Malaysian GP - Button takes rain-shortened victory

Eurosport - Mon, 06 Apr 08:05:00 2009

Britain's Jenson Button splashed to victory in a chaotic, rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix for his second triumph in two races for the new Brawn GP team.

FORMULA 1 Jenson Button Malaysian Grand Prix 2009 - 0

Half points were awarded for only the fifth time in Formula One history because only 32 of the scheduled 56 laps had been completed before a torrential downpour turned the track into a lake.

With thunderclaps and lightning streaking across the darkened Sepang skies, making driving conditions impossible even behind the safety car, the race was red-flagged and then abandoned.

Button, who had again started from pole position after a Brawn one-two in the Australian season-opener last weekend, was leading behind the safety car when officials signalled the halt.

The Briton, who also won in Melbourne with the safety car deployed, had already made four pitstops in the changing conditions and was only third at the end of the opening lap after a slow start.

"What a crazy race, it really was," said the 29-year-old after some slippery podium celebrations. "I still haven't seen the chequered flag (this season) without the safety car in front.

"It was really bad conditions, you couldn't actually see the circuit," added Button, who now has three career wins.

Germany's Nick Heidfeld (BMW-Sauber) was second for the eighth time in a so far winless career, with compatriot Timo Glock third for Toyota with the results based on the positions at the end of the 31st lap.

Italian Jarno Trulli, who was third for Toyota in Melbourne, finished fourth ahead of Brawn's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber in sixth.

McLaren's world champion Lewis Hamilton, at the centre of a furore after he and his team were found to have deliberately misled stewards in Australia, was seventh while Germany's Nico Rosberg collected half a point for Williams in eighth.

"All I could do was try and keep the car on the track," said Hamilton.

"It was the correct decision to stop the race because it was just too dangerous for everyone. I love it when it rains, but this was just too much."

Rosberg, who had warned earlier in the week that the late-starting race was likely to be halted by the weather before the scheduled twilight finish, had led the first 15 laps until he pitted.

Reigning constructors' champions Ferrari are still without a point from two races after Brazilian Felipe Massa was ninth and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen 14th after he changed to full wet tyres too early and paid a heavy price.

There was confusion after the race was abandoned, with drivers awaiting the unlikely chance of a re-start while the clock ticked towards the two-hour limit and the daylight faded.

With Glock ahead of Heidfeld at the red flag, there was also uncertainty about the final podium positions.

"My engineer told me: 'You are P2 (second place)' and then I came up here and I'm P3," said a bemused Glock.

"I'm fine with second," replied Heidfeld.

The last race to be abandoned due to heavy rain was Australia in 1991 when the grand prix was halted after 14 of the 81 scheduled laps. Others have been cut short by accidents or re-started.

Reuters

Comment 241 - 260 of 260

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  1. Well said regazzi2!!!!!!!!!!!

    From si b, on Thu 9 Apr 10:27PM

  2. Who is this @#$% Francis s who cannot spell or form a­ proper sentence. What terrible diction. Go away and­ join a royal family somewhere in Europe where your­ idiocy and horsey looks will not look out of place. Oh­ and by the way I am not a Brit, I am Italian.

    From regazzi2, on Tue 7 Apr 7:06PM

  3. nanas cant swim

    From busterzakmax, on Tue 7 Apr 5:33AM

  4. hamilton may soon be blamed 4 the rain in­ sepang..............just because some poeple are so­ blind .poeple like f1 police cos they cant dream of­ having a son or brother like him.....u are in pain­ because u c him every day .....in f1 u cant change his­ destiny ....he is a great guy

    From clement l, on Mon 6 Apr 8:55PM

  5. Francis S so you didn't watch the race then you­ just saw them all sat on the grid and even that­ confused you...bless i think teletubbies is on at the­ same time maybe that would suit your Mentality you­ might be able to understand it better..............

    From si b, on Mon 6 Apr 8:53PM

  6. hey bristol ya mean ya like racing if a brit wins .­ all tha other times ya wine an complain. yer a idot .­ now pith off and go eat yer crummpets in that corner­ likea good boy

    From Francis S, on Mon 6 Apr 7:42PM

  7. sorry syb didnt answer yer question ya i did wath tha­ race. watched 53 minutes of buffons sittin in his car­ waitin for the clock ta stop than jump out like a idiot­ an blow kisses to that crowd. i was waitin to se him­ pass all that cars but thy were in tha pits whenhe did

    From Francis S, on Mon 6 Apr 7:36PM

  8. The rules now say that if the race is less than three­ quarters run, (it used to be two thirds) then half­ points will be awarded. This race was red flagged after­ an hour but was not actually stopped until 1 hour 56­ minuets or so. The maximum time allowed for an F1 race­ is 2 hours and as this race was not actually stopped­ until almost almost two hours were up then Jenson and­ the others involved should get full points.
    I have­ seen races stopped on two previous occasions over the­ years due to weather. In both of these cases the race­ was STOPPED when red flagged, this did not happen in­ this case. Although the cars were stopped the race was­ still on as it was still being timed. Give the guys­ their points!!!

    From regazzi2, on Mon 6 Apr 5:45PM

  9. well done to the brawn team a good start to the season.­ lets hope half points avfter this race wont affect­ buttons title chances at the end of the season

    From CLIVE W, on Mon 6 Apr 2:14PM

  10. Francis S did you even watch the race?

    From si b, on Mon 6 Apr 1:55PM

  11. Francis S go away your talking out of your a s s yet­ again we are all bored of it and you bye bye!

    From si b, on Mon 6 Apr 1:52PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I am so fat that they are thinking of using me for a­ race venue if Donnington does not come off next year.­ The only problem is that the PIT LANE will take some­ time to get up to scratch. I am just getting the­ pressure washer fired up now. If only I did not talk so­ much craap.

    From powerifthestilo, on Mon 6 Apr 1:46PM

  13. It was the sensible thing to stop the GP in my opinion.­ If they carried on it would have finished with speed­ boats!

    From bobski, on Mon 6 Apr 10:16AM

  14. Rain Stops Play?!? RESCHEDULE IT!!!!...Bearnie's­ got enough money!

    From kodii, on Mon 6 Apr 9:03AM

  15. No comment about the race or the result; my concern is­ the point scoring system for this result. It seems to­ me as though the winner is peanalised for winning in­ that JB lost 5 points where as the guys coming in 7th­ and 8th lose 1 point and 1/2 point each. Some where­ during this season the loss of 5 points will be more­ costly for JB than the loss of 1 point for LH. As with­ many other aspects of F1 that needs to be over hauled,­ this particular scoring system needs to be­ re-considered as well....

    From Fjk, on Mon 6 Apr 8:42AM

  16. How screwed up is Bernie, scheduling the Malayasian GP­ for 5 pm when it was almost dark, what a moron. With­ Bernie so obsessed with twilight races and forcing­ those who organised and put on these races to run the­ races at his schedule is ruining F1. So what if in­ Europe that fans watch a GP in the morning hours, what­ is 7am, what is 8 am, its something to get for to watch­ a whole race. Not some race that is only half finished.­ Us as fans what to see a race, we are racing fans, we­ love this sport. We don't do this for money, we­ just love racing.

    D.Bristow

    From , on Mon 6 Apr 7:49AM

  17. Just to satisfy the people of europe they have to start­ the race early, but they forgot in asia there are­ millions of fans too. they though only europen watch f1

    From podilah, on Mon 6 Apr 7:33AM

  18. I am a F1 fan paid to watch the F1 malaysia race and­ disappointed with the result. The driver try their best­ but it is the FIA and Bernie that who screwed up on the­ start up time that the F1 in malaysia. I paid to watch­ a full race not half race due to rain stop. And­ Don't blame the God for rain , it is human factor­ and greediness
    Just because Bernie want to make­ advertising money by changing the time for the­ european viewer and it screwed big time for F1 fan like­ me .I have attended F1 in china, german and lastly the­ night race in singapore.
    If F1 malaysia will have the­ same start up time next year , you will probably find­ fewer fan will attend including me.
    This year you loss­ 30000 thousand fans compared to 2008 and pls don't­ blame it on recession.

    From ceedees9913, on Mon 6 Apr 6:32AM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I think we need to question the whole future of F1 -­ the cars are ugly, can't run in the rain, can't­ run in the dark, need an army of mechanics to start­ them up, retire if they just nudge another­ car.

    Imagine having F1 cars with bodywork, headlights,­ windscreen wipers, enough weight to have batteries big­ enough to be self-starting.....sounds like DTM to me.­ Now that would be fun....

    From David, on Mon 6 Apr 5:31AM

  20. Passed on track or in the pits, Button did both! His­ laps just before his pit stop was as good as Schumi­ ever did, brilliant, and I'm a Schumi fan. Give me­ you address Francis I will send you some salve for that­ mange!

    From Walking quiet, on Mon 6 Apr 4:43AM
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