MSN Formula One Channel Blog

The rich and vibrant city of Abu Dhabi will host this year’s last and most prestigious free-for-all F1 race in the spectacular Yas Marina circuit. It features an underground pit-lane and the race is set to start at 1700 hours local time, making this the one and only race where drivers will be racing into the twilight and finish in the floodlights.

Fact: The first Abu Dhabi GP attracted a crowd of over 50,000 people.

It may seem like the 2009 F1 World Championship is over, particularly after the Brazilian GP last week, in which, the title holder was decided! But the truth is, the race will still be as thrilling as ever. Drivers on the grid still have points to score, a career to think about and employers to satisfy, provided they want to be around for the 2010 F1 World Championship.

Coming to title-winner Jenson Button, the critics are still reprimanding the Briton for disappearing from the podium mid-season. This, in other words, also means that the 29-year-old is under tremendous pressure to perform well if he wants to be on that list of veteran heroes such as of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. It will not be easy, especially if you consider the fact that other drivers too are looking forward to giving their respective teams the perfect showdown. As far as the bottom performers and rookies such as Heikki Kovalainen, Nick Heidfeld, Jarno Trulli, Romain Grosjean and Kazuki Nakajima are concerned, these guys are desperate. They would even kill (literally speaking) in order to NOT be out of job next year! So the whole point is, just because the Championship title is decided, there are still some things worth fighting for this weekend.

Prediction: Either of the Red Bull drivers on P1!

From the drivers’ mouth:

LEWIS HAMILTON: “We’ve had a fantastic second half of the season, and it would be perfect to end the year with a win – it would send us into the winter fully motivated and pumped up for the 2010 season. All the signs point to Abu Dhabi being another strong track for us – there are plenty of slow corners leading onto long straights, where KERS will be very advantageous.

“Seeing as it’s likely to be the last race for KERS, it would be fantastic to send it off with a perfect result – that would be a very fitting farewell for all the engineers who have worked so hard to make the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes system the best in the business.”

ROBERT KUBICA: “I have not been to the Abu Dhabi circuit so far. As we do not have a simulator I only know the track from the Internet and from a couple of presentations. The track looks very interesting. The facilities and the buildings around the circuit especially seem to be outstanding. However, before having done the first laps on the track with a Formula One car, it is really difficult to judge the circuit itself. But of course I know this situation from the past.

In 2008 both Valencia and Singapore were new on the calendar. Fortunately I consider myself a driver who does not need a lot of track time to be on a good pace straight away. I guess that a lot of cars will be out on the track on Friday in order to understand the track and to learn as much as possible. I am really looking forward to going there. It will be my last race for this team, but I hope very much to see them on the grid again next year.”

NICK HEIDFELD: “I’m very pleased to be getting another taste of summer and will be flying out to Abu Dhabi a few days early with my family. I’m really excited about the new circuit. Everyone who’s been there already has described it as an incredible place. I think it’s always great to discover a new track. I haven’t found the lack of a simulator to be a disadvantage at other new circuits, and this way it’s even more exciting when you drive out of the garage for the first time.

“This will be a very special race for all of us in the team. So far I haven’t really had that feeling of saying goodbye. But that will change in Abu Dhabi for sure, and will probably be quite intense. I very much hope that the team is given a place on the grid for 2010 soon.”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN: “I had a very strong race in Brazil and I’m determined to rack up a points finish in Abu Dhabi to make sure we hold on to third position in the constructors’ championship. From what I’ve seen of the track, it looks pretty good – it’s got a couple of fast corners at the start of the lap, but then there’s a real low-speed, technical section towards the end.

“It still looks like it will be a tough track for overtaking, but the facilities look amazing – totally world-class – and I think the idea of a dusk race is very good for our sport. Singapore has set the standard very high with its night race, but Abu Dhabi looks like it will set new standards in Formula 1. I can’t wait to get out there.”

Brawn GP and Jenson Button – World Champions. The news is still a little hard to believe. Like a story straight out of a Steven Spielberg film the journey from a has-been with potential to the top of the standings appears scripted by the fate herself. It began with a bang, was filled with suspense in the middle half, a dash of drama, heartache and unsure moments but everything rounded up with a happy, fairy-tale climax.

The Brawn Grand Prix team will go down as the team that won the Championship with both drivers in 1-2, winning four races back-to-back, wining the Monaco GP on a three-race old engine and all of this in their debut season! Ross Brawn will certainly move comfortably into Formula One legend. There can be no definite analysis of this end. They started with the best car but were soon overtaken by others. Their drivers were initially icons of confidence, radiating that winning spirit but towards the end in-fighting amongst themselves and bitterness eroded that shine. The lack of confidence and strain began to show rather visibly and sometimes it was ugly. But they never allowed themselves to fall or falter whatever the situation that is perhaps the biggest lesson they taught F1. With little money, few prospects and difficult times they motivated themselves, built an extraordinary car, the legendary BG 001, and stormed through the season facing up to all challenges with the same stoic dedication that allowed them to even participate in this season in the first place. Some things cannot be halted and Brawn GP in 2009 proved to be one of those things. Three cheers for the team, for the drivers and for Ross Brawn – Champion among Champions.

What about new apple of Formula One’s eye, Jenson Button? There is much talk about whether he truly deserved this championship, about circumstances, about his apparent cracking under the strain, of his desperate struggles with his team-mate and his apparently lack of talent on the tarmac. The problem lies in the fact that the distinct lines between the fortunes of Button and Brawn GP have become blurred. Jenson Button is the World Champion because he was behind the wheel of the BGP01 car but the opposite is not true. Any driver in the top ten rankings would have been Champion behind that car, Button was in the right team at a critically right time and what a team it turned out to be. It may be a slightly bitter pill for Button to swallow but considering the end results, he should have no complaints.

Button, the son of a rallycross driver from London, showed a lot of promise when he debuted in F1 in 2000 and like so many before and after him looked set to fade into obscurity after a number of years in the sport at the back of the grid. He was only a body to drive a car so that the grid can still sport 20 cars. Unlike his famous team-mate Rubens Barrichello, Button had no pedigree, no famous team-mates, no on-track showdowns, and no tears on podiums. He didn’t even have a decent scandal to his name.

In 2009, driven by team Honda’s abrupt withdrawal from the sport and desperation to stay in the game, with any team or drive, Button made what turned out to be the smartest decision of his life. He accepted a massive pay cut (rumours say his pay was cut from 13 million to less than five) and decided to wear the white and black of the new debutante on the track – Brawn GP. Call it a fortunate stroke of luck, a desperate gamble that paid out in spades or even just the odd workings of Kismat. Whatever it was it went on to make history.

However there is no denying that Button deserved and worked exceptionally hard for this Championship. He is a smooth and aggressive driver whose races are usually error-free and he is a tactical man – thinking, analysing and reacting to events to get an edge over the rest. He pushes himself and the team to greater heights, is unafraid to try unorthodox techniques and takes an active interest in the development of the car. And he is fast – winning six races in the season.

Kimi Raikkonen is usually credited with only two of the above traits – speed and error-free driving – and Hamilton only won five races in 2008 but no one disputes their worthiness to be champion. And as an extra, in shallow sense but this is the glamorous world of Formula One after all, he is good looking and reportedly has a saucy and fiery personality. So cheers to the 10^th British Champion of Formula One, hearty congratulations Button, jolly good show!

Track:

The Interlagos is quite a challenge for most drivers, particularly with the assortment of low, medium and high-speed corners, all packed into one track, not to forget the long straight ones. F1 cars will have to compromise on downforce and drag levels to get a strong performance on the infield and open the possibility of getting a chance to pass a P1 or P2 car at the final and finishing straight track.

Brazilian Felipe Massa has won the Brazilian GP in 2006 and 2008!

Look out for Kobayashi:

Kamui Kobayashi, Toyota’s new driver, will be making his debut at the Brazilian GP this weekend. The Japanese driver will be replacing Timo Glock following Glock's injury sustained in qualifying for the 2009 Japanese GP. As a novice driver, Kobayashi will have to pay attention to areas he is not familiar with – the pit-stops and race starts. Nothing more to expect!

All eyes on Button:

Going into the final and last two rounds of the 2009 Formula One season, no doubt all eyes (and fingers) will be directed at Jenson Button, the 29-year-old Briton who is expected to realise his childhood dream of becoming the World Champion after nine years in the sport. The reigning champion is currently 15 points ahead of his second position rival and teammate Rubens Barrichello. Now all Button needs to do to claim his Championship, is to finish five points ahead of the Brazilian, Barrichello!

It sounds easy enough, especially with a sleek and fast car like the Brawn BGP001. But the problem is, it is not the only fastest car anymore, moreover, Barrichello also drives a BGP001. Button is under tremendous pressure. If Button fails to do it this time, the pressure will multiply tenfold at Abu Dhabi, where Barrichello could rise supreme or Vettel could become the underdog.

The way I see it, the only option left for Button is to maintain his calm and drive like Vettel did at the Japanese GP. No spins, no crashes, no mistakes, no nothing. In fact, I agree with Damon Hill’s suggestion to Button, “Take the season by the throat and win both of the final two races and claim the Championship in style”, which, if decrypted, means, to silence the critics on Button’s capability and worth.

Word has it that Button is not worth going down in history as the only driver next to Jim Clark and Michael Schumacher to have a dominating start at the F1 season. Why? Because he is now practically limping his way to the Championship with his credibility lost. Unpleasant to admit, I know, but it is the truth.

It is predictable to say that Barrichello does not have a chance as much as Vettel does in overtaking Button. The Brazilian has had all but bad luck on his home track. His stats prove that he has had only one podium win at Interlagos, and it wasn’t even a P1. Vettel, on the other hand, is dangerous for Button and lethal for the Brawn GP team. On recollection, Kimi Raikkonen was dragged into a similar situation in 2007, and won the Championship over a fight with the crowd-favourite, McLaren team. Vettel now has nothing to lose and must go all out in the final two races. The ‘win or die’ spirit can still get this young German a title this year. My guess is, he will grab either the Brazilian GP or the Abu Dhabi one, he just needs to remain as flawless as he was at the Japanese GP.

RETROSPECT:

F1 racing in Japan was held off for a decade after the 1977 race saw a Ferrari, driven by Gilles Villeneuve, somersault into a restricted area and kill two by-standers. That was on a track called the Fuji Speedway. F1’s return to Japan came about in 1987 at the current Suzuka Circuit, which covers 53 laps and is well- known for being the only figure-eight race track on the F1 calendar. After many notable races and incidents, the last driver to claim a podium win at the Japanese GP was the recent Singapore GP’s P3 winner, Fernando Alonso of Renault. Will he repeat the feat this year? Doubtful. Especially with a track that’s in favour of many drivers.

With the Championship points already out of the drivers’ mind, the only fight left is that between the Brawn GP drivers and of course, the individual drivers’ points, at least for the contract’s sake. In any case, in addition to the anticipation for the race, the most exciting thing to watch out for is Fernando Alonso replacing Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari! No disrespect to the Finn, but the Spaniard had been crying and howling about how much he wanted to drive the red car ever since he drove his first toy car, presumably, a red one as well.

PREDICTIONS:

Japanese GP predictions? Button!

DRIVERS’ COMMENTS:

Marking the return to Suzuka International Racing Course this weekend, F1 teams gave their thoughts at a press conference summarised to this –

Force India

They hope they will do their best after the tough struggle in Singapore.

Brawn GP

Jenson Button apparently can’t wait to race at Suzuka, while his teammate, Rubens Barrichello, has some ‘special’ memories of the track, but he won’t say what.

Renault

Both drivers, Fernando Alonso and Romain Grosjean, must’ve had a pact as they simultaneously admitted that the Suzuka circuit will be a big challenge for Renault.

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel, always with a good word, rated Suzuka as the best track in the world, or at least for him it is. His teammate, Mark Webber, aped the German and described the track as a sensational one.

Toro Rosso

Debutants Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi. (Who really cares about them?)

McLaren

Apparently, Lewis Hamilton had been waiting his whole life to race at Suzuka. Typical British exaggeration! Teammate Heikki Kovalainen is more realistic and stated the circuit won't be ideal for McLaren MP4-24.

Toyota

Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock are eager (as usual) to perform well, possibly due to pressure of Toyota's home fans at Suzuka.

BMW

Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld are… delighted (wonder what that even means!).