10/05/2009
NEWS STORY
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It has to be admitted that the Circuit de Catalunya does not have a reputation for producing the most exciting F1 races, far from it. Indeed, over the years, along with the Hungaroring, the Spanish track has produced some of the dullest events in living memory.
While some of this was due to the rules, the other major factor was the fact that the teams were continually testing here, in some cases just a few days before the race.
However, this year, courtesy of the new rule which bans in-season testing, together with what many regard as a 'new order' in F1, led by Brawn, Red Bull and Toyota, today's Spanish GP should hopefully be different from some of the yawn fests witnessed in recent years.
Going by appearances, and recent history, it will be a two horse race, with Brawn and Red Bull leading the way, however, the Prancing Horse has clearly made progress, with Felipe Massa the heaviest of the first six on the grid.
Despite the almost constant modification of the circuit in the name of safety, Barcelona still has the potential for incidents, and the first sequence of corners here are notorious. Thus far this season we haven't had the fireworks expected - what with the width of the new front wings - but today could well be the day. Jenson Button made a superb start in Bahrain, indeed, it went some way to helping him win the race, however, it remains to be seen if he can do an equally good job today, especially with Massa making full use of his KERS.
While Button took the last gasp pole yesterday, Teammate Rubens Barrichello has been looking good all weekend, likewise Mark Webber at Red Bull, both drivers will be worth keeping an eye on this afternoon.
The same can surely be said at Toyota also where Timo Glock has looked better that his teammate in most of the session, while, barring a major upset, Ferrari's hopes rest on Felipe Massa's shoulders this afternoon.
While the partisan crowd will be hoping for a Renault revival, particularly in terms of Fernando Alonso, the French team has some way to go yet, as does BMW, though the German team does appear to have made a step forward this weekend.
The same cannot be said for McLaren, whose highest placed driver on today's grid is Lewis Hamilton, who starts from fourteenth. While Kimi Raikkonen's poor qualifying result is largely down to a dreadful strategic error, McLaren are as far back on the grid as they are because the team is still lagging behind.
While continually dominating the practice session, Williams still appears a long way from converting this into race results, which must be as frustrating for the team and its fans as it is for the rest of us.
As for Toro Rosso and Force India, both teams appear to be making progress, however, so are their rivals.
The tyre options this weekend are hard and soft, however, while the softs are the best for the real blistering laps - no pun intended - the drivers have spent most of the weekend keeping them back, saving them for qualifying and today's race.
In some way, a win for Brawn today would make things somewhat symmetrical, for it was at this track - just two months ago yesterday - that the BGP 001 made its testing debut. How things have progressed in those two months.
As the cars prepare to head off on the parade lap, the air temperature is 24 degrees C, and the track temperature is 43 degrees. It is bright, sunny and all around the track Alonso's fans are in good voice.
Everyone's one soft tyres, with the Brawns and Vettel clearly on brand new rubber. Massa might have a worn set of softs but then again he has KERS.
They head off on the parade lap, and Raikkonen complains of a problems with his KERS, basically, he presses the button and nothing happens.
They're away, Hamilton takes to the grass as Barrichello heads Button, going around the outside of the Englishman, and Massa gets ahead of Vettel. However, there's a major coming together in the first sequence of corners, Trulli, Buemi, Bourdais and Sutil all out on the spot. The Safety Car is deployed.
The replay shows Trulli going wide and the rejoining the track to be hit by Sutil with the two Toro Rossos helpless victims… as was Sutil.
Behind the Safety Car it's Barrichello, Button, Massa, Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Rosberg, Glock, Heidfeld and Raikkonen. Fisichella pits, the Italian changing to a one-stop strategy. Nakajima pits a lap later.
There is a lot of debris on the track as a marshal gives the thumbs up to the Safety Car. This is all eerily reminiscent of how events unfolded fifteen years ago at another circuit.
At the end of lap 5, the Safety Car pulls off, the race is back on. No problems this time, though Webber runs Alonso right across the track as the Spaniard makes a move and passes the Australian. They head into the first corner and somehow, despite the momentum, the Red Bull driver keeps it on track and gets back inside the Spaniard to re-take fifth.
As Barrichello build a lead of over a second, Kovalainen has a problem, the Finn slowing right down.
Barrichello posts a new fastest lap (24.172), as the Brazilian is told to "get the hammer down", as if he needed telling. Massa continues in third, but has Vettel and Webber on his tail.
Kovalainen returns to the pits and gets out of his car, his race is over.
Button posts fastest lap (23.849) as he closes to within 1s of his teammate. Massa continues in third ahead of Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Rosberg, Glock, Heidfeld and Raikkonen. The Finn is under pressure from Kubica and Hamilton.
As the race, sadly, descends into the sort of procession we have grown used to here, Raikkonen closes in on Heidfeld, though the Ferrari driver is still being hounded by Kubica and Hamilton.
On lap 14, Button posts another fastest lap (22.950), as Massa falls 3.9s behind the second-placed Brawn. Elsewhere, Raikkonen make as late KERS powered charge on Heidfeld on the main straight, however, the German holds on to his position.
Massa is unable to keep pace with the Brawns and consequently falls into the clutches of the Red Bull duo. Meanwhile, Alonso remains 2.3s behind Webber.
At the end of lap 17, Glock is the first driver to make a regular stop. The German, who sticks with softs, was running eighth.
Next time around, Button pits, as does Alonso. However, back on track Raikkonen has slowed down, the Finn pulling off track with what appears to be a hydraulics problem. His is the seventh retirement this afternoon.
At the end of lap 18, race-leader Barrichello pits, as does Webber, leaving Massa in the lead. Barrichello emerges well ahead of his Brawn teammate.
Massa and Vettel pit at the end of lap 20, re-joining in fourth and fifth, behind the Brawns and Nico Rosberg, who is now running second behind Barrichello but ahead of Button. That said, the German still has to stop.
"Just confirm you aware of the situation," Barrichello is told over the radio, "Jenson has switched to Plan B, sorry Plan A, so you know what you have to do". In other words, Barrichello has taken the lead courtesy of a three stop strategy, while Button is on a two-stopper. The Brazilian must make up the difference.
After 24 laps. just over one-third of the race, Barrichello leads Rosberg by 3.7s, though the German has yet to stop. Button is third, 8.7s down on his Brawn teammate, but 3s ahead of Massa, who leads Vettel, Heidfeld, Hamilton, Webber, Alonso and Fisichella.
Rosberg pits at the end of lap 25, re-joining in ninth behind Alonso. Heidfeld and Hamilton are the only drivers yet to stop.
On lap 28, Barrichello posts a new fastest lap (22.762), as he extends his lead over Button to 12.1s. Massa and Vettel continue to lap as though tied together with a piece of string. It's unclear why, but during the pit stops Webber clearly lost out, the Australian now running seventh, almost 10s behind his teammate who is running fourth.
At the end of lap 31, Barrichello pits, handing the lead to his Brawn GP teammate. Heidfeld and Hamilton also pit. The Brazilian, who sticks with softs (sorry) re-joins in fourth, while Hamilton re-joins and is immediately embroiled in a bitter fight between Glock and Kubica.
After 34 laps, Barrichello is lapping 0.5s a lap slower than Button and is 9.6s down on the Englishman. At this stage, the Brazilian appear to have a mountain to climb.
Massa remains third, 4.7s down on Button and under sustained pressure from Vettel. Webber is fifth, slowly closing in on Barrichello, but 7.3s ahead of Alonso. Rosberg continues in seventh, ahead of Heidfeld, Hamilton and Glock.
"You are dropping behind Jenson," Barrichello is warned, "you need to keep it in the low1:23s". The Brazilian is currently 10.8s behind the race-leader, his teammate.
A wheel cover flies off Massa car as Vettel turns up the heat, going quickest in the first sector. The Red Bull driver crosses the line at 23.090 a personal best.
On lap 42, Webber takes 0.5s off Barrichello, the Australian closing to within 2.6s of the Brazilian. Elsewhere, Hamilton complains, "my rear tyres are finished".
At the end of lap 43, Massa and Vettel both pit. Both fit hard tyres for the final sting, the duo emerging from the pits just as they entered, but now running fifth and sixth. Alonso also pits, rejoining alongside his old McLaren 'mucker', and giving him a gentle nudge for old times' sake. The crowd roars its approval.
At the end of lap 46, Kubica and Piquet both pit, the BMW and Renault drivers were running eleventh and twelfth.
The back-markers move aside for Button, who now has a 12.1s over his Brawn teammate.
At the end of lap 48, Button makes his second and final stop, rejoining in third, behind Barrichello and Webber, but ahead of Massa and Vettel. Hamilton also pits., rejoining in tenth.
Button is now on the hards, while his teammate continues on softs, leaving his final stop, and tyre switch, until the last possible moment. That said, at the end of lap 50 he and Webber both pit. The Brawn driver rejoins in second ahead of Webber, who keeps third position, ahead of Massa. Brilliant tyre management and strategy from Brawn and Red Bull.
Consequently, after 51 laps, Button leads Barrichello by 7.1s, with Webber a further 2.7s down the road, but 4.7s ahead of Massa, who leads Vettel, Alonso, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Hamilton and Glock.
Now on the hard rubber, Button continues to lap significantly faster than his rivals.
Rob Smedley tells Massa to "turn his revs down" in order to "conserve fuel", which is not what you want to hear when you've got Sebastian Vettel filling your mirrors. Elsewhere, Fisichella makes his fourth stop of the afternoon, hopes he remembers to pick up his stamps.
As Vettel continues to hound Massa, Webber closes to within 1.4s of Barrichello. The Australian has nine laps in which to make his move.
"You need to keep saving (fuel)" Massa is told, "you used too much on the last lap, if you continue you won't get to the end". "But what can I do," replies the hapless Brazilian, "I'm fighting for position". With a 17s gap to Alonso, Massa might be as well letting Vettel by and settling for fifth. 4 points is better than nothing.
Glock closes right in on Hamilton, who is 23.1s behind Rosberg, the last of the current points runners.
With five laps remaining, it's Button, Barrichello, Webber, Massa, Vettel, Alonso, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Hamilton, Glock, Kubica, Piquet, Nakajima and Fisichella.
On lap 63, Massa allows Vettel by, being told over the radio that as things stand - if he continues at this pace - he will run out of fuel on the last lap. He allows the German to pass and eases off, with Alonso 13s down the road.
As Button laps Hamilton, Massa loses 4s to Alonso with two laps remaining.
At the start of the final lap, the crowd rises as one, Alonso is just 1.9s behind Massa, putting the Ferrari driver out of his misery in the first complex of corners.
Button takes his fourth win of the season, extending his championship lead over his teammate to 14 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Brawn GP enjoys a 30 point lead over Red Bull, and, once again, we remind you, this comes two months and one day after the BGP 001 made its testing debut, at this very track.
A superb performance from Button and Brawn, while Barrichello is clearly confused as to where it all went wrong.
Mark Webber takes a well-deserved third place, finishing 5s clear of his mercurial Red Bull teammate.
Fifth place is about as much as Fernando Alonso and his fans could honestly expect, while Ferrari, despite its obvious step forward, still has much work to do, both in terms of reliability and strategy.
Well deserved points for Heidfeld and Rosberg, while McLaren clearly still has work to do.
A disappointing result for Toyota, which appears to be losing ground as the season develops, and not for the first time.
In all honesty, it was pretty much another typical Barcelona procession, though the tyre strategy added a little spice.
That said, that takes nothing away from another pluperfect performance from Jenson Button and his team.
With that Terminator deal currently in place, one can only assume that in terms of the next race, in Monaco, Button "will be back" on the podium, most likely with Rubens Barrichello beside him.