Eurosport - Mon, 27 Apr 09:32:00 2009
Britain's Jenson Button won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday for the Formula One championship leader's third victory in four races with newcomers Brawn GP this season.
The 29-year-old's success at Sakhir dashed Toyota's hopes of a breakthrough first win after the Japanese manufacturer had started with both their cars on the front row for the first time.
Germany's Sebastian Vettel was second for Red Bull with Toyota's Italian Jarno Trulli finishing third from pole position.
Button, with four career wins, now has 31 points to Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello's 19 and Vettel's 18.
Champions Ferrari finally opened their account with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen finishing sixth for the Italian team's first points of the year.
McLaren's world champion Lewis Hamilton, whose team could receive a heavy punishment at a hearing in Paris on Wednesday for lying to stewards at the Australian season-opener, took fourth place after an aggressive start.
Barrichello was fifth, ahead of Raikkonen, with Toyota's Timo Glock seventh and Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso taking the final point on a hot afternoon with air temperatures around 35 degrees Celsius.
Glock, lighter on fuel than his team mate, made the quicker start and led for the first 10 laps before pitting and handing over to Trulli.
Button led for the first time in the race on lap 13, allowing Vettel and then Raikkonen to take brief turns at the front when he pitted, but was clearly in control for the final third of the race.
"We're going back to Europe with some very good points. Let's do it again in Barcelona," Button, who had started fourth, said as he took the chequered flag and punched the air in jubilation.
The Spanish Grand prix is next on May 10.
BMW-Sauber, who had hoped to be challenging for the title this season, had a dismal afternoon at the circuit that brought them their first pole position last year with Poland's Robert Kubica.
Both cars were lapped just after the halfway mark, with Kubica 18th and Germany's Nick Heidfeld the last finisher in 19th place at the chequered flag.
Williams's Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima was the sole retirement..
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Guys, all this talk about the red cars making a come-back … as though it’s inevitable. What’s behind it? Some group delusion or fantasy? These teams are made up of people with various amounts of talent. The people at Ferrari that were behind the most recent, dominant dynasty are gone (Schumacher, Brawn, Todt, etc …). This year is the first major rules change since they’ve been gone and … voila … the team isn’t the cream of the crop anymore. Why is everyone surprised … and just assuming they’ll bounce back in a few months?
Why do people assume there’s something magical about the prancing horse badge that makes their supremacy inevitable? Doesn’t anyone else remember the 80s when they would go through seasons without a single victory? Some years, they had a hard time even finishing a race. Remember the Arnoux, Alboreto and Berger years? The last turbo V6 cars? A victory was a rare (and wonderful) event.
This is when I cheered for Ferrari … when they were the underdog. I hope the fans that cheered Schumi onto to victory after victory, championship after championship are prepared to stick with the team through a number of lean years. But from what I’m seeing, I doubt they are.
And I’m mixed on Schumi. He’s an incredible driver, maybe the best ever, and what a team player … but his competitive streak goes to far and the incidents previously described are dark spots on an otherwise amazing career.
The championships this year looks like they belong to Button and Brawn. If they falter, I expect the talented duo of Adrian Newey and Vettel to inherit the tops spots. Last years’ championship contenders are gonna be spectators … better get used to it.
Strange how there are so many Jenson fans around now, over the last few years a lot of those new fans of his were running him down, when it wasn't about his driving and commitment it was about which team he chose to drive for. Will those fans desert him next year if cas not the best and he can't win through no fault of his skills.
As a Brit, I'm very pleased to see Brawn and Button do so well, but I cant help thinking their days in the sun are numbered. An updated Red Bull with Vetel, a revamped Mclaren with Hammi and who knows, even the red cars may get back on form....Roll on the rest of the season, it's gonna be great.
Actually he said that he was verey pleased to come 4th. He put in a bloody good drive with a poor car. Ask Heikki.
well done button and brawn, nice to see the under dogs taking the fight to the big boys. ps the other brit with the huge sun tan didint have mutch to say he he
A serious question---- Are McLaren and Hamilton both up before the beak this week or is it only McLaren?
Elena: Didn't you used to be 'Not Printable'? Your pic looks strangely familiar to hers.
This was a brilliant piece of work by Jenson and the team. From what Ross said after the race, in his mind there was no guarantee of a win because of various problems so it made victory sweeter and underlines the fact that Jenson really is the class driver the pundits have raved on about all these past years. Well done Brawn!!
d.bristow525 - well said and in full agreement sir
Petedcoy and Elena: Please guys this is a F1 site and the way you are acting it sounds like your having a lovers rift. This is not place for you both to express your true love for one another, this is a F1 comment page where we all talk about Button and Lewis.
D.Bristow
they say money goes to money
Come on Jenson Button
Elena - I didn't realise it was that time of the month again dear! It will soon pass and you will become a pleasant person again instead of an abusive old dragon!!
I have followed F1 for years and i hate people jumping onto the wagon like Lewis he win and people support him ??? i supported Nigel Mansell until he retired then Damon Hill until he done the same what a shame he was a great driver and then Jenson Button. people change with the weather and laughed at me for saying he will come no where ever now the shoe is on the other foot i dont care if he does not become the world champion i support one person well done Brawn Gp and well done Jenson and Rubens
its about time buttons luck has changed,all the f1 drivers are good,its just having the right car underneath you,i would like to see vettel doe well this year aswell,
I agree with AshleyB. Schummie got away with murder especially when he drove for Farrari. How can anyone who saw him deliberately drive into Damon Hill to stop him winning his world championship say he was the best in the world, maybe at cheating, but only because he was in a faster car at the time. Most drivers are of equal stages in their driving abilities and Webber, Vettel, Alonso etc, could also win in the right car.
TeramaM
A few people here are like my brother. They fail, nae refuse to see what is unfolding before them. They have a preconceived notion of what is right or wrong, who is good or bad and will under no circumstances waiver from this view regardless of the facts. I've been a McClaren fan since i was 10 some 30yrs ago and always will be, but i am ashamed of them right now and any punishment given i will accept. Jenson Button is an excellent driver and is showing his true talent at the moment, i dont think he is a mid pack performer who could go through a field ala Senna or Alonso but neither was Prost. The Brawn car is legal ... deal with it... they, red bull and toyota have stolen a march on everyone else this season and deserve to be were they are. there is no law that says Ferrari and McClaren have to win the first 10 grand prix before the rest get a look in, no doubt their response will come in time and make the second half of the season even more exciting. The first 4 grand prix have all been early morning affairs that, previously, i would watch in bed and fall asleep by lap 15 and wake up to see the same front 4 cars cross the line 2 days ahead of the rest bar incidents. this year i've been pinned to every one.
Finally we have a potentially exciting GP season from start to finish where the champion could truly be a combination of car and driver. Rather than bicker about things I'm relishing every moment of it. why cant others do the same?
DIDN'T LH OVERTAKE SOMEONE LAST WEEKEND
THATS QUITE ENOUGH REASON TO PENALISE 10 GRID PLACES IN SPAIN .... !
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