Flying Formula One is Brawn again

This season's Formula One competition has got off to a roaring start

By Ben Miles

Team Brawn have proved a revelation

Boring: a word often banded about by some when talking about the world’s premier open-wheel championship. 2009 has been far from it.

It’s almost impossible to describe everything that has occurred in these last hectic six weeks in a short space.

Firstly, the emergence of Brawn GP surprised many, especially those who had discredited their testing times as “media laps’. Normally that would be the biggest talking point in a season - but not this time.

Teams have lied to the stewards, argued about the legality of other cars and found themselves at the opposite end of the grid than previously.

In Australia, Jenson Button won at a canter, but behind him the race was anything but simple.

Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel conspired to bring out the safety car, an act that won Vettel a dubious grid penalty.

What followed was almost farcical. Jarno Trulli failed to keep his car on cold tyres, on the track and was passed by current world champion Lewis Hamilton.

In an aftermath from last year’s incident at Spa, the McLaren team went into full blown panic mode and ordered Hamilton to needlessly allow Trulli past.

Their already-battered public image was again knocked when they lied to the stewards to try and regain that place. The after effects of this are still not entirely known as the team heads into an FIA hearing.

Malaysia was wet, very wet. The race descended into farce as the cars spent an hour sat around waiting to find out if it would be restarted.

The rain had called a halt to proceedings at less than half distance.

With Button winning again this time, it was Ferrari who provided the comedy side as multiple bad strategy calls led them to leave Sepang with zero points from two races.

Just to add to the calm, a blazing row over a loophole in the rules had broken out.

Eventually the “diffuser three’, as they became known, were cleared and normality seemed restored.

Wrong. Rain again came to join the fun in China, leaving Sebastian Vettel to secure Red Bull’s first win.

Further down the pack Hamilton provided the action as he charged through the field only to lose control each time and find himself back at square one.

Only this weekend the Bahrain Grand Prix saw blocking controversies during qualifying and a first two laps that were nearly impossible to follow.

Other than that, it’s been a dull season.
2009 is already turning into a classic after only 4 races, if this continues Murray Walker’s heart may need to be monitored.