Eff One
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Five great memories from F1 2009I think it was Brundle who said you could pick a thousand memorable moments from the season past. But I've tried to pick my five favourites.
From the top:
1. Button and Brawn taking the championship. Difficult to pick a specific moment, but the raw emotion in the garage and on the pitwall as he took the flag, Ross Brawn fighting back tears, Button Jr and Sr embracing - I felt privileged to be a party to it all.
2. Melbourne. After the dark days of January when the outlook for the team which became Brawn looked ever bleaker, a 1-2 for Button and Ruby in the opening race of 2009 - a race they were lucky to be in at all - was the stuff of fairytales.
3. Webber's maiden win. For a long time, not even the team knew just how badly Webber was injured last winter. It was a long road back, and he was nowhere near 100% at the start of the season, with a hot-shot young teammate to contend with - which made the Nurburgring infinitely sweeter. A storming qualy session followed by a stunning drive; I'm sure I wasn't the only one with a tear in their eye as he took the flag.
4. Brazil again - Button vs Kobayashi (and everyone else). Cemented Button's reputation as one of the best overtakers in the business. Sublime flair and car control while under crippling pressure - legendary stuff.
5. Spa. Two of F1's 'hot and cold' drivers showing just how brilliant they can be on their day. Raikkonen was awesome in the difficult Ferrari F60, while Fisi's superb pole and determined pursuit was the finest we're seen from him for years.
What are your best bits of F1 2009?
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BeN
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You've more or less covered it I reckon.
Personally I would say the Singapore GP as well. The first one I've experienced "live" after missing out on the inaugural one due to my injury.
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Big Blue
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1. Agree with the Spa comment
2. Monza, watching the Brawns just cruise to a win on efficient strategy whilst sitting in the sun at the first chicane
3. Jenson's run from the pits at Monaco in full garb
4. Barrichello's on-air rant at his team after British GP
5. Webber's first win (agreed again)
6. The car-radio feed from Button after he had passed Kobayashi in Brasil. Showed how much he wanted it more than any amount of media scribbling could ever do
7. Last 2 laps of Abu Dhabi with Button and Webber: 2 good natured drivers that know how to do it properly
8. (and the winner.....) First race opf the season; up early for qualifying; flick on the BBC and crank up the volume for The Chain. Now that bought a tear to my eye.
Might go to that Abu Dhabi one next year; looked pretty cool in that stand at the hairpin.
Edit: was it limited to 5? Oh well; I struggled to keep it down below 100
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Dr. Hfuhruhurr
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Limiting to five:
Melbourne - if someone wrote that as a screenplay, it would be dismissed as too improbable. Embodies Murray Walker's famous phrase.
Button at Brazil - obviously woke up that morning and decided he was going to go all out and win the title then and there.
Hamilton at Hungary - not a McLaren fan, but incredibly impressed at how they turned their season around.
Another vote for Webber getting that win at last. Then getting another one to show it wasn't a fluke. And in general, for not getting pasted by Vettel as I'd feared he might.
Raikkonen at Spa - he OWNS that circuit - and making the frankly rubbish Ferrari do things nobody else could manage.
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Matt
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Agree with Eff's fourth point. I don't watch most weekends, but I really enjoyed that race, especially Button's drive.
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Sav
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1. Brawn GP. I think Brawn GP have been a breath of fresh air for the sport, and there car highlighted just what a technical challenge that F1 still is, that the car was so much faster then in Melbourne then everybody else's.
2. The change in front running teams. I think it was brilliant to see Brawn and Red Bull for most and large, dominating proceedings because we saw the strengths and weaknesses of both teams when pushing for the ultimate prizes in motorsport, and also how drivers who usually do not feature at the front of the grid, handled being in differet kinds of positions like Webber and Button.
3. The resurgence of Mclaren-Mercedes. If you told me after the Melbourne that Mclaren would be fighting for wins in the second half of the season, I would have never believed you. The rate of development paid off and what was learnt this season can be translated into next season, with fairly similar aerodynamic regulations. And just to add, the Mercedes-Benz KERS device has been light, effective and reliable that has given the team a strategic advantage.
4. Kobayshi. We have seen a number of newcomers and returnees to F1, but it is only Kobyashi that has actually made an impression on me. He has been aggressive, entertaining and extremely fast. And rather impressively, he managed to beat Trulli in his second race. It makes you wonder what Trulli is doing there...
5. Raikkonen in general, it was clear that the Ferrari was a poor car and Kimi put that car in places that it really should not have been, considering it was not developed at all since the Hungarian GP. I suppose you could argue's Hamilton's 4th place at Bahrain is equally as impressive considering the machinery. A close one.
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Big TC
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A number of memorable aspects to this year, for me. Can't really order them, so in no particular order:
1st wins for Webber, and Red Bull. Always nice to see a new driver/car winning. I hope they can keep the form next year, but I suspect they'll need something better than a Renault donkey.
Brawn GP. Much like above, although it really was the Honda team, by a different name. Nonetheless, to turn round such a lamentable season they had in '08 (Honda) in such an impressive manner is astounding. And the time they had to prepare with the Merc engine was minimal, to say the least!
Jensen Button. The guy has class by the bucket load and I'm delighted to see him rewarded with the title. He did what he had to do in the 2nd half of the season, allbeit in a car that had lost its supremacy.
McLaren's turnaround in form - absolutely amazing. Wasn't Hamilton the biggest points scorer in the 2nd half of the season? Hammy's driving has shown maturity too (we'll forgive him the Monza off)
Force India and their fast circuit form was a revelation. And they made the most of it, culminating with Fifi's astounding pole at Spa.
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The disappointing bits of the season:
Kovalainan. What on Earth happened to him? The guy won a GP last year, yet showed not the faintest sign that he would repeat it this year.
Renault. Poor management, dubious driver choices ending with the messy race-fixing row. And the car was shite, with possibly the worst colour scheme on the grid.
Despite promises to the contrary, overtaking didn't seem to be that much easier this year. Although I will concede that there was more of it - thanks largely to J. Button.
KERS - what an astronomical waste of resources - and it had very little effect in the races, beyond the starts. Glad to see the back of it.
Another 'factory' team leaving, with BMW's departure (assuming they're not resurected under the shady new owners). It did seem that latterly they were becoming contenders again, after an atrocious start to the season.
And I'll just slip in Toyota - I really thought they'd win a GP this year.....
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