McLaren finished third in the World Constructors' Championship with theMcLaren MP4-24.
The2009 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 63rd season ofFIAFormula One motor racing. It featured the 60thFormula One World Championship which was contested over 17 events commencing with theAustralian Grand Prix on 29 March and ending with the inauguralAbu Dhabi Grand Prix on 1 November.
Jenson Button andBrawn GP secured the Drivers' Championship and Constructors' Championship titles, respectively, in theBrazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season. It was both Button and Brawn's first and only championship success, Brawn becoming the first team to win the Constructors' Championship in their debut season.[1] 2009 was the only season in which Brawn GP competed, before the team was sold to Mercedes for the 2010 season, also making them the only team ever to win 100% of championships in which they took part. Button was the tenthBritish driver to win the championship, and followingLewis Hamilton's success in 2008, it was the first time the championship had been won byEnglish drivers in consecutive seasons, and the first time sinceGraham Hill (1968) andJackie Stewart (1969) that consecutive championships had been won by British drivers.[2] Also notable was the success ofRed Bull Racing, as well as the poor performances ofMcLaren andFerrari compared to the 2008 season.
Ten teams participated in the championship afterseveral rule changes were implemented by the FIA to cut costs to try to minimise the financial difficulties. There were further changes to try to improve the on-track spectacle with the return of slicktyres (for the first time since1997), changes toaerodynamics and the introduction ofkinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) presenting some of the biggest changes in Formula One regulations for several decades.[3]
The Brawn team, formed as a result of a management buyout of theHonda team, won six of the first seven races, their ability to make the most of the new regulations being a deciding factor in the championship. Red Bull Racing caught up in an unpredictable second half of the season,[1] with the season being the first time since2005 that all participating teams had scored World Championship points.Sebastian Vettel, Button's teammateRubens Barrichello and Vettel's teammateMark Webber were his main challengers over the season, winning eight races between them to finish in second, third and fourth, respectively.
It would be the last time aBritish-licensed constructor won the constructors' title untilMcLaren in2024.[4] The 2009 season was also the first season season since1997 in which the cars raced on fully slick dry weather tyres. This would also be the last season to use thescoring system valid since2003 (10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1), and feature in-race refuelling during pit stops as the practice which had been allowed continuously since the1994 season would be banned from2010 onwards.[5]
Honda withdrew ahead of the 2009 season, and the team was bought by a consortium led by team principalRoss Brawn. Brawn renamed the teamBrawn GP, and raced withMercedes engines, but retained Honda driversJenson Button andRubens Barrichello. Force India also raced with Mercedes engines, after running with Ferrari engines in2008.
The only offseason driver change was following the retirement of Red Bull'sDavid Coulthard after 14 years in Formula One. He was replaced bySebastian Vettel, who had raced forToro Rosso in 2008. Vettel's seat at Toro Rosso was taken by the Swiss driverSébastien Buemi, who was Red Bull's test driver in 2008.
Following theGerman Grand Prix, Toro Rosso'sSébastien Bourdais was dropped by the team, with Toro Rosso principalFranz Tost claiming that the partnership had not met his expectations. Bourdais was replaced byJaime Alguersuari ahead of theHungarian Grand Prix. Alguersuari had been racing inFormula Renault 3.5 Series in 2009, and had only signed a deal to replaceBrendon Hartley as Toro Rosso's test driver two weeks prior. Bourdais was advised by counsel to file suit for breach of contract by Toro Rosso. Toro Rosso settled the matter with a $2.1 million payment to Bourdais to avoid litigation.
After sustaining an injury during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ferrari'sFelipe Massa missed the remainder of the season. He was replaced for the next two races by Ferrari test driverLuca Badoer, but after Badoer failed to score a single point in his two races, Ferrari replaced him withGiancarlo Fisichella who had signed a deal to be a Ferrari test driver for 2010 and had driven forForce India throughout the 2009 season. Fisichella's seat at Force India was taken byVitantonio Liuzzi, who was Force India's test driver.
In qualifying for theJapanese Grand Prix, Toyota'sTimo Glock crashed heavily at the last corner and was airlifted to hospital with a leg injury. As he was not fit to race,Jarno Trulli was the only driver representing Toyota at the Japanese Grand Prix. On 11 October, Toyota confirmed that its test driverKamui Kobayashi would make his race debut in theBrazilian Grand Prix, as Glock had suffered further complications from his accident, resulting in a crackedvertebra and he would not be guaranteed to be fit in time to race in Brazil. Kobayashi retained the seat in the final race of the season inAbu Dhabi.
Banned since 1998,slick tyres were re-introduced for 2009.A ban on aerodynamic appendages resulted in the 2009 cars having smoother bodywork.The front wing was lower and wider than in 2008.The rear wing was higher and narrower.
The FIA released preliminary technical regulations for the 2009 season on 22 December 2006,[32] and these were revised several times to accommodate the findings of the Overtaking Working Group (formed in response to concerns that passing in wheel-to-wheel racing was becoming increasingly rare)[33] and the increasing need for cost-cutting in the sport to minimise financial costs.[34]
Slick tyres returned for the first time since they were abolished for the1998 season.Bridgestone continued to be the sole supplier of tyres, and drivers still had to use both compounds of tyre during a race.[35] Soft tyres were differentiated by a green marking around the sides of the tyres, rather than a white marking in a groove as used in2008.[36] Further, wet tyres were renamed "intermediate" and extreme-weather tyres were renamed "wet".[37]
The aerodynamic regulations were radically altered for the 2009 season. The front wings were made lower and wider, while rear wings were changed to be higher and narrower.[38] As well as the changes in the dimensions of the wings, bodywork became much more regulated with many of the additional components seen in previous seasons (including barge boards, winglets and turning vanes) removed,[38] making 2009 cars noticeably different in appearance than in previous years. The diffuser at the rear of the car was moved back and upwards. Many other minor chassis components were also standardised. The aim of the new aerodynamic regulations, as well as the reintroduction of slick tyres, was to decrease reliance on aerodynamic downforce and increase mechanical grip with the aim of making wheel-to-wheel racing easier.[39]
For the first time, cars were allowed to use driver adjustable bodywork, in the form of adjustable flaps in the front wing. The flaps could be adjusted by up to six degrees, limited to only two adjustments per lap.[38] Adjustable front wings were designed to improve downforce when following another car, another change designed to improve overtaking.
Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, aregenerative braking device designed to recover some of the vehicle'skinetic energy normally dissipated as heat during braking, were introduced for the 2009 season. The recovered energy can be stored electrically, in a battery orsupercapacitor, or mechanically, in aflywheel,[40] for use as a source of additional accelerative power at the driver's discretion by way of aboost button on the steering wheel.[39] The regulations limit the additional power to around 82 hp (61 kW) of 400kJ for six seconds a lap.[40] The systems were not made compulsory, and because of concerns about both limited performance gains and safety implications only four teams opted to use the system during the season.
While the FIA were planning on introducing a budget cap to limit the amount of spending by Formula One teams in 2008,[41] the amount was not agreed upon and the budget cap idea was dropped. Instead, costs were brought down by a complete ban on in-season testing, a forced reduction inwind tunnel usage, the sharing of more data during race weekends, an increased minimum engine lifespan and gearboxes had to last for four races, and a penalty of five places in the starting grid was applied, should a driver change it during the weekend before the start of the race.[42]
Each driver was limited to a maximum of eight engines throughout the season, in addition to four engines for practice/testing purposes; using additional engines resulted in a 10-place grid penalty for each additional engine used. To aid improvements in reliability, the engines were detuned from 19,000 RPM to 18,000 rpm.[42]
The rule stating that the pit lane is closed during a safety car period was scrapped in 2009. The rule was introduced in 2007 to prevent drivers rushing back to the pits to refuel, possibly speeding through a danger zone, but software was successfully developed to solve this problem.[43] The pit lane speed limit was also increased from 50 mph (80 km/h) to 62 mph (100 km/h).
The FIA initially declared that the driver with the most wins at the end of the season would be the winner of the 2009 Formula One World Championship, but dropped the decision because of opposition from teams and drivers.[44][45]Formula One Teams Association argued thatFIA could not change the rules this close to the season's start without the full agreement of the teams.[46][47] Other proposals rejected by FIA were the introduction of a new points system with the scale 12–9–7–5–4–3–2–1 and to award medals for first, second and third place.[37]
FIA PresidentMax Mosley announced dramatic rule changes for the 2009 season in a bid to improve the spectacle of the sport, with the cars undergoing major changes in an effort to increase overtaking. The design changes significantly altered the design of the cars, incorporating wider and lower front wings, taller and narrower rear wings, and a reduction on aerodynamic bodywork.[38] Also introduced were slick tyres and Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, as well as implementing cost-cutting measures in a response to the rising costs of competing.[48]
Honda announced in December 2008 they would be leaving Formula One with immediate effect, as a result of theautomotive industry crisis.[49][50] After a winter of uncertainty, it was confirmed on 5 March 2009 that the team would compete in the 2009 season asBrawn GP, with Mercedes engines, following a management buyout led by team principalRoss Brawn, and would retain the services of bothJenson Button andRubens Barrichello as drivers.[51][52]Anthony Davidson, who competed for the Honda-backedSuper Aguri team before their early withdrawal in 2008, joined Brawn as a test driver.
The World Drivers' Championship would be decided in the traditional manner of points scored afterBernie Ecclestone's idea that the driver who won the most races be declared as the champion was scrapped following protests from theFormula One Teams Association.[46] The teams were less successful in their attempts to have the long-runningFrench andCanadian Grands Prix kept on the calendar,[56] with the organisers of both events pulling out due to financial issues.[57][58][59] TheAbu Dhabi Grand Prix made its debut appearance as the last round of the season, at theHermann Tilke-designedYas Marina Circuit.[60] The race, starting at sunset, was Formula One's first day-night race.[61]
The first multi-team testing session took place atCircuit de Catalunya,Barcelona in November 2008, two weeks after theend of previous season.[62] All teams, exceptToyota, took part in the testing session where some teams tested their new aerodynamics package and slick tyres.[63] The new look cars did not suit everyone's taste, withBMW Sauber's test driver,Christian Klien, labelling the car the ugliest car he'd ever seen.[64]
The first 2009 test was held byBahrain International Circuit, Bahrain on 16–19 February, and the second and final testing was held byCircuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain on 9–12 March. The final test featured for the first timeBrawn GP, who made an immediate impact by leading the times early in the day. The test was the first in which all teams used their 2009 cars and hadBMW Sauber leading the times whilst Brawn GP were fourth.[65] On day three, Brawn GP'sJenson Button was fastest by just over one second toFerrari'sFelipe Massa,[66] while Button's teammateRubens Barrichello went even faster the next day. At the other end of the timing sheets, reigning championLewis Hamilton'sMcLaren team were struggling to adapt to the new regulations, often 1.5 seconds off the pace.[67] Massa stated he had never seen McLaren so far behind.[68]
A major source of controversy throughout the winter season were the reardiffusers. Three teams – Toyota, Williams and Brawn GP – launched their cars with a diffuser that uses the rear crash structure in order to generate additional downforce, labelled "double diffusers".[69] These designs were quickly protested, and just days after the cars were unveiled, rival teams asked the FIA for a clarification on the matter.[70]
On the Wednesday of the season opening race in Australia, an official complaint was launched by the seven other teams against the reardiffusers of theWilliams FW31,Toyota TF109 and theBrawn BGP 001 saying that they were illegal.[71] The FIAscrutineers disagreed, declaring the cars legal.[72] The other six teams filed an unsuccessful appeal which was heard on 14 April 2009 – the week prior to round three of the championship, theChinese Grand Prix.[73]
Button won inAustralia giving the newly formedBrawn GP their first win on their debut; he subsequently won five of the six following races; and then he didn't win any of the remaining ten races of the season.
The season opened at theAustralian Grand Prix, won by Jenson Button with teammateRubens Barrichello in second, giving the team a 1–2 on its debut (Brawn GP becoming the first team to do so sinceMercedes in the1954 French Grand Prix).Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had been running in second until he collided withBMW Sauber'sRobert Kubica. The accident meant the race finished behind thesafety car, withToyota'sJarno Trulli eventually classified third despiteMcLaren's false protest he had illegally overtakenLewis Hamilton.[74] Reigning champion Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian race for lying to the stewards and at the followingMalaysian Grand Prix there were reports he was on the verge of quitting.[75] The race was equally dramatic, being stopped because of monsoon-like conditions, meaning only half points were awarded for only the fifth time in F1 history. Button mastered the changing conditions for his second win, while quick startingNico Rosberg dropped to eighth when the race was stopped.[76] In the interval between races, the controversial double diffusers, used by Brawn, Williams and Toyota, were declared legal by the FIA, ending the fight over their use.[77] TheChinese race also took place in wet conditions, with the rain throughout the duration of the race necessitating a safety car start and causing several accidents. Vettel led teammateMark Webber to Red Bull's first win in Formula One, ahead of the two Brawns and McLarens.
Dry conditions atBahrain saw theToyota team gain the front of the grid, but Button managed to fight up from a fourth-place start, and overtook race leaderTimo Glock on his first pit stop. Hamilton and Räikkönen, in fourth and sixth respectively, gave their2008 championship winning teams the best finishes of a disappointing season start.[78] TheSpanish Grand Prix was a battle between the Brawn teammates, with Barrichello getting ahead of polesitter Button while a first lap incident forced the retirement of four drivers. Button followed a different pit-stop strategy and passed Barrichello during his stop, leading Brawn's second one-two of the season.[79] Red Bull was the closest team to Brawn finishing third and fourth, whileFelipe Massa's fuel shortage lost him places as he slowed to finish the race. Button won in dominant fashion atMonaco, leading the majority of the race from pole position ahead of his teammate Barrichello and Räikkönen, who scored Ferrari's first podium in 2009. At theTurkish Grand Prix Vettel started on pole but lost the position to Button on the first lap. Button went on to win, followed by Webber and a closely pursuing Vettel. Barrichello's car developed a gearbox problem, and incidents withHeikki Kovalainen andAdrian Sutil resulted in Brawn's first retirement of the season. By winning six out of the first seven races, Button had opened up a 26-point lead on his teammate, with Vettel a further six points behind.[80]
Red Bull and their drivers reduced the respective championship leads ofJenson Button andBrawn GP during the mid part of the season.
TheBritish Grand Prix was seen as a turning point, being dominated by Red Bull with Vettel leading home Webber, in dry conditions. Button was not on the podium for the first time this season, finishing sixth. Red Bull also dominated the followingGerman Grand Prix with Webber taking his first pole and race win, despite being given adrive through penalty. Ferrari were also showing signs of improvement,Felipe Massa finishing third in what would be his final race of the season. He was hospitalised after being hit on the helmet by a flying spring when he was travelling at 162mph in qualifying for theHungarian Grand Prix.[81] The accident overshadowed the race, with a lightly fueledFernando Alonso on pole retiring early in the race, which was won by Lewis Hamilton.Jaime Alguersuari finished his début race ahead of Buemi, the Toro Rosso test driver replacing the firedSébastien Bourdais.[82] Post-race, the Renault team received a suspension for the European Grand Prix, for an incident where Alonso's tyre came loose on the race track following a pit-stop error.[83] An appeal overturned the decision, and the team raced inValencia.[84]
During the summer break,BMW Sauber announced their withdrawal from Formula One racing due to poor results and lack of financial sustainability.[85] The team would compete until the end of the season, while BMW attempted to sell the organisation. Seven-time championMichael Schumacher was originally set to replace the injured Massa, but the seat was taken by test driverLuca Badoer due to Schumacher's neck injuries.[86][87] Also replaced was Renault driverNelson Piquet Jr., who complained of unfair treatment by team management,[88] in favour of GP2 driverRomain Grosjean.[89]
Force India andMcLaren both came from the midfield to the points in 2009.
TheEuropean Grand Prix in Valencia provided the first win forRubens Barrichello after Hamilton lost the lead with an error in the pits;[90] he finished second while both Red Bulls failed to score. At theBelgian Grand PrixGiancarlo Fisichella gainedForce India's first pole position, and his second-place finish behind Kimi Räikkönen gave their first points. Button's title charge was undermined by poor qualifying and a crash, involving him, Hamilton, Alguersuari and Grosjean, ending their races. Following the race Badoer, who had qualified and finished last in both races, was replaced with Giancarlo Fisichella after his performance at the Belgian race.[11]Vitantonio Liuzzi in turn took the vacant Force India drive.[91] Brawn returned to form inItaly, with Barrichello leading home the team's fourth 1–2 of the season. Lewis Hamilton crashed on the penultimate lap, but came back by winning the next race atSingapore. Webber's crash ended his chance of winning the championship. Vettel kept the opportunity of winning the Drivers' title with a dominant display in theJapanese Grand Prix, with Toyota's Trulli gaining what would prove to be Toyota's final podium before their withdrawal at the end of the season. Toyota teammate Glock was injured during qualifying, and a crackedvertebra meant he was replaced by reserveKamui Kobayashi for the final two races.[92]
TheDrivers' andConstructors' championships were both decided at the penultimate race inBrazil. Storm-affected qualifying at Interlagos gave Barrichello pole during Formula One's longest qualifying session,[93] while title rivals Button and Vettel started from 14th and 16th respectively. During the first lap, three incidents led to the retirement of three cars and a fire in the pit-lane, with Button taking advantage to move up the grid. Button fought up to fifth position by the race end, securing enough points to clinch the title.[94] Mark Webber took the lead after Barrichello pitted and won the race, followed by Robert Kubica, to give BMW Sauber their joint best result of their final season and his only podium result in 2009. Lewis Hamilton completed the top three after starting 17th on the grid, moving him and McLaren above Kimi Räikkönen and Ferrari respectively in the championships.[94] The inauguralAbu Dhabi Grand Prix, taking place at sunset, rounded out the season, with another win for Vettel and Red Bull's fourth 1–2 result of the year, awarding Vettel and the team second place in both championships.
In a scandal dubbed "Crashgate" by the media, allegations of race-fixing during the2008 Singapore Grand Prix emerged during the second half of the 2009 season from former Renault driverNelson Piquet Jr. Over the course of the2009 Belgian Grand Prix, Piquet, who had been sacked weeks earlier by Renault, claimed he was asked to crash at the Singapore race in a strategy designed to aid teammate and eventual race winnerFernando Alonso. Renault were handed a two-year suspended ban from the sport after theFIA World Motor Sport Council decided the team'smanaging director,Flavio Briatore and itsexecutive director ofengineering,Pat Symonds had asked Piquet to crash. Both had left the team before the WMSC hearing, where they were given life and five-year suspensions respectively. It had been rumoured Renault were prepared to quit the sport at the end of the 2009 season had the team been heavily punished,[95] but the FIA found Briatore and Symonds solely to blame and chose to suspend Renault's ban.[96]
Points were awarded to the top eight classified finishers.[98]
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Points
10
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
If two or more competitors had the same number of points (including 0 points), their positions in the championship were fixed according to the quality of their places.[99] Under this system one first place was better than any number of second places, one second place was better than any number of third places, and so on.[99]
^Beer, Matt (6 February 2009)."Bourdais confirmed at Toro Rosso".Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications.Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved6 February 2009.
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Bahrain International Circuit,Sakhir
Circuit de Catalunya,Montmeló
