Qualification – Incredible F1! Incredible Brawn GP! Incredible Button!

The verdict is in. The 2009 F1 finally reveals its true face, and it’s all the better for the spectacle. For the first qualifiers of the year 2009, in Australia, Melbourne, it’s the Brawn GP team that outperforms everyone. Ross Brawn’s team monopolizes the front row, with Button in pole position, ahead of Barrichello. Vettel is third for his first qualification with Red Bull.

The 2009 F1 season promised change, and change has come. The typically leading teams, Ferrari, BMW, McLaren, and Renault, are being outpaced while the smaller teams (independent or not) are taking the lead. Brawn GP completely seized the front row of qualifying and will start tomorrow as the favorites. It’s the first time since 1954 and the French GP that a new team has secured pole position for its first GP. Red Bull and Williams are also in good shape; Among the big-budget teams, BMW is faring the best. Kubica is 4th, less than a tenth behind Vettel, who is impressive despite the issues he faced in free practice yesterday and this morning.

The Williams and Toyota cars are not as well positioned as their performance in free practice suggested. Rosberg is 5th, ahead of Glock and his Toyota. Trulli is 8th and Nakajima did not enter Q3. They are also likely to have more fuel than the Brawn GP drivers, with more information on the car weights expected to be released during the day.

With Kubica, the Ferraris (Massa and Räikkönen) are the only top teams to have made it into Q3. Massa is only 7th, Räikkönen only 9th. Webber, at home and despite his accident this winter, closes the top 10 of these first 2009 qualifications.

Behind them, the big players of 2008 are present. Renault, of course, but especially McLaren and Hamilton. Alonso is 12th, behind Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) by 0.1 seconds, with Hamilton in 15th, somewhat excused. The reigning world champion encountered a problem during the second part of qualifying. He couldn’t leave the pits due to a mechanical issue and without any time recorded, he is ranked 15th by default. His teammate, Kovalainen, who did take to the track, managed slightly better and secured the 14th time.

Eliminated in the first part of the qualifications, the Toro Rosso and Force India do not benefit from the changes in the regulations. Buemi is 16th, ahead of Nelson Piquet in the Renault. The Brazilian is once again disappointing, but he’s not the only one. Bourdais was disrupted in his last lap and is in last place, even behind the Force India.

Results Qualification – Australian GP – Saturday, March 28, 2009: