Sunday 18 October 2009

ON THE BUTTON

Sounds like a headline from The Sun but there you go.
What a day for Formula 1 motor racing. A story that would have been the stuff of a Hollywood script or a good novel about the sport - but real life has beaten them to it.
This time last year we were cheering on Lewis Hamilton as he did enough in the Brazilian Grand Prix to secure the Formula 1 Championship.
This year history repeated itself when Jenson Button did exactly the same thing when he finished 5th at the San Paulo racetrack.
Jenson Button became the 10th UK Formula One Champion.
The tenth since Mike Hawthorn won the first back in 1958.
This time last year Brawn GP had a car but no driver. Throughout the winter they built their car up. They found two drivers in Jenson Button and Rubens Barichello and hit the Australian Grand Prix running. Button took the Brawn car to six wins out of seven and himself well into the lead for the Championship.
Jenson Button appeared unbeatable until team Red Bull upped their game with drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Between them they pushed Button and Barichello to the limit.
It looked like Button and Rubens were going to dominate the driver's championship with Vettel in third place.
At the open to the Brazillian Grand Prix all Vettel had to do was finish first or second to leave the championship open to a decider at the final race of the season at Abu Dhabi. However the atrocious conditions during qualifying dropped Vettel to 15th position on the grid. Despite pleas that they had a grid it was decided to run the second qualifier that made for it's own drama as Button fell back to 14th position but left Rubens Barichello in 8th and better placed for a win on his home circuit and nudge Button out of the championship.
Race day, today, produced dry race conditions and with skillfull overtaking both Button and Vettel worked their way up the field. On the downside it was sad to see Barichello going backwards.
Jenson Button drove an excellent race to secure his Championship.
To complete the magic of the day Brawn GP won the Team Championship.

1 comment:

Steve M said...

Great to see Button in fighting spirit, some of his overtaking moves were breathtaking.