Looking ahead to the Nürburgring

This weekend’s German Grand Prix, the home race for Brawn GP’s engine partner Mercedes-Benz, will be the midpoint of the 2009 season.
Current Championship leader Jenson is confident the track will suit the Brawn-Mercedes car: "The Nürburgring is a relatively slow circuit with a lot of medium-speed corners which are one of the strengths of our car. It is also one of the heaviest braking circuits on the calendar so you need a car which will be good through the four heavy braking zones. With the extra week’s break, everyone has been working extremely hard to get the best package for the race and we’re looking forward to showing what the car can do."
Rubens is looking forward to the challenges that the Nürburgring circuit provides: "I won the race here back in 2002 so the circuit holds some good memories for me. The weather can be a little unpredictable due to its location right in the Eifel Mountains but we’ll be hoping for some warmer temperatures than we saw at Silverstone for the last race. The layout and flow is nice which allows you to get into a rhythm and there are some interesting undulations and bumps to look out for."

Insight into a Grand Prix weekend

Fans of the team will have the opportunity to learn more about the intensity of a Grand Prix weekend with an exclusive new website feature ‚Race Blog‘. From the team’s race engineers to our marketing and PR representatives and our mechanics, you will be able to hear more about the action, tension and drama of a race weekend from the people on the ground.
To find out more about this exclusive feature, check out the website over the weekend!

Brawn GP take the chequered flag with iPhone and iPod Touch

Brawn GP has joined forces with Upstream to create the team’s first Formula One racing game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. By taking part in the new Brawn GP Racing contest, fans also have the chance to win a Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster road car.
Brawn GP Racing features a track located in the heart of London, where the cars race around Hyde Park and past Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. As soon as players qualify on the rrack, they are ranked globally and are awarded entries in the draw according to their rank – the faster you are, the more chances of winning! The contest will end at the precise time at which the winning car crosses the finish line in the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi on November 1.
For more information, please visit www.brawngpcontest.com and www.brawngp.com

Brawn GP want your opinion!

Your thoughts are incredibly important for the team and we would like to hear from you! The team is considering the introduction of a fan club and would like to have your feedback on our ideas and what you might like to see in a potential fan club.
To contribute, please follow the link on our homepage and take part in our survey.

Visit the Brawn GP website

Rubens on the podium at Silverstone

Rubens drove an assured race on Sunday to achieve his second consecutive podium at Silverstone, the team’s home Grand Prix. Jenson maintained his lead in the Drivers‘ Championship with three points for his sixth placed finish.
Rubens said: "I’m really proud of the third place that we achieved at Silverstone. We knew that if the track temperatures didn’t increase, then it would be incredibly difficult to beat the Red Bulls. The car has been well balanced and we certainly haven’t lost performance since the last race, it’s just that we have suffered badly in the cool conditions with our tyre temperatures. To come away with third and the best position that the team could have achieved this weekend is very satisfying."
After the race, Ross commented: "The result was a pleasing outcome to what has been a challenging home race for Brawn GP. Rubens drove a very composed race to secure third place, whilst Jenson recovered well from a poor start when he was caught behind Jarno Trulli to score valuable points for our Championship challenge."

Brawn GP announces partnership with Graham-London

Over the Silverstone weekend, Brawn GP announced a new partnership with the iconic British watch marque Graham-London.
The team and Graham-London have combined to launch two very special limited edition Brawn GP watches. The Chronofighter G-BGP-001 and the Silverstone G-BGP-001, available with black or white dials, will be limited to just 250 editions per range.

Jenson, Rubens & Ross visit Merchandise Stand

The British Grand Prix saw the launch of Brawn GP’s full merchandise range, created by team partner Henri Lloyd, and available from three stands at the Silverstone circuit and www.BrawnGP.com.
Jenson, Rubens and Ross took time out of their busy schedules to visit one of the stands after qualifying on Saturday afternoon and were greeted by thousands of the team’s fans.
After a lively Q&A with BBC Radio 5 Live’s David Croft, the trio gave away signed Brawn GP caps and stayed around to chat to fans and sign hundreds of autographs.

Visit the Brawn GP website

Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel scored his second race win of the season after he used a two stop, soft – soft – hard tyre strategy to win a fast-paced British Grand Prix in cool and cloudy conditions at Silverstone.

Vettel finished fifteen seconds ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, who used the same strategy. The final podium position went to Brawn GP Formula 1 Team driver Rubens Barrichello, who used a softhard- soft tyre strategy. Bridgestone’s soft tyre proved to be the superior race tyre here for most competitors, giving a faster lap time than the hard, and giving good consistency too.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel for his second race win of the season and Red Bull Racing on their second one-two of the year. Silverstone has a great atmosphere and we have seen a fantastic crowd here throughout the weekend in what is both a very important market for Bridgestone and an important base for our Bridgestone Motorsport operation.”
Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today we saw very hot pace from the Red Bulls in the cool weather conditions as they used the Bridgestone hard and soft tyre s very well indeed. The best lap times of both Red Bull cars were over half a second faster than anyone else. The soft Bridgestone worked very well, especially after the second stint when there was more rubber down on the track. The hard Bridgestone did take longer to deliver its best lap time and we saw a number of illustrations of this as part of some interesting battles for position. Silverstone helped serve us an exciting fast race here today.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.8 – British Grand Prix
In 2009, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly
distinguishable from each other. At the British Grand Prix, the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyre was also marked with a green line in a groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Brawn GP look forward to Silverstone

This weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone takes place just eight miles from Brawn GP’s factory in Brackley and 20 miles from Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth.
British star Jenson is looking forward to his home race: "It puts a smile on my face every time I think about going to my home Grand Prix leading the Championship! I’ve raced at Silverstone from some fairly tough positions in the past but the fans have always been so supportive and I’d love to give them a performance that they can really enjoy this weekend".
Rubens is also looking forward to Silverstone which is one of his favourite circuits: "I absolutely love racing at Silverstone. The track is fantastic as it is one of the few remaining on the calendar that are high-speed, fast-flowing and really allow you to let the car go through the quick corners. It almost feels like a home track and the crowds are always supportive, even if you aren’t British!"

Win a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses!

For your chance to win a pair of cool Wayfarers provided by our team partner Ray-Ban, just register on the website and correctly answer three questions related to the Brawn GP team.
The name of the winner will be selected at random.
Good Luck!

Special British helmet design for Jenson at Silverstone

Jenson will continue his tradition of wearing a specially designed helmet for the British Grand Prix following a design competition on JensonButton.com
After reviewing hundreds of entries, Bernie Zobl’s ‚Push The Button‘ design was chosen by Jenson and will make its track debut during the first practice session on Friday.
Bernie said: "Through an article in one of the Austrian daily newspapers, I read about the opportunity to design a helmet for Jenson. As an enthusiastic F1 fan, I had to grab the chance immediately! The slogan ‚Push the Button‘ was my first brainwave and even though my family laughed about its simplicity, I’ve held on to it. And as you can see, it has been worth it!"
Jenson commented: "For the last few years, it has become something of a tradition for me to have a special British themed helmet. What I loved about Bernie’s design was its unique take on the Union Jack flag and how he had incorporated it into my own ‚Button‘ logo. The helmet looks great and I can’t wait to wear it at Silverstone this weekend."

Brawn GP showcar visits Henri Lloyd stores

To celebrate the launch of the full Brawn GP Merchandise Collection launch, a replica Brawn GP Formula One car will be on display at the Henri Lloyd stores in Liverpool and Manchester on 19 and 20 June respectively.
The Brawn GP Merchandise Collection is available to buy from the Brawn GP website, the Henri Lloyd stores in Manchester, Liverpool & Carnaby Street, London and at three dedicated Merchandise Stands during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Show Car Dates & Locations
19 June – Henri Lloyd Store, Liverpool One, Paradise St, Liverpool
20 June – Henri Lloyd Store, St Ann’s Square, Manchester

Visit the Brawn GP website

Jenson Dominates Turkish Grand Prix

After taking the lead on the first lap, Jenson dominated the Turkish Grand Prix and drove a superb race to bring his Brawn-Mercedes car home for his sixth victory of the 2009 Formula One season.
"I wish I could have had the whole team up there on the podium with me today" Jenson said. "This was definitely a victory for us all, everyone at the track, in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth. Today we really showed what this car and engine can do and to beat our closest competitors fair and square is a great feeling. This is the first time that the car has been absolutely perfect for me and it means so much to the team to see just how good this car is."
Rubens had a more eventful race with the damage caused to his gearbox by clutch problems at the start leading to the team’s first retirement of the season. Rubens commented, "It’s difficult to have a day like this when you could see the pace of the car was fantastic but we will bounce back. Silverstone is one of my favourite circuits so I’ll stay positive and look ahead to the British Grand Prix in two weeks time."
Ross Brawn confessed that he was beginning to run out of superlatives to describe the team’s start to the season. "Once again, the team here at the track, in Brackley and our close partners at Mercedes-Benz worked extremely hard this weekend to improve the car. My sincere thanks to them all for their commitment and enthusiasm. We can now look ahead to Silverstone, just eight miles from our factory in Brackley, and take great pride to be leading the Constructors‘ and Drivers‘ Championships going into our home race."

Launch of New Technical Feature

Fans of Brawn GP will soon be able to learn more about the technical side of the team’s factory with our new Technical Analysis feature. Guided by our employees, the feature will focus on a different area of the factory each month so that you can learn more about how a Formula One operation works and how our cars are developed and produced.
Our first Technical Analysis takes you behind the scenes of the Cutting Room where the carbon fibre which makes up 80% of a Formula One car begins its manufacturing journey.
To read the first feature, please visit the website on Friday.

Thanks For Your Contributions

Entries for our first Monthly Competition and Q&A feature have now closed! We would like to thank all our fans for their participation.
Brawn GP would like to congratulate David Kiss, from Hungary, our first competition winner! David correctly answered the three questions and was then selected at random to win Rubens Barrichello miniature helmet.
Please come back on Monday for the beginning of our second competition!
The answers to our first questions will be online from Monday 15 June.

Visit the Brawn GP website

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button used a two stop, hard – hard – soft tyre strategy to win a fast paced Turkish Grand Prix in hot and sunny conditions at the Istanbul Park circuit.
Button finished 6.7 seconds ahead of Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber, who used the same strategy. The final podium position went to Webber’s team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who was the only driver to use a three stop strategy, using the soft tyre for only his final stint.
Bridgestone’s hard tyre proved to be the superior race tyre here, with good consistency. Button set the race’s fastest lap, a 1min 27.579secs, using the hard tyre on lap 40. There was some front tyre graining seen on the soft tyre, however this did not cause any particular issues. Most drivers used a two stop strategy, however Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) and Sebastien Bourdais (Scuderia Toro Rosso) completed the race distance on a one stop strategy.
Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today was an interesting race in very hot conditions. Congratulations to the Brawn team and Jenson Button who were a very good combination today. I am happy to say we did not have any tyre problems at this very severe circuit, even in the notorious Turn Eight. We continued to see graining on the soft tyre, but this was much less than yesterday so lap times remained reasonably quick. Tyre strategy considerations were quite straight forward as the lap time difference between the two compounds at this circuit was not so big, but the hard was more durable. We did see one stop strategies today, illustrating that even the soft tyre was capable of doing a long stint.”

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Bridgestone’s soft tyre provided the grip for Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel to qualify on his second pole position of the season for tomorrow’s Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park.
Vettel set a time of 1min 28.316secs, a tenth faster than Brawn GP Formula 1 Team driver Jenson Button, who also used the soft Bridgestone. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP Formula 1 Team) went third fastest, using the hard compound.
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Felipe Massa used the hard tyre to go fastest in the morning practice session with a time of 1min 27.983secs. Illustrating the close performance today, a second covered the top 16 cars in the Q1 session and half a second covered the top ten in Q2.
Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“Today we saw a very close and exciting qualifying session. Deciding which compound to use and getting the correct set-up was the biggest task. The track condition was improved from yesterday and it was hotter and there was less wind. This meant that several factors had changed, so competitors faced a big challenge. The soft Bridgestone proved faster than the hard compound, but the difference was only slight. The soft tyre still shows more graining than the hard and this was a factor today.”

What are the tyre strategy considerations for tomorrow’s race?
“Management of the soft Bridgestone will be the primary consideration for many. The hard compound looks to deliver good consistent performance and the lap time difference between it and the softer tyre is not as much as we have seen for most of the races so far this year. So far our data regarding Turn Eight has not highlighted any problems, however tomorrow will see race stints with heavier fuel loads so we remain vigilant.”
Stats of the Day

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

After achieving pole position on Saturday, Jenson led the race from the front to secure his fifth win of the 2009 Formula One season with team-mate Rubens Barrichello taking second place for the team’s third one-two finish of the year.
Rubens made an excellent start from third on the grid to take second place from Kimi Raikkonen before the first corner. "I had a really good start on the option tyre and was able to get ahead of Kimi before the first corner which put me in a great position to challenge Jenson" said Rubens.
Both starting on the softer option tyre, Jenson and Rubens drove composed two-stop strategies, using the prime tyre for their second and third stints. "Rubens had a great start to get ahead of Raikkonen and was showing excellent pace before his first set of rear tyres began to grain heavily as a result of following Jenson so closely" confirmed Ross Brawn regarding the first stint of the race.
Rubens put up a strong fight to hold off the Ferrari of Raikkonen and maintain his second position whilst Jenson took the chequered flag at the end of the 78-lap race for his first victory around the streets of Monte Carlo, a dream come true for the British driver. "Wow! Winning the Monaco Grand Prix is something that you dream about as a child and as a racing driver and the reality of taking that victory just feels awesome. With Rubens taking a superb second place, a one-two finish for the Brawn-Mercedes team in Monaco is fantastic. The race felt like it went on forever and you feel that the barriers are getting closer and closer as the end of the race approaches. But for the last couple of laps, I was able to relax and really enjoy the moment. It’s been an unbelievable day, capped with my impromptu sprint down the pit straight to the podium. I can tell you it’s a very long way but it was amazing to get such a fantastic reception from the crowd and I hope the fans enjoyed what was a great race for the team. The car felt good today but we didn’t have the best of starts to the weekend so it makes this victory even more of an achievement. For the team, for Mercedes-Benz and for my family who were here in Monaco watching the race this weekend, today has to be the high-point of what has been an exceptional season."
After six rounds of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, Brawn GP leads the Constructors‘ Championship with 86 points with Jenson leading the Drivers‘ Championship with 51 points and Rubens in second place with 35 points.
"Fantastic drives from Jenson and Rubens, outstanding pit stops from the team and the performance of our Mercedes-Benz engine secured an amazing one-two victory for Brawn GP here in Monaco" declared Ross Brawn. "The Monaco Grand Prix is an incredibly special race and to win here means so much to everyone here at the track, at the factory in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth. Special congratulations to Mercedes-Benz for supplying an engine that has now won three Grands Prix, a modern day record in Formula One."

Brawn GP launch Fans Q&A!

Do you have a burning question that you would like to ask Ross Brawn? Do you want to know more about a specific area of the Brawn GP factory? Then log onto the Brawn GP website!
Every month, the Brawn GP team will answer 10 questions received through the team’s website from registered fans. Your questions can be addressed directly to our drivers Jenson and Rubens or to a specific member of the team or just to the team in general.
The new feature goes live today with the first answers to be online on Monday 15 June.

Brawn GP set to launch brand new competition!

Brawn GP is pleased to announce that every month, we will be offering one lucky fan the chance to win an exclusive team prize.
To enter, you just need to register on the website and correctly answer three questions related to the Brawn GP team. The name of the winner will be selected at random.
For the very first competition, starting Thursday, 28th of May, the prize will be an exclusive Rubens Barrichello miniature helmet signed by Rubens himself.
To find out more and enter the competition, please log into the website on Thursday.
Good luck!

Visit the Brawn GP website

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button used a two stop, super soft – soft – soft tyre strategy to win a fast paced and tactical Monaco Grand Prix in hot and sunny conditions on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Button finished 7.6 seconds ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who used the same tyre strategy. The final podium position went to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Kimi Raikkonen who used a soft – soft – super soft tyre strategy for third. His team-mate Felipe Massa used the same strategy to finish fourth, showing a return to form for the reigning constructors’ champions. Massa used the soft tyre to set the race’s fastest lap, a 1min 15.154secs, on lap 50.
Tyre strategy was particularly relevant in Monaco, with the track surface evolving significantly over the course of the race making it even more difficult than usual to predict the best strategy.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Jenson Button and the Brawn GP Team for their fifth win of the season. Winning in Monaco is a special honour as here is the ultimate test of driving skill and one of the biggest tests of our Bridgestone tyres. It is a privilege to be here and see the Bridgestone brand broadcast on televisions around the world from this fabulous location.”
Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today was very interesting in terms of tyre strategy. Those who started on the super soft
Bridgestone experienced a bigger tyre performance drop off than those who used it for their final stint. The reason for this is track improvement, as the circuit surface was far more forgiving to the tyres near the end of the race. The level of track improvement could be seen by the race’s fastest lap being almost as fast as pole position. Jenson drove very well to get strong performance from the super soft in his first stint, and that helped him for his win. Four cars showed that a one stop strategy was a viable option here. There were many interesting strategies throughout the field today.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.6 – Monaco Grand Prix
In 2009, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly
distinguishable from each other. At the Monaco Grand Prix, the super soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyre was also marked with a green line in a groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Bridgestone’s super soft tyre provided the grip for Brawn GP Formula 1 Team driver Jenson Button to qualify on his fourth pole position of the season for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Button set a time of 1min 14.902secs, just over two hundredths faster than Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Kimi Raikkonen. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP Formula 1 Team) went third fastest. ING Renault F1 Team driver Fernando Alonso used the super soft tyre to go fastest in the morning practice session with a time of 1min 15.164secs. The difference in lap time between the fastest and slowest driver in this session was a mere 1.7 seconds.
Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“Today we saw Jenson Button use Bridgestone’s super soft tyre for pole position here in Monaco, and as we all know, overtaking is very difficult here so pole is very beneficial. Lap times here were very close. The nature of the circuit means that the balance between mechanical grip and aerodynamic grip is more towards mechanical grip, and the close times show that all the teams can get good results from our tyres. It was also a good day for Ferrari with their first front row qualification of the season.”

What are the tyre strategy considerations for tomorrow’s race?
“The crucial question is whether the super soft tyre is durable enough to allow a one stop strategy. Our data shows that this should be possible, however a lot depends on track condition and the amount of rear tyre transverse graining. The track has changed from Thursday’s running but super soft is still around 0.4 seconds faster than the soft Bridgestone. Track temperatures were higher today, but heat degradation is not really a problem here as the track surface is smooth, so not too severe for tyres.”
Stats of the Day

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Brawn GP ready to face the technical challenges of the Monaco Grand Prix

Round six of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship, the Monaco Grand Prix is widely considered to be the most prestigious motorsport race in the world. A fantastic spectacle for the fans, the Monaco weekend features a combination of excitement and caution for the teams.
Ross Brawn, Team Principal at Brawn GP commented, "Monaco is a unique and unpredictable venue and you have to take a very controlled approach to the race weekend. The pit lane and paddock is an intense environment to work in due to the location at the heart of the city and it is therefore more stressful than any other race on the calendar. However we love that level of extra challenge and it is what makes Formula One and Monaco so special."
Leading the Drivers‘ World Championship by 14 points, Jenson Button is looking forward to his first of two home races of the season ahead of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next month. Jenson said, "To go to Monaco with the lead in both the Drivers‘ and Constructors‘ Championships is fantastic but we saw in Barcelona that the performance margins at the front are extremely close. My usual driving style is very smooth but I will have to change that a little bit to get the best out of the car here. You have to be aggressive around Monaco and not let the barriers intimidate you whilst obviously paying them due respect. Every time you take to the track, it’s a non-stop challenge which requires you to maintain absolute focus, concentration and precision".
Rubens Barrichello will start his 17th Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. Rubens said, "Monaco is always one of my favorite races on the calendar. Experience counts around here and it’s going to be a fascinating weekend with the competition so close at the front of the field. Qualifying is one of the biggest challenges of the year here and it is so important to get it right to give yourself the best chance in the race. You can really feel the speed of the car when the barriers are so close but Monaco is actually one of the lowest speed circuits that we race on."

Brawn GP and Henri Lloyd set to launch new collection for Silverstone

Brawn GP and Henri Lloyd are delighted to announce that a new range of merchandise is now available to pre-order through the team website. The full range will feature 14 new items in addition to those already available.
"We are delighted to be launching the 2009 Brawn GP merchandise range", commented Graham Allen, Commercial Director at Henri Lloyd. "Since we began our collaboration with Brawn GP in March, the success of our pre-collection has exceeded our expectations and the response from the team’s fans has been fantastic."
The 2009 collection reflects the values of both Brawn GP and Henri Lloyd. "The products will have a real resonance with Brawn GP fans as we aimed to capture the spirit and essence of the team both graphically and technically. The quality of the products reflects the standards that the team demands. Brawn GP brings a fresh approach to Formula One and the new collection continues to illustrate their passion for racing."
The new collection will also be available to purchase at the British Grand Prix.
To thank you for your support, Brawn GP and Henri Lloyd are delighted to offer an exclusive 10% discount on your next order to our registered fans.
Please go onto the Brawn GP website and click on the merchandise link on our homepage. You can then place an order in the normal way. At checkout please enter the following code to process your discount: BRAWN VIP1. The code is valid until 26 May 2009.

Keeping fit with Jenson Button

To introduce the new Features section for our registered members, Jenson’s physiotherapist Mike Collier has given an exclusive insight into Jenson’s fitness programme.
Formula One drivers have to maintain their impressive levels of fitness during the close season as much as when they are racing. But why is fitness so important for an F1 driver? Mike explains how demanding it is to drive a Formula One car and the challenges that a driver faces during every race.
"A modern F1 car can accelerate from 0 to 160 kph and back to 0 in less than five seconds. The mechanical and aerodynamic grip is such that drivers will experience lateral loads of up to 6G. Drivers will also endure temperatures inside the cockpit averaging 50 degrees centigrade and will lose two to three litres of water through sweat during the course of a race"

www.brawngp.com

2009 Spanish Grand Prix Sunday

The ING Renault F1 Team scored four points today as Fernando Alonso finished fifth in the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona. Teammate Nelson Piquet finished in 12th place.

Fernando Alonso, R2904, P5
First stint: 17 laps, soft tyres
Second stint: 25 laps, soft tyres
Third stint: 24 laps, hard tyres

Fernando: “It was a great race for us. We were not too optimistic before the start and our simulations suggested we would finish in 9th or 10th place. But I had a good start and I was up to 6th after the first corner. The car worked really well during the race and then I was able to overtake Massa on the final lap. It was also an interesting race for the fans.”

Nelson Piquet, R2901, P12
First stint: 20 laps, soft tyres
Second stint: 25 laps, soft tyres
Third stint: 21 laps, hard tyres

Nelson: “I was lucky not to get caught in the accident at the start of the race. The performance of the car was disappointing and the balance wasn’t good. I don’t have a fully updated car yet so I hope that we can make some improvements for the next race.”

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
“Today’s result and our pace in the race showed the potential and the improvements made to the car as Fernando’s times were very close to those of the front runners. Now we must work hard and keep improving in order to secure strong points for both cars in the races to come.”

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
“Barcelona is not renowned for producing exciting racing, but that certainly wasn’t true today. It was a fight all the way through to end and a great result from Fernando. Nelson was extremely lucky not to have been taken out in the first corner accident, which seemed to have happened all around him. From then on the car didn’t have the pace we expected and we feel that there is probably unseen damage to it.”

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“Overall it was a weekend that brought us more than we expected. We came here with hopes of taking a step forward, but unfortunately everybody brought lots of developments and the order of the teams remained pretty much the same. But thanks to the work that we have done throughout the weekend, we’ve come away with a great result. Fernando was pushing flat out for the whole race and fifth place is a nice reward. This result puts us in a good frame of mind for the upcoming races, but we will continue working hard.”

www.ing-renaultf1.com

Wetter: trocken und sonnig, 24°C Luft, 38-43°C Asphalt
Barcelona (ES). Das BMW Sauber F1 Team holte am Sonntag beim Großen Preis von Spanien zwei WM-Punkte für Platz sieben durch Nick Heidfeld. Während Heidfeld beim Start Positionen gutmachte, verlor sein Teamkollege zu diesem frühen Zeitpunkt an Boden und blieb später im Rennen im Verkehr stecken. Er wurde Elfter in Barcelona. Das neue Aerodynamik-Paket des F1.09 hat sich eindeutig als Fortschritt erwiesen.
Nick Heidfeld: 7.
BMW Sauber F1.09-06 / BMW P86/9
Schnellste Runde: 1.23,878 min in Rd. 29 (zehntschnellste insgesamt)
„Es war ein hartes Rennen, aber ich denke, eines von meinen besseren. Ich hatte mir Punkte zum Geburtstag gewünscht, aber ehrlich gesagt nicht so wirklich daran geglaubt, weil ich ja nur als 13. gestartet bin. Der Start war die entscheidende Situation, da habe ich vier Plätze gutgemacht. In der ersten Kurve habe ich einen Schlag von hinten bekommen, aber mein Auto war zum Glück nicht beschädigt. Es war nicht leicht, meine Position gegen Kimi (Räikkönen) zu verteidigen, und der Kampf hat mich langsam gemacht, deshalb habe ich den Anschluss nach vorn verloren. Unsere Boxenmannschaft hat fantastisch gearbeitet und mich beim zweiten Stopp noch an Nico (Rosberg) vorbeigebracht. Es ist ein klasse Ergebnis für uns, und das Tempo im Rennen hat bewiesen, dass das neue Aero-Paket ein klarer Fortschritt ist. Das sind gute Nachrichten für die weitere Saison.“
Robert Kubica: 11.
BMW Sauber F1.09-03 / BMW P86/9
Schnellste Runde: 1.24,078 min in Rd. 26 (elftschnellste insgesamt)
„Am Start habe ich wegen eines Kupplungsproblems gleich mehrere Positionen verloren. Aber das war nur der Anfang eines sehr schwierigen Rennens. Nach der Safety-Car-Phase hatte mein Auto überhaupt keinen Grip. Ich konnte absolut nicht attackieren, der Wagen rutschte nur herum. Bis gestern in Q3 lief alles bestens, die Performance des Autos war sehr gut, aber heute konnte ich definitiv nichts ausrichten. Wir müssen genau analysieren, was los war.”
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Direktor):
„Wir haben uns beim Europa-Auftakt der Formel 1 zurückgemeldet, obwohl die Ausgangsbasis nach der ersten Runde nicht die beste war. Robert wurde beim Start eingeklemmt, verlor gleich fünf Positionen und konnte soeben noch dem frühen Unfall entgehen. Nick konnte hingegen auf der Außenseite deutlich Boden gutmachen. Anschließend hat vor allem unsere Boxenmannschaft hervorragend gearbeitet und Nick bei jedem Stopp an einem Kontrahenten vorbeimanövriert. Zwei Punkte für den siebten Platz sind zwar keine Riesenausbeute, aber sie demonstrieren die gestiegene Performance des Autos nach dem umfangreichen Entwicklungspaket. Darauf können wir aufbauen.“
Willy Rampf (Head of Engineering):
„Die umfangreichen Änderungen am F1.09 haben uns einen Schritt nach vorn gebracht. Nach dem Startunfall ist Nick vom 13. auf den 9. Platz vorgefahren und hat danach im Rennen zwei weitere Positionen gutgemacht. Einen Riesenanteil daran hatte die Boxenmannschaft mit zwei exzellenten Stopps. Robert hingegen wurde beim Start eingeklemmt und fiel aussichtslos zurück. Während des Rennens hat er kaum sein Tempo fahren können, weil er meist im Verkehr steckte. Jetzt geht es darum, die nächsten Entwicklungen möglichst schnell und Ziel führend ans Auto zu bringen.“

www.bmw-sauber-f1.com

Brawn GP driver Jenson Button used a two stop, soft – soft – hard tyre strategy to win a highly tactical Spanish Grand Prix in hot and sunny conditions at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona.
Button finished thirteen seconds ahead of team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who used a three stop, soft – soft – soft – hard tyre strategy. The final podium position went to Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber who used the same strategy as Button for third.
Bridgestone’s soft tyre proved to be the superior race tyre here, giving a faster lap time than the hard, and giving good consistency too.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Jenson Button for his win and Brawn GP for their 1-2. It is satisfying to see an independent team such as Brawn GP perform so well and it is good to watch Jenson showing his talents at the front of the field. Spain is a very important market for Bridgestone, so to start the European season with such a strong race was very rewarding for us. Lap times were very close and we saw good action on track.”
Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today was a very exciting race in terms of tyre strategy. It was clear all weekend that the soft tyre was a superior race tyre to the hard, so the strategy had to maximise time on the soft. We saw a variety of two and three stops take place so it was a race we had to watch closely to see who would win. Congratulations to Jenson, whose two stop strategy worked best to win the race and Rubens for a solid second place. Mark Webber also drove very well. Most drivers found the soft tyre to be very durable as well as quicker than the hard tyre. Some drivers experienced rear tyre degradation which is what we would expect with the current cars, but overall it was a strong tyre performance with no particular issues.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.5 – Spain Grand Prix
In 2009, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Spanish Grand Prix, the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyre was also marked with a green line in a groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Bridgestone’s soft tyre allowed Brawn GP driver Jenson Button to qualify with his third pole position of the season for tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya. Button set a time of 1min 20.527secs, a tenth faster than Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP) went third fastest. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Felipe Massa used the soft tyre to go fastest in the morning practice session with a time of 1min 20.553secs. Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development What was significant about today’s running? “Today we had an exciting qualifying session and we have an interesting grid for tomorrow’s race. Lap times are extremely close here and tyre strategy was crucial in qualifying. The soft compound is around half a second faster than the hard which meant this tyre was used extensively through all the qualifying sessions, although some of the faster competitors used the hard compound for Q1. Many teams have new aerodynamic packages here and we have been able to see how effective these developments have been.” How are the two compounds working here in Spain? “The two compounds are working very much as expected and there have been no surprises for teams. The soft tyre will be the preferred tyre for the race as it is faster but without significant wear or degradation issues. This should make strategy decisions easy for the race tomorrow. However, we have seen forecasts of rain, so everyone will be looking to the skies for the best indicator for the best tyre strategy.”

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com