Assessment: Brawn GP Half a Point from the Title

Despite the respective 7th and 8th places of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, Brawn GP can be happy with its race in Japan. Its 3 small points mean that, despite the 10 points scored by Red Bull, Brawn GP is virtually assured of the constructors’ title. The team only needs half a point to be sure of the title. Red Bull is 35.5 points behind with two races to go in the season, with only 36 points left to take. For this to happen, Red Bull would need to achieve two double wins, and at the same time, Brawn GP would need to score no points. That seems inconceivable.

Jenson Button expressed his satisfaction with the drivers’ championship despite losing 9 points to the day’s winner, and championship rival, Sebastian Vettel. Jenson Button finished in 8th place at Suzuka after starting from 10th position on the grid. All three drivers, including Rubens Barrichello, are still contenders for the title.

Rubens Barrichello was sixth on the grid and maintained this position until his second pit stop, after which he slipped to 7th place. He seemed capable of regaining his position, but the safety car came out after Jaime Alguersuari’s accident, and he saw Nico Rosberg pass him. After that, he was unable to take back the sixth place from Nick Heidfeld. The Brazilian driver complained about his setup and the tires after the race and thinks he could have finished ahead of Heidfeld if the safety car had not intervened.

Rubens Barrichello – 7th:

The qualifying session was crucial for my weekend since I managed to be ahead of Jenson [Button] for the race and was able to take a point from him. I struggled with the settings today and didn’t have the chance to get the best out of the car, which is a shame. I was able to follow Kimi [Räikkönen] when we were both on hard tires in the first stint, but as soon as I put on the soft tires, he broke away. We could have finished in sixth place without the safety car, and that’s the best I could have hoped for today. It’s frustrating, but that’s how the race goes, and the most important thing is that I gained a point on Jenson [Button] this weekend. I’m now looking forward to my home race in Sao Paulo in 2 weeks. The Brazilian Grand Prix is always a very special occasion for me, and I will give everything I have to do the best possible for the championships.

Jenson Button – 8th:

«Today, the aim was to score some points despite the penalty we had in qualifying, and we did it. Starting from 10th place on the grid made things difficult for me today, but my top speed was very good and I’m really happy with my car’s performance. I gained a lot of time on the drivers ahead of me who had more fuel than me, which helped me, but it’s very difficult to overtake here. I did the best I could in the car this weekend and we achieved the best possible performance with a finish in the points. Obviously, we’re losing points to Sebastian Vettel, but we expected Red Bull to be strong here. We now have two circuits that should suit our car, so I’m excited about thinking of the end of the season. I’m already looking towards the race in Brazil.»

Ross Brawn – Team Principal:

«We made a good comeback in today’s race after a problematic qualifying session, and both our drivers brought home valuable points in the battle for the constructors’ title. We knew this track would favor our rivals, and I’m happy with the team’s and drivers’ performances this weekend. They got the most out of the car and added important points to our championship total, leaving us half a point from victory. The next two races in Interlagos and Abu Dhabi should suit the characteristics of our car, and we can now look forward to an exciting end to the championship. »