Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula One race report

Today’s report from Formula One teams & drivers at Yas Marina circuit.

Pos	Driver	Team	Laps	Gap
1	Vettel	Red Bull	55	1h 34:03.414
2	Webber	Red Bull	55	+ 0:17.857
3	Button	Brawn	55	+ 0:18.467
4	Barrichello	Brawn	55	+ 0:22.735
5	Heidfeld	BMW	55	+ 0:26.253
6	Kobayashi	Toyota	55	+ 0:28.343
7	Trulli	Toyota	55	+ 0:34.366
8	Buemi	Toro Rosso	55	+ 0:41.294
9	Rosberg	Williams	55	+ 0:45.941
10	Kubica	BMW	55	+ 0:48.180
11	Kovalainen	McLaren	55	+ 0:52.798
12	Raikkonen	Ferrari	55	+ 0:54.317
13	Nakajima	Williams	55	+ 0:59.839
14	Alonso	Renault	55	+ 1:09.687
15	Liuzzi	Force India	55	+ 1:34.450
16	Fisichella	Ferrari	54	+ 1 Lap
17	Sutil	Force India	54	+ 1 Lap
18	Grosjean	Renault	54	+ 1 Lap
Â	Hamilton	McLaren	20	Retired
Â	Alguersuari	Toro Rosso	18	Retired

 

Fastest Lap: Vettel (Red Bull) 1:40.279 (Lap 54)

 

 

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
MP4-24-03
Started: 18th
Finished: 11th
Fastest lap: 1m41.316s (18th)
Pitstops: one (Pr-Op)
2009 points: 22 (12th)

After being relegated to 18th on the grid with a gearbox problem in qualifying, Heikki made an impressive start, getting away perfectly and diving down the inside at Turn One to move up five places by the end of lap one.

From there, he began a race-long duel with Kimi Raikkonen, pushing his countryman hard for the first half of the grand prix, rising as high as fifth and then jumping him after making his sole pitstop, on lap 32. Despite establishing a narrow cushion over the Ferrari, Heikki was forced to push for the remainder of the race after his KERS stopped functioning.

Nonetheless, today’s result assures Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of third place in the constructors’ championship, one point ahead of Ferrari.

Heikki said: “I got a really good start and managed to overtake some cars. Unfortunately, the performance of my car was not as I’d have liked, and the heavy fuel load made it harder to make greater progress – but I was fighting right until the last corner.

“After my pitstop, my KERS stopped working, which meant I had to adapt the car to perform well without it. Still, after this race we can reflect on our overall season and look at what a great job we did to secure third position in the constructors’ championship.

“That was thanks to an incredible team effort. We never gave up, and really turned the tables around. And I’m extremely proud to be a part of the team that beat Ferrari in the constructors’ championship for the first time since 2005.�

LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-24-02
Started: 1st
Finished: DNF – precautionary retirement with brake wear problems
Fastest lap: 1m40.367s (3rd)
Pitstops: one (Pr-Pr)
2009 points: 49 (5th)

Starting from pole position, Lewis began steadily to build a cushion over second-placed Sebastian Vettel, setting six consecutive fastest race laps as he established a lead of almost two seconds over the Red Bull Racing driver.

His progress, however, was not to last: Lewis began to encounter braking issues – a problem that caused him to out-brake himself and run wide at Turn 17, losing half of his advantage. A couple of laps later, the problem became more apparent: he was suffering from unusually high pad wear on his right-rear wheel.

Despite his engineers attempting to cope with the issue by putting Lewis into a brake-conservation mode, the wear-rate refused to drop off, and a decision was promptly made to bring him into the pits rather than risk imminent brake failure.

The team will thoroughly investigate the cause of the issue – but initial analysis suggests this was a one-off incidence of a faulty pad.

After stopping, Lewis said: “I had a good start, but I realised early on that something wasn’t right with the brakes. After three or four laps, it became clear that there was a problem with my right-rear brake pad, so I couldn’t open up the gap back to Sebastian and Mark [Webber].

“When the problem got worse, the team radioed me and told me to stop at the end of the lap. Of course, it’s a shame that we couldn’t show the performance we’d had throughout the weekend – but sometimes that’s racing.

“However, I think we can be really proud of our efforts: who’d have thought we’d finish third in the constructors’ championshipat the start of this season? It’s been an incredible year, and now I can’t wait for next season to start so I can fight for the world championship again.�

MARTIN WHITMARSH Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Lewis drove absolutely superbly all weekend – in fact he drove absolutely superbly all year.

“Today, though, after just five laps, his right rear brake pad began to show signs of an unusual level of wear – a rogue pad, we think – and as a result we had to stop him for safety reasons. That was an enormous pity, because up to that point he’d shown blistering pace every day here in Abu Dhabi.

“In many ways, therefore, for us, today’s race was a disappointing end to a challenging season – but, overall, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful about it. The team has worked tremendously hard all year to improve MP4-24, which started the year as one of the slower cars but ended it with two fine wins and a string of impressive points-scoring finishes, culminating in a dominant pole position here yesterday. And Mercedes-Benz’s engines have been excellent all year.

“But perhaps more important still is that work on MP4-25 is already going very encouragingly – it’s already quicker than MP4-24 – and there’s every reason for us to be confident that we’ll be able to continue to develop and improve it significantly between now and the beginning of the 2010 season.

“Returning to this weekend, though, yet again Heikki was the undeserved victim of bad luck. His qualifying was spoiled through no fault of his own and as a result he lined up 18th for today’s race. He made a fantastic start – displaying a perfect combination of aggression and discipline – and passed Kimi at the first pitstops as a result, just as we’d hoped he would. Thereafter he stayed ahead of Kimi – which wasn’t strictly necessary from a points-scoring point of view but gave us the comfort we needed in terms of the constructors’ championship – and then adapted extremely well to the performance and balance compromises forced upon him by a mid-race KERS failure.

“Talking of the constructors’ championship, the fact that we beat Ferrari to third place is of course a matter of pride to us, and I want to pay tribute to all at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for the superhuman efforts they all made in achieving that milestone. Ferrari are always formidable opponents for us, and next year we hope to beat them again – this time for first place rather than third.

“Last of all, I want to say what a wonderful event the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was. Equally, we’re all very much looking forward to returning to this part of the world in March next year, to kick off the 2010 season in equally fine style in Bahrain.�

NORBERT HAUG Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

“This inaugural Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi was a great venue to finish this remarkable 2009 season.

“A shame for Lewis, who drove fantastically the whole weekend and then had to stop due to a brake pad problem – he was the class of the field on Friday and Saturday, as his remarkable qualifying lap proved yesterday. Heikki suffered from starting 18th after a gearbox change, and, during the race, his KERS Hybrid system caused a problem, so Heikki had to switch it off after half-distance, and his speed was obviously compromised by that.

“Looking back at this season, the team recovered brilliantly from our uncompetitiveness in the first half of the season, and Lewis posted four pole positions in the last seven races.

“On the engine side, we did not have one failure. Mercedes-Benz this year supplied a total of six cars, Brawn GP and Jenson Button clinched both world championships – congratulations again – so that was very positive.

“I’d like to thank everybody in the team at Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart for all their relentless hard work. It paid off – and it will pay off even more in the future.

“Finally, congratulations to our German friend Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team for a great victory at this inaugural very special grand prix of Abu Dhabi.�

source: mclaren.com

coming soon

source: shell.com

 

Happy end to the last race for the BMW Sauber F1 Team: After a great race, Nick Heidfeld finished the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in fifth. With these four points the team was able to move up one place in the constructors championship and overtake Williams to finish sixth.

Robert Kubica was also on the way to score a championship point before he spun in a battle with Sébastien Buemi. As a thank you for Nick Heidfelds seven years of great commitment to the team in Hinwil Peter Sauber is giving him a Formula One car from this era. The 2009 season’s finale also marks the last Formula One race for BMW after the company’s decision at the end of July to pull out of this sport. In the teams four year history the BMW Sauber F1 Team collected 308 world championship points, one pole position and 17 podiums, including one win. (The following pages outline a timeline of the team’s achievements.)

Nick Heidfeld: 5th
BMW Sauber F1.09-07 / BMW P86/9
Fastest lap: 1:40.672 min on lap 54 (7th fastest overall)
I am very happy with my fifth place. It was a good race in which I was able to get the maximum out of the car and score four points, which was enough to reach our target for the end of the season to overtake Williams in the constructors championship. After I have been a little unlucky in recent races, this time I was really able to exploit the cars potential.

For quite a long period I was able to go at the same speed as the world champions car, the Brawn. The strategy to go for a rather long stint paid off and the track was even more fun when it had more rubber on it. It is a pleasing end to our last season together. It now becomes very emotional. During the last laps I had to pull myself together in order to keep my concentration.

Robert Kubica: 10th
BMW Sauber F1.09-08 / BMW P86/9
Fastest lap: 1:40.924 min on lap 54 (14th fastest overall)
I lost the race in the second stint when I was very slow, while in the first stint I was able to go at quite a good pace, similar to Rubens. The car was working very well. After changing tyres I had no grip at all. The track was getting quicker and I just could not go at the pace of the other drivers. This was very strange. My fight with Sébastien Buemi was quite tough and a bit dangerous.

We nearly touched when braking into the chicane. He first moved to the left and blocked the inside of the left hander. When I moved to the right he pushed me over the high inside kerb of the right hander section of the chicane and I spun. He did not leave any space at all. Thanks a lot to the team for the last four years. I hope to meet them back on the grid next year.

Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director):
That was once again a strong weekend for our team in the season´s finale. Starting from eighth Nick consistently moved up to fifth thanks to a very good performance. Robert was unlucky three times during the race: After each pit stop he came back on the track behind a slower car, and due to the collision with Buemi he lost one position.

But the most important point is that with today´s result we gained another place in the constructors championship. So we ended a very tough season with some strong results. A big thank you goes to the whole team – both here at the track as well as in Munich and Hinwil.

Willy Rampf (Head of Engineering):
Our goal today was to score three points more than Williams and overtake them in the constructors championship. This goal was achieved thanks to Nicks great drive and his fifth place. The race was very interesting from a strategic point of view because a one stopper was exactly as quick as two.

Therefore the decisive part was at the second pit stop where it was decided who was in front of who. The race was so close today, so it was an absolute must not to make any mistake at all. I want to express my respect for the team in Munich and Hinwil who never lost motivation and continued to push very hard. They all did a fantastic job and deserve this result.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Race, Sunday 01.11.09
Weather: dry, 30-31°C Air, 31-34°C Track

source: bmw-sauber.com

 

The sport’s first twilight race in Abu Dhabi saw Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean finish in 14th and 18th places respectively.

Fernando Alonso, R2901, P14
“The result today is disappointing as we were not able to produce the performance we wanted. I would have liked to finish the season on a high, especially as this was my last race with Renault. I would like to thank the entire team for everything that we have achieved together over the years. We had some great victories and won championships together. It has been the most amazing seven years of my career and something I will never forget.”

Romain Grosjean, R2903, P18
“The race today was disappointing. I made a good start but I was blocked several times. I also suffered with some brake problems during the race. Towards the end I unfortunately lost a place to Fisichella, which was a shame, but the performance of the car didn’t really allow me to show what I was capable of today. It’s now the end of the season and I can say that I have learnt an enormous amount this year, especially being teammate to Fernando.”

Jean-François Caubet, Managing Director
“We have to recognise that this has been a difficult year for Renault. From a technical standpoint the year started with confusion, and on the human side we will miss Fernando who is leaving the team. From the political perspective, all the problems that we have encountered this year have been negative for us and for Formula One. But next season is full of hope; we have turned the page and the future is ahead of us.

“The strategy is well underway, the choice of drivers is close and the technical changes being overseen by Bob [Bell] for the chassis and Rob [White] for the engine are promising. The sponsors are coming back and even though we are disappointed with our performance in the final race of the season, we know that changes are underway and we are confident for the future. The team is united and full of optimism.”

Bob Bell, Team Principal
“In terms of performance it was a disappointing race for us. Going into the weekend, we had slightly higher expectations, but in the end we just didn’t have the pace. In terms of the event itself, it has been fantastic and Abu Dhabi deserves real credit for providing the facilities and for staging a great event, which has been great for Formula One. As a team we are obviously disappointed as we had hoped to end the season on a high, but we are upbeat for next year. We will move on from here and will be back fighting next year.”

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“The story of the year overall is that we have not been competitive enough. Today’s race was difficult again and unfortunately we couldn’t fight for points. In terms of the engines, we have not had any issues this year but we are missing overall performance with the car. We will work hard over the winter to come back stronger in 2010.”

 

source: renaultf1.com

Panasonic Toyota Racing finished the 2009 season on a positive note with a double points finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit this evening.

Kamui Kobayashi gave a brilliant performance to score points in just his second Formula 1 race while Jarno Trulli finished in the top eight for the eighth time this season. Both drivers started on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres with Jarno battling hard on the opening lap to hold sixth spot as Kamui overtook Kimi Raikkonen into turn one to move into 11th. Jarno dropped a position on the second lap but then put in a series of quick times in the run up to his first pit stop, when he continued with medium rubber.

On the same lap, the hard-charging Kamui, on a heavy fuel load and one-stop strategy, passed new World Champion Jenson Button for ninth. By the time his only pit stop arrived, he was running third while Jarno was battling in the top six. Kamui resumed the fight, now on soft tyres, and kept up a strong pace to stay in contention for the top six. Jarno made a late pit stop for soft rubber and resumed just behind Kamui, with the two TF109s crossing the finishing line just a few seconds apart.

That result gives Toyota 59.5 points and fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, while in the Drivers’ Championship, Jarno is eighth (32.5pts), Timo Glock, who missed the final two races of the season due to injury, is 10th (24pts) and Kamui is 18th (3pts).

Kamui Kobayashi – Car 10, Chassis TF109-04
Grid: 12th
Race Classification: 6th (+28.343s)
Pit Stop Laps: 30

“It was a really good race for me. At the start I overtook (Kimi) Raikkonen and that was important in the end because it would have been difficult to finish in the top six if I had been behind him during the first stint. When I got past I was confident I had the race pace to fight for the points and my target was to be consistently fast. The team did a great job with the strategy and the pit stop which played a big part in helping me finish in the points. I certainly wasn’t expecting to be racing in Formula 1 this season and I want to say thank you to Toyota for this opportunity. My target was to finish in the points today but I am a bit surprised to be in the top six. This is a fantastic result and I am extremely happy.”

Jarno Trulli – Car 9, Chassis TF109-06
Grid: 6th
Race Classification: 7th (+34.366s)
Pit Stop Laps: 18, 42

“It was not an easy race for me. I made a good start and was fighting with the BMWs on the first laps, which was good fun, but I was struggling a little with traction. During the stint the rear tyres were degrading and then later braking consistency became an issue. I was pushing as hard as possible and putting in some good laps to fight for the top six. In the end I was seventh, which is not bad, and for the team the result is pretty good. Obviously Kamui drove really well and I am very pleased for him; he deserved this result.”

Tadashi Yamashina – Team Principal
“It was a great result for us to have both drivers in the points in the last race of 2009. Kamui did a fantastic job and we are very proud of him but Jarno also fought hard to get a strong result. This year the team, including everyone back in the factory in Cologne, has done a brilliant job. It’s been a tough season but we have ended it in a positive way, so thanks to everyone in the team, as well as our sponsors and fans. I would like to offer my congratulations to the race organisers, who have done a fantastic job to create this incredible venue and also to the new World Champions, Brawn GP and Jenson Button, who achieved so much this season.”

source: toyota-f1.com

ANOTHER POINT

Sebastien Buemi (STR4-03) Pos. 8th
“Getting another point today, after also scoring in Brazil, is a nice way to end the season. The entire team has done a great job over the past four races and so I am looking forward to next year. At first, I was having trouble matching Rosberg’s pace, but I picked up more and more speed as the race progressed. I lost a bit of time behind Nakajima, but overall I think I did the best I could and it was a great race. My fight with Robert was quite fair, as I think I left him enough space.”

Jaime Alguersuari (STR4-01) Retired
“My start was not too bad, but I got a bit boxed in and on the first lap, I made a mistake at Turn 19, losing the rear of the car and going onto the grass, which is when I lost a few places. Then later, I had to stop with a gearbox problem as a couple of gears were disabled, so I decided to pit. But there was a misunderstanding because I came into the Red Bull Racing pit next door as my team was not expecting me. I therefore drove back onto the track and had to retire there when the gearbox broke.”

Franz Tost:
“Another point. Buemi drove his best race of the season, getting a good start and after that the strategy chosen by the team also worked well to get him ahead of Rosberg. His fight with Kubica was an important and exciting moment as he managed to stay ahead. His lap times were very quick and Sebastien produced a very good performance.

“Unfortunately, we had a gearbox problem on Alguersuari’s car when two gears engaged at the same time, breaking the gearbox. It’s a shame the season is over, as in recent races the performance of the team, the car and the drivers increased. Now, I hope we can build a good car for next year and pick up in Bahrain where we left off here.”

 

source: tororosso.com

Car 15 SEBASTIAN VETTEL, Finish Position: WINNER, Start Position: 2nd
“That was a fantastic race. We had a very good start, it wasn’t good enough to overtake Lewis, but I was surprised I was so close to him. Then, when Lewis was on the long straight, he pushed a button and disappeared ahead, but I was able to stay close. We knew we were a little bit heavier and we were always able to catch him up, especially in the last sector. The car was a dream today. There was a lot of pressure, I nearly went a bit wide in the pit lane entrance during my first stop and then there was the scary exit through the tunnel, but I was on the limit and it was enough to get past Lewis.

“Unfortunately he then had to retire, but up to that point it was a fantastic race with him. After that I had a little bit of a cushion to Mark and Jenson behind and I was able to pace myself, but the car was fantastic until the end. It worked brilliantly on both tyre compounds and it was a pleasure to sit in the car this evening. To sum up the season, what can I say? I would say up and down, we are currently very strong and have just gained our fourth one-two finish, so congratulations to the team. They have been pushing a lot, working very hard back in the factory. It’s a shame now that the season ends, as we are on a roll! It’s just perfect to finish the season in this way on such a high.â€�

Car 14 MARK WEBBER, Finish Position: SECOND, Start Position: 3rd
“I made a pretty good start and had a bit of a look on the outside of Sebastian, but I knew I had to get back on the inside and get a good exit, as it was a long run down to Turn five. My car got hit quite hard on the left rear after the first corner and I was worried about a puncture. My race engineer, Ciaron, told me the tyre had enough pressure and I was relieved. It looked like Lewis was struggling a little bit in the first few laps and Sebastian and I were able to get a bit closer to him than we expected.

“Things then started to stabilise and I was pretty happy on the prime tyres. Sebastian was a bit quicker today in the second two race stints, especially the last one. I didn’t have much of a feeling on the option tyre and it was the same for me on Friday. I was quite slow on that and preferred the stability of the prime. Towards the end of the race, Jenson was able to close the gap to me and I thought ‘this is going to be tight’! We knew we had a slight top-speed advantage, but not much and I had to make sure I was accurate with my braking points.

“We had a good clean fight on the limit and the battle was a credit to how Jenson’s driven all year. I want to congratulate the team on what they have achieved and thank them for their patience with me at the start of the year when I was coming back from my accident. It’s been very enjoyable driving alongside Sebastian this year, Renault has given us a fantastic engine and overall Red Bull can be incredibly proud of what they have done. It’s been my best season to date; we’ve had 16 podiums together; it’s very good.â€�

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal:
“That was the most brilliant way to finish the season, by gaining our fourth one-two finish and our sixth win. Both our drivers were supreme today. Sebastian drove an immaculate race and we managed to jump Lewis through good strategy, good pace and good work with the pit crew. Mark also had enough fuel to get Lewis at the next pit-stop – however, that came sooner than expected when Lewis retired.

“Thereafter both guys were really strong on the prime tyre. Mark lost quite a bit of time with some difficult traffic just before his final stop and then he was struggling a little bit for traction on the option tyre, so Jenson was able to close in. It was a really exciting last lap of the year and Mark did a brilliant job to hang on to second place, so congratulations to the whole team – it’s been an excellent year. Thank you to Red Bull, to Mr Mateschitz for all his support, to our engine partner Renault and all the people who have worked so hard in Milton Keynes this year for this fantastic result. We’ve learned a great deal this year and we’ll come back stronger in 2010.â€�

CHRISTIAN HORNER:
On Red Bull Racing finishing second in the 2009 Constructors’ Championship:
“Second is a fantastic achievement for the team. In many respects the team is still very young and it’s only our fifth season in Formula One. To have achieved 16 podiums, six wins, five pole positions and six fastest laps – including four one-two finishes – as well as in excess of 150 points, is a massive achievement. We were Championship contenders right up until the penultimate race – however the Championship ultimately wasn’t lost in Brazil and you have to show respect to the season that Jenson and Brawn had, with a very dominant early display in the Championship.

“We were playing catch up thereafter. I think the effort that’s gone into RB5 has been superb from every member of the team. We have to thank our partners, including Renault for their support and assistance – without which none of the results would have been possible this year. I think it’s a season that members of the team can be very proud of and, although second is one place off our ultimate target, it’s still a very good result. We’ll learn a lot of lessons from this year, which will only make us stronger going into 2010.

“In regards to the high point of the year, for me there have been several. The biggest was probably winning our first GP with a one-two finish in China. That was a really special moment for the whole team and a testimony to the support and commitment that both Red Bull and Mr. Mateschitz have made to Formula One. Winning the British GP was another high point of the season together with Mark’s first GP win two weeks later in Germany. Seb’s dominant GP drive in Japan was another, Mark’s second victory in Brazil a week ago and, of course, the one-two we have just gained here in Abu Dhabi – there are so many highlights.

“There’s no room for complacency in this sport. We’ve beaten some formidable opponents this year, but they’re not going to be sleeping. They’ve demonstrated in the second half of the year that they’ve worked very hard to recover, by winning races in Ferrari and McLaren’s case, and I’m sure they’ll be formidable opponents again next year. But, we’ll learn lessons from this year and I think, as the team has developed, it’s only got stronger. I’m convinced that it can continue to evolve and with continuity in our line-up, we’re perfectly placed to build on this year’s campaign.�

FABRICE LOM, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support:
“That’s it, the season is over and it’s time to reflect on what we have achieved. Firstly, I think we’ve had a very good season: the team is second in the Championship, ahead of teams with far more experience than ourselves and we have twice as many points as McLaren or Ferrari. This is a big achievement and I would like to thank Red Bull for the excellent car they made. I also would like to thank the drivers who did a fantastic job, both in and out of the car. I mention the work they did out of the car, because both drivers stayed team members when we had difficult technical and political times with our engine.

“Our group team effort paid off and we only used the permitted number of engines this year. Sebastian didn’t need to use any extra engines, which is a true achievement and he even scored two more wins after he had no fresh engines left. Thank you also to all the guys in Viry and Aubigny for the good engines they have provided us. And finally, thanks to my Renault team who have worked for Red Bull at the races and tests. They did a fantastic job and they can be proud of what we have achieved this year, I am proud of them.â€�

source: redbullracing.com

coming soon

source: attwilliams.com

The Force India Formula One Team secured ninth position in the constructors’ championship in today’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final race of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil finished in 15th and 17th positions respectively in the first-ever event at the Yas Marina Circuit. With starting positions relatively far down the field, scoring points was a tall objective, however both Adrian and Tonio enjoyed close battles throughout the race with both Renaults – Adrian overtaking Grosjean on the final lap – and the Ferrari of Fisichella.

The team finishes the season with a total of 13 points, with one podium, one pole position and one fastest lap to its name.

Adrian Sutil (car 20)
We had some problems at the start of the race with the tyres and had to stop earlier than expected to change to a new set. The two stop strategy was the right one and the race went OK although we obviously didn’t get any points, which was the aim. All the same it has been a very good season, naturally with a lot of ups and downs, but we’ve gone massively forward from the beginning of the season to the end. I think we can be very proud of this progress.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 21)
Overall I thought we got the maximum from the car today but unfortunately we had a problem with the brakes more or less from the beginning of the race so we couldn’t really fight for positions.

I was behind the Williams at the start and one of the Toyotas in the middle of the race so we were pretty much mixing it in the midfield. We had a problem with the soft tyres in the first 15 laps that caused a lot of oversteer so I think it is the maximum we could have achieved. We knew it would be difficult to score points and although I would have liked to get some on the board at the end of the season I am happy we have showed some good form in these five races.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
Of course points would have been a fitting end to the season, but sadly we could not achieve them today. All the same both drivers gave it absolutely everything until the final lap and I couldn’t have asked for more.

It’s been an excellent season for Force India this year and I would like to thank the entire team, both at the track and at our bases in Silverstone and Brackley, for their outstanding commitment and skills that have led to this success. We have achieved our objectives and then some more and can only build on this over the winter into 2010.

Adrian Sutil (car 20, VJM02/01):
17th
Tonio Liuzzi (car 21, VJM02/04):
15th

source: forceindiaf1.com

Brawn GP’s Jenson Button finished his World Championship year on a high today with a third-placed podium finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the new Yas Marina Circuit. Team-mate Rubens Barrichello came through a first corner impact to drive a composed race and bring his Brawn-Mercedes car home in fourth position.

Formula One’s first twilight race began at 1700 in daylight conditions before night fell and the floodlights came on around the circuit. Both Brawn GP drivers had good starts before Rubens made slight contact with Mark Webber going into turn one and damaged his front wing which allowed Jenson to pass whilst he struggled for downforce.

From there, Jenson and Rubens drove extremely well to secure third and fourth positions respectively on two-stop strategies. Jenson had a thrilling battle with Mark Webber over the final few laps for second place with several overtaking moves almost coming off on the final lap but the Australian managed to hold him off to the chequered flag.

After 17 races of the 2009 season, Brawn GP end the year as winners of the Constructors’ Championship with 172 points with Jenson winning his first Drivers’ Championship with 95 points and Rubens in third place with 77 points.

JENSON BUTTON
“It was a fun race today and to be on the podium for the last race of the year is fantastic. I’ve really enjoyed driving here at the Yas Marina Circuit this weekend and Abu Dhabi has done a fantastic job for its first Grand Prix. We expected the prime tyre to be the better tyre in the race but I was struggling for balance especially as the track temperatures started to fall and it became more difficult to get heat into the front tyres.

“The car felt great when we switched to the soft tyre for the final stint. It really felt transformed and suddenly I had a great front end and could carry more speed into the corners. The last few laps were really exciting and I was giving everything to take second place from Mark. I couldn’t quite make the moves stick and he’s a very difficult guy to overtake but it was a good clean fight and we were really on the edge. I’m a little bit disappointed not to get second but it’s still great to finish on the podium.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the team in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. It really has been a fantastic year and they should all be very proud of what we have achieved together. It’s nice to end the year on a high after what has been a very competitive and challenging season.”

RUBENS BARRICHELLO
“We had a pretty competitive race today. The start was quite exciting and I went to the inside at turn one but unfortunately I collided slightly with Mark and he took a chunk of my front wing with him. It lost me a lot of downforce initially which let Jenson past but I was able to live with the understeer so we decided not to change the nose and I just pushed as hard as possible.

“I was quicker than Jenson in the middle stint but it’s very difficult to overtake, even more so when it’s your team-mate in the same car, so there was nothing I could do to get past him. Still it was a competitive race throughout and a lot of fun so I have to be pleased with fourth position today. It’s truly been a great season and I have to thank the team for giving me a car that has been so competitive this year and the opportunity to return to winning ways again. We’ve had a great year together.”

ROSS BRAWN
“A strong race from both drivers today and another podium finish is a great way to round off what has been a very successful season for the team. Jenson and Rubens both drove extremely well with Jenson providing a fantastic last lap of racing to bring the 2009 Formula One season to its conclusion. Abu Dhabi has provided a fantastic venue for the final race of the season and the sport can be very proud to have such a stunning facility on the calendar. 2009 really has been an incredible year for Brawn GP.

“To go through the trauma of the winter months and make it to the first race and then achieve eight Grand Prix victories and the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in our first year is an outstanding achievement. I would like to thank all our staff here and at the factory in Brackley for their hard work and dedication this year and Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth for the support that they have given us since the start of the year and the powerful and reliable engine that they have provided us with.”

RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Race Result / Fastest Lap
Jenson Button 22 BGP 001-02 P3 01:40.642
Rubens Barrichello 23 BGP 001-03 P4 01:40.449
Weather Hot
Temperatures Air: 30-31°C Track: 31-34°C

source: brawngp.com