Formula One 2009

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Very happy for Webber - it'd be hard to begrudge him his first ever second place finish. Glad that Button kept things ticking over in third though!

[hugobomb]

You got to love that people have been hailing Button as a future world champion for years and he converted that into THREE wins in 9 years and 158 races. My boy Vettel hasn't be anywhere near as hailed (until this season) and has two wins in 29 races.

I'm just a little sick of the Button hype machine.

[Adam]

To be fair, this year is the first in a long time where driver aids and the car you're win isn't as big a factor. Button has driven for such craptastic teams as BAR, Honda and Renault (before they got good again). He barely had a chance in an age where Schumacher won more races than he didn't.

[maninblack]

Adding to what 1PWCorino said, Button appeared to have been largely written off until Brawn surprised practically everyone with their car. But even then it's not all machinery - he's shown to be consistently better than Barichello this year.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Also, if we're talking about hype and Vettel's ability etc, word around F1 is that the Red Bull car he's in is the best car available when it comes to racing in the wet, miles ahead of even Brawn. The balance and weighting and set-up of the car lends itself beautifully to wet conditions and it will be interesting to see if they come to the top again next time there's a load of wetness during a race.

Button's previous win and various podium finishes were in cars that were so horribly off the pace that it was embarrassing.

[TheArsenal]

To be fair, if Button could take that craptastic Honda car to a race win then he must be the damn greatest driver in the history of the sport.

[Katsuya]

In fairness, that race win with Honda was helped quite a bit by the fact that Alonso fucked up, Michael kept on going off the road, Kimi crashed, and that left his biggest opposition as Pedro de la Rosa. So...yeah.

And if you want to talk about Vettel's racing ability, then I point out Monza and the fact that he beat a McLaren in a Toro Rosso. Or Brazil when he kept up with Hamilton even before it started raining.

[Adam]

I'm surprised nobody has been in here to discuss todays race! Not a very exciting affair really, but a great win for Jenson, he's starting to show that he is the real deal this season, but it's a shame Toyota couldn't win from such a great starting position.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Same car as Barrichello but has outperformed him in every race and every qualifying....

[marksbros6]

To be fair I think Brawn have simply given Button a car that really suits his style. He's a very smooth driver, you very rarely see him adjusting his line once he's in the turn, turns the wheel in, and then feeds it out on the exit.

Compare this to some of the in car footage of Massa for instance, sometimes you see him make 2 or 3 turns into the corner before the apex. Button just seems to be a smooth technical driver, and the car responds well to this approach. I think the key will be if BrawnGP can get the investment to continue developing the car in the coming months and into next season, lest they get left behind as the other teams further adapt to the new rules.

As for the 'Hype machine' on Button, he was stuck driving some woeful machinery in recent seasons, I think he would have had considerably more success in a McClaren or Ferrari, or even if Renault had kept him on from when he was there originally. Politics can have as much to do with a driver's success than just their talent. Remember Williams ditching Damon Hill when he was defending champion. He ended up at Arrows and only won 1 other race (with Jordan) in the remainer of his career.

[Katsuya]

Didn't Jenson have a contract to go back to Renault in like, 03/04 (in other words, when they actually started developing good cars) and decided to stay with BAR?

[hugobomb]

He did sign a contract with William to join them in 2006 but when BMW bought Sauber he claimed that this meant Williams wouldn't be as competative as he thought when he signed the contract, so he had the right to stay at BAR. Williams claimed otherwise (having this crazy idea that he had to honour his contract, Frank you so crazy) and Button/Honda had to pay $30 Million to get him out of it. Then rewarded by giving him shite cars for the next few years.

With Renault, he drove one year in a crap-tastic Benneton before they bought the team, the spent the next being beaten in qualifying by Trulli but having the better of him on race day. However they replaced Button with Alonso (who was their test driver at the time) before the 2003 season and Button moved to BAR. Seemed harsh because Button scored more points than Trulli.

Edited April 26, 2009 by Hugobombski

[maninblack]

Eh, wasn't able to catch the race itself, just the highlights afterwards. Good win for Button.

[hugobomb]

McLaren have been given a suspended three-race ban for misleading stewards at the Australian Grand Prix by motor sport's governing body, the FIA.

The British team admitted five charges of breaching Formula One rules at a special inquiry on Wednesday in Paris.

The penalty will only be enforced upon Lewis Hamilton's team if "further facts emerge" about this incident or if there is a "further breach" of the rules.

The FIA said team boss Martin Whitmarsh had been "open and honest" with them.

A World Motor Sport Council statement read: "Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren team principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate.

McLaren got off lightly - Ecclestone

"This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151 c of the International Sporting Code."

Speaking after the hearing, FIA president Max Mosley said the WMSC's decision was "entirely fair."

He added: "They (McLaren) have demonstrated there is a complete culture change, that it's all different to what it was.

"In those circumstances it looks better to put the whole thing behind us, so unless there is something similar in the future, that is the end of the matter."

F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone told BBC Sport that he felt McLaren may have escaped a harsher punishment.

"[it was] good. Fair and honest and straightforward [verdict]. I thought Martin was happy with that. They knew they did something wrong so they got a slap."

When asked if they got off lightly, he added: "Probably, yes."

The incident occurred towards the end of the season-opening race in Melbourne where world champion Hamilton finished fourth behind Jarno Trulli's Toyota.

Following the race, McLaren accused the Italian of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.

606: DEBATE

Was it the right decision? Should they have been fined? Or should it have been worse?

bestchelseasteven

Officials initially handed Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after he and McLaren's long-serving sporting director Dave Ryan gave evidence that the Englishman had not deliberately let the Toyota driver through, and had not been asked by the team to do so.

But McLaren's radio communication contradicted this and Hamilton was later disqualified with Trulli reinstated to third place.

Hamilton, who issued an emotional public apology after the incident in which he insisted was not a 'liar', has escaped punishment from the FIA and is free to drive at the next race in Spain on 10 May.

After full details were revealed, Whitmarsh made the decision to sack Ryan after 35 years with the team.

Former McLaren principal Ron Dennis, Whitmarsh's predecessor, also moved away from having any direct involvement with F1 - although he insisted this was not in any way related to the incident.

Whitmarsh also wrote to Mosley to offer an "unreserved apology" and accept the team were in breach of the regulations.

Honesty shaped McLaren decision - Mosley

After appearing at the hearing in Paris, Whitmarsh said: "We are aware that we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia, and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again.

"I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA World Motor Sport Council members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again."

In a team statement, McLaren thanked the FIA World Motor Sport Council members for what they described as a "very fair hearing".

"We now look forward with enthusiasm to continuing our efforts to develop a closer and more co-operative relationship between ourselves and the FIA," it read.

"We will also continue to focus our efforts on closing the performance gap that exists between our car and the fastest cars.

"Following Lewis Hamilton's encouraging fourth place in Bahrain last Sunday, we are now optimistic that we will be able to play an increasingly competitive part in what is fast developing into a very exciting season of Formula 1 motor racing."

Hamilton's car has been largely uncompetitive car this season and he has only nine points from the first four races, trailing championship leader Jenson Button by 22.

So Mclaren basically get a slap on the wrist for lying to the stewards. Justice done my arse. They won't get punished unless they break the rules again, that'll show 'em!

[EddieG]

And if they do break the rules again what's gonna happen? They're just gonna get this ban? Or will they get further bans/fines whatever for the rules they break that time?

[hugobomb]

they'll have to serve this ban, then I assume they'll get another suspended ban in case of FURTHER lying and cheating (stealing's optional)

[DFF]

Anyone hear about F1 hoping to expand to 13 teams next year? It was a kind of throw away comment I read in an article about the budget caps they are putting in place for next season. Any ideas on who might take up the offer?

[KoA]

I saw it on Sky Sports, so judging by that source there'll be some truth in it. The only people I can think of now are Davey Richards' team, Prodrive I think they're called. He's said he'd consider it because of the price cuts and caps.

[Vector]

Anyone hear about F1 hoping to expand to 13 teams next year? It was a kind of throw away comment I read in an article about the budget caps they are putting in place for next season. Any ideas on who might take up the offer?

I did hear about it a few times during last month and the article explaining it in the FIA's budget cap report confirms it, so I think it could be good, would mean a bit more competition.

Now in regards to who might join next season, the idea of a Team USA joining was brought up during the past month (though I've no idea if that's confirmed). But looking on the Official Formula 1 Website, you have former Benetton & BAR boss David Richards considering joining with his Prodrive team, and we could possibly see the return of Lola to Formula 1.

Looking at the report again, we'll definitely find out during the next month and a half as to who's interested and who'll join next season.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Lola back in F1?! Wooot.