The Formula One season is finally over and what a season it was: our reporters take a look back at the events of a monumental year for Red Bull Racing.
Australia
Formula One returned in traditional style – with an enormous row. Brawn turned up with a car that was light years quicker than everyone else, which promptly led to accusations that their double diffuser was against the rules. So Brawn made their debut along with other first-timers Sébastien Buemi at Toro Rosso, who everyone seemed to think was nice, the unwieldy KERS system, which wasn’t, and the championship’s first twilight race, which everybody hated. When Jenson Button chalked up his first win since 2006 and Rubens Barrichello followed him home for a one-two and the early season template was set. The only real competition came from Red Bull Racing but new boy Sebastian Vettel got tangled up with a hard-charging Robert Kubica a couple of laps from home and an opening day podium was lost. Jarno Trulli was third but that result was to cause a perfect storm of its own...
Toyota Motorsport
Malaysia
There were dark clouds over Sepang – both sorts. The weekend was dominated by liar, liar pants on firegate – a minor incident of a sportman fibbing that got blown out of all proportion. Amid the apologies, the angst, the finger-pointing and the banishment, a race suddenly broke out – albeit at a very silly time of day. Like clockwork it rains in Malaysia at 4:30pm and sure enough the heavens opened on cue. It was so wet no one could keep up with the safety car. Button picked up a second wi,. Nick Heidfeld did his usual job of stepping from chaos onto the podium and Timo Glock somehow finished third, though no one could tell you how.
China
With the diffuser row settled, the next item on the agenda was for the other teams to try and make one for themselves – or something like it. Renault were first with an effort that looked to have been drawn on the back of a pack of Gauloise and then built from one. It worked, though, launching Fernando Alonso to second on the grid behind Vettel who took his second career pole position despite serious concerns over the state of his car’s driveshaft. It was the first of a catalogue of engine and mechanical problems that would blight his season. No such problems in the race, though. Once the rain eased up after eight laps and the safety car left, Vettel was at his imperious best, leading home Mark Webber for Red Bull Racing’s first win and first one-two. Unfortunately, the FIA serenaded them with the wrong national anthem.
Bahrain
The diffuser row was starting to die down, (except perhaps in Flavio Briatore’s head) and racing was starting to take over. Brawn and Red Bull both looked good but it was a Toyota one and two on the grid. They weren’t going to win but Jarno Trulli held up Sebastian Vettel long enough to allow Jenson Button an easy run to his third victory of the year. Meanwhile, McLaren decided to cast off their Team Nasty image and got into the post-Ron era swing of things by setting up a cocktail bar, spinning some tunes and offering paddock passers-by ice-cream. It was… unsettling.
Spain
The Circuit de Catalunya has traditionally offered one of Formula One’s most instantly forgettable grands prix and 2009 was no exception. With the drivers knowing every blade of grass at the circuit thanks to countless winter test laps, Barcelona offers few challenges. The only one going this time was whether to run KERS or not. Most had found it to be dead weight so they abandoned it, which meant Button could march on to a fourth win of the season. The championship looked over already.
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Part Two will appear tomorrow. Keep up with Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.
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