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Category: BRAWN GP

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER JOINS MERCEDES GP PETRONAS 2

BRAWN GP / F12010 / Ferrari / MERCEDES GP PETRONAS / Michael Schumacher

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER JOINS MERCEDES GP PETRONAS

The MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One Team can confirm today that seven-times Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher will make his racing return in 2010 with the Silver Arrows team.

With seven Drivers’ World Championships, 248 Grand Prix starts, 91 victories, 154 podium finishes and 68 pole positions, the 40-year old German needs no introduction following an illustrious and record-breaking Formula One career from 1991 to 2006 at the Jordan, Benetton and Ferrari teams.

Brawn GP becomes Mercedes-Benz GP 1

BRAWN GP / Formula 1 / Mercedes

Brawn GP becomes Mercedes-Benz GP

Mercedes-Benz will become an independent constructor in Formula One for the first time since 1955 next season, after purchasing a controlling 75.1% share of the championship-winning Brawn GP team. The agreement was finalised on Friday and confirmed to the media today, and will see the team rebranded Mercedes Grand Prix, with its cars being run with the marque’s distinctive silver livery.

“Mercedes-Benz is the most valued and best-known premium automotive brand in the world. This brand looks for competition of the utmost quality in all relevant fields in order to continually improve its performance in the face of such new challenges”, explained Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Webber wins as Button clinches title in Brazil 2

BRAWN GP / Brazil / F12009 / Formula 1 / Race

Webber wins as Button clinches title in Brazil

Jenson Button secured his first drivers’ world champion with his drive of the season at Interlagos this afternoon, finishing a hugely deserving fifth to put the title beyond the reach of his nearest rivals. A number of first-lap crashes promoted Button to ninth on the first lap, and from there a catalogue of daring overtaking manoeuvres ensured he would take the crown, even before closest rival Rubens Barrichello dropped down the field with a puncture.

Out in front, Mark Webber won the race comfortably from BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica, while McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton took an unlikely third after overtaking Barrichello ten laps from the end. Barrichello, after looking on-course for a deserved win in the opening stint, got caught in traffic after his first pitstop, and faded to a probable third place before losing the place to Hamilton, with a seemingly harmless tap with the Briton causing a left-rear puncture, dropping him to eighth and putting his world championship charge to bed for another year.

Barrichello storms to pole after chaotic Brazil qualifying 0

BRAWN GP / Brazil / F12009 / Formula 1 / Qualify

Barrichello storms to pole after chaotic Brazil qualifying

After getting final practice compressed into 13 minutes of running this morning, heavy rain caused chaos once again this afternoon with a hugely disrupted qualifying session taking almost two and three quarter hours to be completed. In the end though, it was a wait well worth it for the Brazilian fans as Brawn’s Rubens Barrichello kept his championship fight alive with a superb pole position, made all the sweeter by team-mate and championship leader Jenson Button doing no better than 14th.

Despite continual heavy rain and generally poor track conditions, qualifying got underway as planned at 14.00 local time, before the red flags predictably emerged after four minutes when Giancarlo Fisichella spun to a halt at turn 2. After a 14-minute delay, the action resumed to the finish of Q1, with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton being one of the notable victims of the poor conditions, aqua planing off the track at turn 5.

Barrichello wins in Italy as his second victory of season 0

BRAWN GP / F12009 / Italy / Race

Barrichello wins in Italy as his second victory of season

Brazil’s Rubens Barrichello led home a deserved Brawn 1-2 at Monza this afternoon, taking full advantage of a one-stop strategy to leapfrog pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton. The Briton had been set to take a comfortable third place but crashed on the final lap after pushing too hard for second.

At the start, top-three starters Hamilton, Sutil and Räikkönen all had reasonable starts, with Räikkönen getting the best getaway only to have his chance of taking the lead scuppered by being pushed onto the grass by Hamilton. Behind, Heikki Kovalainen lost three places on the opening lap, as Barrichello, Button and Liuzzi all found their way by.

Hamilton was the first of the two-stoppers to pit as planned on lap 15, four laps earlier than then rival Räikkönen. Nevertheless, Lewis was able to keep ahead of the Finn, but a sterner challenge was coming from even further behind from the one-stopping Brawns.

Barrichello wins European Grand Prix 0

BRAWN GP / Europe / F12009 / Race / Valencia

Barrichello wins European Grand Prix

Brazil’s Rubens Barrichello secured his first Formula One victory in almost five years with an impressive display on the streets of Valencia this afternoon. Despite starting third, and keeping his position off the line, Barrichello picked off Kovalainen and Hamilton in consecutive pitstops, to eventually win with ease and put him back in the championship fight.

With fellow championship contenders Button, Webber and Vettel falling from contention for the win early on, Barrichello has jumped to second in the championship fight, 18 points behind team-mate Button, who scored two points today. Both Webber and Vettel failed to score after a disastrous race for Red Bull.

Button wins Turkish Grand Prix in front of two Red Bull’s 1

BRAWN GP / F12009 / Featured / Formula 1 / Istanbul / Race

Button wins Turkish Grand Prix in front of two Red Bull’s

Jenson Button secured his sixth win from seven races today in Turkey to extend his championship lead to 26 points over team-mate Rubens Barrichello who failed to finish after a dramatic day. With title rival Sebastian Vettel finishing in third position, Button surely now is in a commanding position as he aims for the championship with Brawn Mercedes.

Vettel’s one error came on that first lap as he ran wide through turn nine and with his momentum lost, Button breezed by to take the lead exiting turn ten, one he would never relinquish.

Button leads Barrichello to Monaco double 0

BRAWN GP / F12009 / Formula 1 / Monaco / Race

Button leads Barrichello to Monaco double

Button wins Monaco Grand Prix as this is his fifth victory of sixth race of this season. Button followed by Barrichello who secured second position at start of grand prix. Despite he had rear tyre graining with super soft tires in the first stint he succeeded to stay ahead of Raikkonen who seemed faster than him in the first stint with harder tires. Raikkonen followed by his team mate Massa in fourth who posted the fastest lap of the race.

Webber who managed to pass Rosber with the strategy was fifth. Alonso was seventh after a very long first stint with harder tires. The last point was Bourdais’s who secured to stay ahead of Fisichella. Vettel and Kovalainen retired after they crashed while they were in a position to score some points. Hamilton who started at the back of the grid could only be 12th.

Button got pole in Monaco ahead of Raikkonen 2

Bahrain / BRAWN GP / China / F12009 / Formula 1 / Monaco / Qualify

Button got pole in Monaco ahead of Raikkonen

Jenson Button once again got pole position this season at Monaco Grand Prix. Despite his struggle in early stages of Qualify today he did an exceptional lap at dying moments of Q3 and secured pole position. Raikkonen was second just 0.025 seconds behind Button despite he was the fastest man in Q2 with almost six tenths quicker than last years best Q2 time. Barrichello from Brawn was third ahead of Vettel in fourth who didn’t seem to be on pace this week. Massa was fifth who crashed his car at the beginning of Q1 but was lucky enough to continue. Rosberg was sixth, Kovalainen seventh and Webber was eight before tomorrow’s race.

The real drama was Hamilton’s crash at first session after posting the best first sector time. Hamilton seemed very strong all week here and he could deliver a very strong performance today if he didn’t crash. Another big surprise was seeing both cars of teams BMW and Toyota to be knocked out in Q1 while Force India and Torro Rosso drivers were in top 15. Car weights are yet to be published by FIA, but most of the time strategy is more important at this circuit than the raw speed.

Button leads Brawn’s one & two in Spain 1

BRAWN GP / F12009 / Formula 1 / Race / Spain

Button leads Brawn’s one & two in Spain

Jenson Button wins Spanish Grand Prix as this is his fourth victory of this season. Despite he has been passed by Barrichello at the start, Brawn changed him to a two stop strategy while Rubens was on a three stop. Barrichello finished second ahead of Webber who has made best use of softer tyre in his second long stint. He is followed by team mate Vettel. Vettel’s race passed at the rear of Massa thankls to a good start with use of KERS.

Due to a fuel rig problem at Mass’s last pit stop, Massa was forced to conserve fuel and drop two places during the closing laps. Alonso passed Massa at last lap while he was 16 seconds behind him until Massa started to slow down. Alonso finished fifth. Massa finished sixth just 1.6 seconds in front of Heidfeld. The last point scorer was Rosberg ashe finished eight.