One-time World Champions
Jenson Button 2009 (Brawn GP)
Button was a veritable veteran by the time the 2009 season approached. At 29 years of age, he had been in Formula One for almost ten years and had only won a single race. That win came with Honda at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2006, his first win in 113 attempts. At the end of the 2008 season however, it appeared as though he would be forced into a sabbatical as Honda confirmed they were withdrawing from the sport altogether due to the global economic crisis.
Enter Ross Brawn. The former Honda Team Principal decided to salvage what remained of the stricken team and took to the grid in 2009 under the eponymous banner ‘Brawn GP’. Button would proceed to take a 50% wage cut purely to remain within the team’s setup. By the time winter testing was conducted, it was obvious that Brawn had a substantial advantage over its competitors. This advantage derived from the application of blown diffusers at the rear of the car that not all teams had implemented or, even designed.
The main aim of the blown diffuser was to utilise gases that came from the exhaust of the car in order to create more downforce at the rear. Typically, F1 teams would divert these exhaust gases through pipes that would lead out of the rear suspension of the car or above the gearbox. The exhaust gases were seen as turbulent and teams wanted them to influence the aerodynamic elements of the car design as little as possible. The advantage that the blown diffuser provided was enormous mechanically. Essentially, the aforementioned extra downforce created by the blown diffuser would have given Button and Barrichello licence to take risks through certain corners in the knowledge that the car would stay gripped to the track. Risks other drivers simply could not take. Just one year later, blown diffusers were to be a large contributing factor in Red Bull’s dominance after the brief Brawn era. Red Bull’s diffuser being designed by the heralded Adrian Newey.
Button was initially rampant, winning six of the first seven races of the season and in the process assuring he compounded Brawn’s overt advantage. Oftentimes, Button is singled out as a driver with a noticeably smooth style. This trait certainly benefitted him in his World Championship bid. He was consistently able to manage and preserve his tyres and as such, he was crucially able to complete more laps on one set of tyres. This ultimately gave him an advantage with respect to pit-stop strategy. Whereas other drivers, including Barrichello may need three stops to complete the race, Button would serenely manage the race from the front and would only require two.
As the aggressive Research & Development programmes of other front running teams, namely Red Bull, came into effect, Button’s initial advantage completely evaporated. Despite Red Bull’s domination of the second half of the season, Button managed to covert his early Championship lead and clinched the Driver’s World Championship at Interlagos in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
In a sport where the car’s design is increasingly responsible for overall performance, one question persists; was Button deserving of winning a World Driver’s Championship? The first important thing to appreciate in these circumstances is that no matter how significant the advantage of one team over the rest, there are always two drivers per team. Not only did Jenson consistently beat out veteran teammate Rubens Barrichello, he also did it convincingly. Now, the fact that he beat his teammate may not be enough for some F1 cynics and critics but when Button was required to perform during the 2009 season, he did. His drive at Interlagos was inspired to say the least and indicative of his determination. Despite qualifying in 14th Button managed some breath-taking moves during the race to secure 5th place and the Championship with it. Not convinced? Judge the overtakes for yourself:
Button produces an extraordinary display to clinch the Championship.
Button is not only a popular, gracious and humble Champion, he is the archetypal gentleman racer. Most importantly, he is a deserving World Champion.
Box, Box, Box. 