Vettel wins the British Grand Prix in 2009
Sebastian Vettel stormed to victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone yesterday, totally dominating the event from the front. Current championship leader Jenson Button could only take sixth place in the cool conditions but his team mate Rubens Barrichello finished third behind the second Red Bull of Mark Webber.
As so often recently it was not a particularly thrilling race with Lewis Hamilton providing most of the action in his battles for sixteenth place.
PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The British Grand Prix
Silverstone, Britain;
60 laps; 308.355km;
Weather: Dry.
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1h22:49.328
2. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) + 15.188
3. Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) + 41.175
4. Massa Ferrari (B) + 45.043
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 45.915
6. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) + 46.285
7. Trulli Toyota (B) + 1:08.307
8. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) + 1:09.622
9. Glock Toyota (B) + 1:09.823
10. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1:11.522
11. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) + 1:14.023
12. Piquet Renault (B) + 1 lap
13. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 1 lap
14. Alonso Renault (B) + 1 lap
15. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 1 lap
16. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap
17. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap
18. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1 lap
Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:20.735
Not classified/retirements:
Driver Team On lap
Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 25
Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 24
World Championship standings, round 8:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. Button 64 1. Brawn GP-Mercedes 105
2. Barrichello 41 2. Red Bull-Renault 74.5
3. Vettel 39 3. Toyota 34.5
4. Webber 35.5 4. Ferrari 26
5. Trulli 21.5 5. Williams-Toyota 15.5
6. Massa 16 6. McLaren-Mercedes 13
7. Rosberg 15.5 7. Renault 11
8. Glock 13 8. BMW Sauber 8
9. Alonso 11 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 5
10. Raikkonen 10
11. Hamilton 9
12. Heidfeld 6
13. Kovalainen 4
14. Buemi 3
15. Kubica 2
16. Bourdais 2
british grand prix, red bull, silverstone, vettel
Sebastien Vettel has taken pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix at Silverstone after a stunning display of quick driving.
Sebastien Vettel on his way to pole position in the British Grand Prix
His team mate Mark Webber is third on the grid with Rubens Barrichello (Brawn) second in a Red Bull sandwich.
Jenson Button was disappointed with sixth place complaining he could not obtain a good balance with his car.
I still believe Jenson has a chance of victory tomorrow though especially if the weather is warmer and the car is able to generate more heat into its tyres.
The major upset of the qualifying session was Lewis Hamilton who finished 19th because the session was halted after Adrian Sutil (Force India) crashed at the Abbey Chicane without harm forcing Lewis to abort his best lap.
Here are the full details of the session:-
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:18.685 1:18.119 1:19.509
2. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:19.325 1:18.335 1:19.856
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:18.674 1:18.209 1:19.868
4. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:18.886 1:18.240 1:20.091
5. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:18.530 1:18.575 1:20.216
6. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:18.957 1:18.663 1:20.289
7. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:19.228 1:18.591 1:20.361
8. Glock Toyota (B) 1:19.198 1:18.791 1:20.490
9. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:19.010 1:18.566 1:20.715
10. Alonso Renault (B) 1:19.167 1:18.761 1:20.741
11. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:19.148 1:18.927
12. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:19.730 1:19.308
13. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:19.732 1:19.353
14. Piquet Renault (B) 1:19.555 1:19.392
15. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:19.559 1:19.448
16. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:19.802
17. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:19.898
18. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:19.909
19. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:19.917
20. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:20.236
Will Formula One exist next year?
The Grand Prix circus is in turmoil at the moment and as so often the case it’s all because of money. There are currently ten teams in F1 and only two of them have signed up with the FIA, the governing body, to take part in next year’s championship. The major car manufacturer backed teams, Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault, BMW, Toyota, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Brawn are currently refusing to race next year.
Williams and Force India have agreed to race under the terms of the the FIA. The other teams don’t agree to the proposed budget cap of £40 million to run each team.
FIA President Max Mosley in talks with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone
The eight renegade teams do agree that cost cutting needs to be implemented in these austere times but feel that the proposed budget restrictions are too harsh to be put in place for next year.
They would prefer a more gradual reduction in budgets over the next few years so as to avoid unneccessary redundancies not only for the teams but also the peripheral companies involved. They may form a breakaway series of races and as Ferrari (the major force and crowd puller in F1) hold the ace cards, it is no idle threat. The FIA would be left to run the ‘official’ F1 series but without the star names.
The key to resolution is talks and meetings. The FIA and the teams must reach a compromise to avoid two rival devalued series of races happening next year. This would not work in the long term as has been seen in USA with their open wheel racing series becoming a shadow of its former self after an acrimonious split.
The brinkmanship on both sides will come to a head sooner or later and I hope a suitable solution will be found for both sides.
Sponsors and fans may become disillusioned with the whole affair and with the resultant loss of TV revenue (the major income source for the whole circus) the show will implode. Bernie Ecclestone has a major part to play now, he has to ensure there is no split and should protect the investment he has made over the last forty years building up F1 into the global brand it has become. There is a real danger that the the end of the road is nigh…
What a difference a year makes!
Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix last year, this year he will be fortunate to place in the top eight. Such are the changing fortunes in Formula One.
Lewis Hamilton wins at Silverstone in 2008
His car is just not quick enough around the fast sweeping bends at Silverstone to keep pace with the top cars such as Brawn and Red Bull.
So who are the favourites to do well in this year’s race on Sunday 21st June? Jenson Button, having won 6 of the 7 races so far this season, must be a key candidate. But his team mate in the Brawn team Rubens Barrichello cannot be ruled out at this, one of his favourite tracks.
The Red Bull cars are super quick at the moment and both Mark Webber and Sebastien Vettel will be in with a great chance of victory on Sunday afternoon.
What about Ferrari chances? The car has been much improved over the last couple of races so may finish on the podium with a little luck, particularly in the hands of Felipe Massa. His team mate Kimi Raikkonen continues his lacklustre form.
The major car manufacturer teams BMW, Renault and Toyota will be fighting for the crumbs at this race, although Fernando Alonso in the Renault will push to the extreme and Jarno Trulli in the Toyota usually qualifies well.
My tip for victory? I’m going for Button in the Brawn to make it 7 out of 8 with Barrichello second.
british grand prix, silverstone
It appears that 2009 will be the final year that F1 visits the Northamptonshire circuit of Silverstone. Future F1 races are planned to be held at Donington Park in Derbyshire.
Silverstone first hosted the British Grand Prix in 1948 and has hosted the race every year since 1987. There has been some memorable British victories in the race over the years, notably Nigel Mansell in 1987, 1991, 1992, Damon Hill in 1994, Johnny Herbert in 1995, David Coulthard in 1999, 2000 and Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
Nigel Mansell gives Ayrton Senna a lift after the race in 1991
Jenson Button is one of the favourites to win on Sunday 21st June 2009 although some experts suggest his Brawn car wont be the quickest at the track. Button cannot be discounted as he has won 6 of the 7 races held so far this year. The Red Bull cars are expected to put up a stern fight for victory.
There have been many disputes over the years between the BRDC (the owners of the track) and the Formula One authorities or more precisely Mr Bernie Ecclestone. Continual threats to move the Grand prix to another circuit unless substantial improvements were made to the track finally came to a head this year. Despite the fact Silverstone is a fine racetrack 2009 will see the last F1 race here for the forseeable future. I am looking forward to this swansong event and hope for a typically thrilling Silverstone type finish.
british grand prix, silverstone
Jenson Button won the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul in classic style.
Jenson Button was born on 19 January 1980 in Frome, Somerset, England. He began his Formula One career driving for the Williams team in 2000. On 6th August 2006 he won his first Grand Prix in Hungary. He currently drives for the Brawn GP team and has won six of the first seven races so far in this 2009 season. A record shared only by Michael Schumacher and Jim Clark.
The Turkish Grand Prix is held at the new Istanbul Park Circuit. This circuit is only one of four anti-clockwise circuits in the present Forumla One calendar and races have been taken place here since the 2005 season. Formula One supremo,Bernie Ecclestone is quoted as saying it is “the best race track in the world” because of the amazing four apex corner called Turn 8. Jonathan Legard, shares his thoughts on the Turkish Grand Prix on his blog in his post, My Turkish Grand Prix preview where he includes some great clips of the track in his video.
Winners of the Turkish Grand Prix
brawn, button, istanbul, jenson, turkish grand prix
This blog will be about motor racing concentrating on Formula One but I’ll also be adding lots of historical content from the past.