Brawn gets it right

The Brawn team, formed as a result of a management buyout of the Honda team, won six of the first seven races, their ability to make the most of the new regulations (and finding in the double diffuser a loophole) being a deciding factor in the 2009 F1 championship.

It must be said, that the double diffuser solution that made the Brawn BGP 001 nearly unbeatable, was a technical solution found by the Honda engineers, before the Japanese constructor withdrew from the F1 and sold the team to Ross Brawn, who had to revert to Mercedes engines.. Honda even funded most of Brawn’s season, but could not capitalise on its successes.

Jenson Button and Brawn GP secured the 2009 Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship, respectively, in the Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season.

It was Button and Brawn’s first (and only) championship success, Brawn becoming the first team to win, the Constructors’ Championship in their debut season. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) and Rubens Barrichello (Brawn) were Button’s main challengers over the season, winning six races between them to finish in second and third, respectively.

Picture below: Rubens Barrichello (Brawn) won the 2009 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.