lapping 3 seconds faster a lap.  Does Jenson have enough fuel to  build the gap before he pits.

Kubica goes into the back of Trulli almost right over the top of him!  Trulli has lost his back wing and pits for a replacement. – SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED

Lap 18 – Jenson Button Pits, doing this under the safety car he may still be able to get out in 1st as the safety car still has to pick him up, Barrichello pits straight after Jenson on the same lap.

Buemi has knocked Vettel, and there is debris on the track, how much has it damaged Vettel?  Trulli retires with a broken back wing and possible suspension damage.

Lap 20 – The order under the safety car is Vettel, Button, Massa, Webber, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Barrichello

Massa has stopped on the track, he kits the steering wheel and steps out of the car.  No points yet for Massa this season.

Lap 21 – Safety car in this lap.  Jenson Button sticks close to the back of Vettel but can’t pass on the first corner, Bourdais spins on the final corner but rejoins.

Lap 22 – Hamilton passes Raikkonen (for the 3rd time) up to 4th.  Vettel puts in the fastest lap of the race. 1:54.646

Lap 24 – Glock Pits, for a new front wing.

Lap 25 – Vettel is pulling away from Jenson Button, there is now a 6.4 second gap between them.

Lap 26 – Less than half distance but halfway through the 2 hour time limit, which will come first?

Lap 27 – Raikkonen pits from 7th place, a lot of fuel goes in the car.  Yellow flags at turn 1 as Nakajima takes the long way round the grass.

Piquet also goes off in turn 5 spectacularly smashing through a polystyering distance board

One of the Force India’s also briefly goes off track.

Lap 29 – Webber passes Jenson Button as Button goes straight on at a corner.  Button rejoins the track in 3rd.

Lap 31 – Jenson Button re-passes Mark Webber for 2nd, Webber went wide on the final corner.  Webber comes back at Button and retakes him.

Lap 33 – Hamilton Pits from 4th, he’ll be fuelled to the end of the race now and comes out in 8th.  Webber sets the fastest lap of the race.

Lap 35 – BMW are out in the pits for Kubica from 10, his front wing is hanging off.  Alonso pits, he made it up to 5th before pitting and comes out in 9th.

Lap 36 – The Red Bull’s are lapping 3 seconds faster than the Brawns.  Just like in Malaysia they seem perfect for the wet.

Vettel Pits from 1st place, he’s 25.9 seconds ahead of Jenson Button and joins behind Button in 4th, but Jenson Button still needs to pit before the finish.

Lap 39 – Webber pits from the lead, Jenson Button takes the lead but Vettel is fast closing with a race fastest lap despite a full fuel load.

Lap 40 – Vettel takes Button for the lead after a long drag down the back straight.  We think Button must have to pit again so Vettel has a 14.3 second advantage on his team mate.  Rosberg changes to Intermediates, is it dry enough though?

Lap 42 – Jenson Button pits on the same lap that Barrichello does the fastest lap of the race.  Jenson Button returns to the track in 4th.

Lap 43 – Barrichello pits from 3rd – So he wasn’t fuelled to the finish.  Barrichello returns to the track in 5th place ahead of Hamilton.

Lap 45 – Nakajima drives into the pits and retires.

Buemi Pits from 4th bringing Rubens Barrichello up to 4th.  Buemi rejoins in 10th.

Lap 46 Piquet spins off at the pit entrance, as he pits for a third nose.

Lap 47 – Hamilton runs off the track and his team mate Kovalainen passes him for 5th.

Lap 48 – Rosberg flys off, the only driver on intermediate tyres.  The Chinese circuit is very forgiving with wide run of areas and he rejoins the track.

Lap 49 – Hamilton spins and Adrian Sutil passes.  Sutil is now up to 6th in the Force India with 6 laps to go.

Lap 50 – A big crash for Sutil as his tyres fly across the track.  He aquaplanes and the car spins and hits the barrier hard.  This brings Hamilton up into 6th.

Webber in second is 24.8 seconds clear of Button, the two Red Bull’s just need to keep it on the track now.

Lap 53 – Glock in the Toyota passes Buemi for 7th.  Buemi is in the final points position.

Lap 56 – The car’s go into the final lap, The order looks fixed, it’s just keeping it on the road.  Vettel takes the chequered flag for 1st, 11 seconds later Mark Webber crosses the line for a 1,2 for Red Bull.

Jenson Button and Barrichello take 3rd and 4th place for Brawn, Kovalainen and Hamilton take 5th and 6th for McLaren.  7th was Glock and 8th Buemi taking the final point for Toro Rosso.

Chinese GP result

1. VETTEL Red Bull 1hr57m43.485s
2. WEBBER Red Bull +10.9s
3. BUTTON Brawn +44.9s
4. BARRICHELLO Brawn +1m03.7s
5. KOVALAINEN McLaren +1m05.1s
6. HAMILTON McLaren +1m11.8s
7. GLOCK Toyota +1m14.4s
8. BUEMI Toro Rosso +1m16.4s
9. ALONSO Renault +1m24.3s
10. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +1m31.7s
11. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso +1m34.1s
12. HEIDFELD BMW +1m35.8s
13. KUBICA BMW +1m46.8s
14. FISICHELLA Force India +1 lap
15. ROSBERG Williams +1 lap
16. PIQUET Renault +2 laps
R. SUTIL Force India +6 laps
R. NAKAJIMA Williams +13 laps
R. MASSA Ferrari +36 laps
R. TRULLI Toyota +38 laps

Fastest lap: Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP 1m52.592s