Webber Grabs Brazilian GP Finale as Vettel Stumbles

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

Started on March 27th in Australia, the 2011 Formula 1 season's 19-race schedule comes to an end as the 24-car grid assembled to run the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos circuit. With the drivers title and manufacturer title locked up races earlier, the last grand prix event of the season served an importance as a single race to reinforce or to demonstrate where they place against firm Formula 1 competition. The Red Bull Racing team and the recently crowned two-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel had spent an entire proving themselves as a near unbeatable benchmark for the premier open wheel series. In Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying, Vettel and his recognized #1 Red Bull-Renault took pole ahead of teammate Mark Webber.
Though forecast strongly insisted that rain would become a factor for the Brazilian Grand Prix race, all 71 laps proceeded on a dry 4.309-kilometer race track. Taking some complexity out of this event as drivers ready to start running at Interlagos, the all-too-common occurrence of Sebastian Vettel's record 15th pole of the 2011 Formula 1 season resulted in the German driver's Red Bull-Renault losing the field on the start.
Behind Vettel early was teammate Mark Webber and the McLaren-Mercedes runners. The main adversary for Red Bull Racing this season, neither McLaren race car of Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button could keep up to the blue and yellow race machines for this Brazilian Grand Prix. In typical fashion, the Ferrari team cars of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa ran close to the McLaren-Mercedes. Providing some front-running action at Interlagos, Alonso was able to pass then-fourth place Jenson Button for position on the 11th lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Appearing as if it could be another textbook event for the Red Bull-Renault of Sebastian Vettel, the late-race mechanical gremlin came back to bite the lead car. Experiencing shifting problems, the Renault engine could be put in a dangerous position of granading. Leading, Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull Racing team decided to reduce short-shift his way through the rest of the event reducing his race pace. As Vettel fought the battle against a gearbox issue, his Australian teammate Mark Webber rose to the occasion for Red Bull Racing. Similar to the dominating style of the 2011 Formula 1 champion, Webber stormed like lightning around the Interlagos circuit setting one fastest lap after another. Finally on lap 13, the #2 Red Bull-Renault powered by his team car enjoying a rare feat in what had been a 2011 season spent in Vettel's shadow. Mark Webber's mission for returning to the championship-contending performance level of 2010 was clearly on display for the Brazilian crowd.

Gearbox problems were a plaque that captured more than Vettel. Indiscriminately, transmission issues slowed one McLaren F1 driver and a pilot from Lotus Renault GP. Middle way through the Brazilian Grand Prix, winner of the previous Formula 1 race at Abu Dhabi Lewis Hamilton suffered a race-ending mechanical failure in the transmission. Despite the total of three gearbox problems in the event, only Lewis Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes would fail in finishing the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Lotus Renault GP, it was the hometown runner Bruno Senna who was reportedly dealing with minor gearbox hiccups.

While Senna finished the grand prix with the wounded Lotus Renault GP race car, the Brazilian driver's day would be impacted early when he tangled with Mercedes GP driver Michael Schumacher. In defense of 9th position, Bruno Senna made contact with Schumacher's resulting in the Mercedes GP car getting a punctured Pirelli tire. Senna received a drive-through penalty by Formula 1 race stewards for the move. Both Bruno Senna and Michael Schumacher continued the event but would not challenge for points in this final race of 2011. As their teammates collected non-point outings, the Mercedes GP and Lotus Renault GP team vehicles would leave with top-10 results. Nico Rosberg brought his Mercedes GP car home 7th while Vitaly Petrov climbed from 15th to 10th helping Lotus Renault GP secure 5th in the manufacturer points over Force India.

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

Force India team in this final 2011 grand prix in Brazil, the team left accomplishing a feat identical to the major Red Bull Racing and Ferrari teams. Resulting in both team cars collecting points at the end of 71 laps, Adrian Sutil led the Force India squad in 6th place while Paul di Resta followed in a respectable 8th position. Kamui Kobayashi brought the Sauber team 2 final series points with a 9th place result aiding the team's effort to maintain 7th place in the Formula 1 constructor standings for 2011.

Untouched, Mark Webber sailed to the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix win resulting in the Australian's first and only victory for the Formula 1 season. Webber preserves an honour of winning a grand prix in three consecutive Formula 1 race seasons after what was 7 years of perseverance with teams like Minardi, Jaguar and Williams F1. The Brazilian Grand Prix also becomes a significant milestone for Mark Webber as the first locale the Red Bull Racing driver scored multiple wins on the circuit (Webber won the 2009 race at Brazil).

Showing his championship-caliber determination, Sebastian Vettel brought his Red Bull-Renault across the line 16.9 seconds behind teammate Mark Webber. After relinquishing the lead, Vettel's event dealing with the gearbox issue resulted in a brief overshooting of a corner but was otherwise a successful drive keeping the McLaren-Mercedes of Jenson Button almost 11 seconds behind.

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

Winning their 12th of 19 Formula 1 races in 2011, Red Bull Racing ties McLaren in 1984 and the 1996 Williams F1 team for victories in a single season. Despite some dents in the team's armour at mid-season, Red Bull Racing maintains itself as the consistent team to beat heading into 2012.

As cars crossed the start/finish line for the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix, the possible completion of Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello racing career is one of the news items dominating speculation for 2012. Finishing his home grand prix in 14th place for Williams F1, the vacated ride (that will be propelled by Renault power next season) is one of many questions that will dominate the next few months ahead of the March 2012's Australian Grand Prix.

Until that day, Red Bull Racing and Sebastian Vettel, in particularly, drink the champagne of 2011 victories again the strongest force in Formula 1. 

2011 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Race Results

1. 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing
2. 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing
3. 4 Jenson Button McLaren
4. 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
5. 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
6. 14 Adrian Sutil Force India
7. 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
8. 13 15 Paul di Resta Force India
9. 16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber
10. 10 Vitaly Petrov Lotus Renault GP
11. 19 Jaime Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso
12. 18 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso
13. 17 Sergio Perez Sauber
14. 11 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1
15. 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
16. 21 Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus
17. 9 Bruno Senna Lotus Renault GP
18. 20 Jarno Trulli Team Lotus
19. 25 Jérôme D’Ambrosio Marussia Virgin Racing
20. 22 Daniel Ricciardo HRT F1
21. 23 Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT F1
22. 3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren
23. 12 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1
24. 24 Timo Glock Marussia Virgin Racing

F1 Finale in Brazil Nets Record 15th Pole for Vettel

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

The finale Grand Prix in the 19-race Formula 1 championship season of 2011, the Autódromo José Carlos Pace or Interlagos race track hosts a late November event which will decide what teams and drivers head into the off-season with confidence for 2012. At one time an early event on the Formula 1 schedule, the Brazilian Grand Prix was bumped to one of the concluding races on the grand prix circuit in 2004. Presented in a country passionate about auto racing, the races on the Interlagos track have a history for producing a memorable outcomes.

Won by four different drivers since 2007, the Brazilian Grand Prix's defending winner Sebastian Vettel will start from pole position. Time trial magic becoming patented by Vettel, the German driver flew to a record-setting 15th Formula 1 pole for the season at the 4.309 kilometer Autódromo José Carlos Pace track. Taking the lead in the Q2 session, Vettel piloted his Red Bull-Renault to a stunning Q3 lap of 1 minute, 11.918 seconds. Sebastian Vettel became the only driver in the Formula 1 qualifying session at Brazil to run under the 72-second range.

The 15th pole for Sebastian Vettel in his championship-winning 2011 driver title run beats the 1992 mark of 14 poles set by Nigel Mansell. While a nonetheless impressive feat, Vettel was aided by a 2011 Formula 1 season 4 races longer than the 1992 year's run by Mansell driving for Williams F1. Most impressive is the fact the 15 pole positions for Sebastian Vettel combines with the 3 races Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber scored the top starting spot. Losing in qualifying on just one occasion at the Korean Grand Prix, the Red Bull-Renault dominated 2011 Formula 1 time trials 18 of 19 races.

Beating some forecasts calling for rain, the final Formula 1 qualifying session for 2011 saw the 24-car field unleashed under dry conditions. Vettel's triumph in Q3 resulted in a time 0.179 of a second faster than teammate Mark Webber making it the 6th occasion that the Red Bull Racing team will dominate the front row.

While the first row is covered by Red Bull-Renaults, the second row for the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix will feature the main rivals to Sebastian Vettel's otherwise conquering performance this season. McLaren-Mercedes cars in 3rd and 4th feature Jenson Button ahead of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton. The second place team in the manufacturer championship for 2011, rumours have surrounded the McLaren team's future engine supplier with mentions that Honda might want to return to Formula 1 powering the 8-time championship constructor.

The Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg's Mercedes GP car are deposited into the third row of the Interlagos Formula 1 event. Rosberg's teammate Michael Schumacher qualified 10th for the grand prix breaking into the final Q3 session did not record a time trial run.

Pleasing the hometown Brazilian crowd, two popular national sports names will start in the top-10 for the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix race. Ferrari driver Felipe Massa returns to the Interlagos circuit where he popularly won twice in 2006 and 2008. In fact, the 2008 victory at the home track was the last race the Brazilian enjoyed at the top of a Formula 1 podium. Making his second Formula 1 start at Interlagos is Bruno Senna, nephew of two-time track winner and grand prix legend Ayrton Senna. Bruno Senna will start 9th for the Lotus Renault GP team in Sunday's race. Making has 18th Brazilian Grand Prix start, Rubens Barrichello emerged to a 12th place starting position becoming the third and final hometown hero at the final Formula 1 race of the season.

For Sunday's Formula 1 race, weather is expected to throw teams for a curve ball for race setup. Weather predictions have up to a 100 percent chance of rain and thundestorms hovering above the Interlagos circuit during race time. Race organizations such as Mercedes GP have expressed the need to keep their options open as weather conditions will become a challenging variable to teams and race drivers.

With 71 laps around the 4.309-kilometer Interlagos track, the 2011 Formula 1 will close out starting at 2PM local time or 11am Eastern time.


2011 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Starting Lineup

1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing
2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing
4 Jenson Button McLaren
3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren
5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
14 Adrian Sutil Force India
9 Bruno Senna Lotus Renault GP
7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
13 15 Paul di Resta Force India
11 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1
19 Jaime Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso
18 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso
10 Vitaly Petrov Lotus Renault GP
16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber
17 Sergio Perez Sauber
12 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1
21 Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus
20 Jarno Trulli Team Lotus
23 Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT F1
22 Daniel Ricciardo HRT F1
25 Jérôme D’Ambrosio Marussia Virgin Racing
24 Timo Glock Marussia Virgin Racing

Vettel Takes Brazilian Grand Prix; Red Bull Clinches Manufacturer's Title

Photo Credit: Andrew Ferraro/ LAT Photographic

The penultimate round in the 2010 Formula 1 tour, the Brazilian Grand Prix started with four drivers in contention for the season's world driver's championship. Suffering a massive meltdown during the Korean Grand Prix, the Red Bull Racing duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber left without scoring championship points. With Webber parked, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso cleaned up racing to victory on the wet Korean race circuit propelling himself into 1st place with an 11-point advantage.

Contrary to the Korean Grand Prix, the weather for the Brazilian Grand Prix was an absolutely bright, sunny day. However, Saturday qualifying did present a watered-down Autódromo José Carlos Pace track. As the track transitioned, Williams F1's Nico Hulkenberg surprised many by claiming pole ahead of Red Bull Racing and McLaren.  

Hulkenberg's honour was quickly disregarded by the Formula 1 field as the Williams-Cosworth was simply no match for the Red Bull-Renaults off the standing start. With Sebastian Vettel using a superior start to out-drag his fellow German native into the first corner, Mark Webber got by the Williams on the track's third turn. As Nico Hulkenberg continued a gradual drop down the running order to settle within the bottom end of the top-10 for the duration of the event, the Red Bull Racing cars installed themselves into Brazilian Grand Prix's top race positions.

Formula 1 current driver's points championship Fernando Alonso weaved his way into third place but his Ferrari lost touch with the Red Bull-Renaults. By mid-way through the 71-lap grand prix, the gap between 2rd place and 3rd was over 16 seconds. Unable to fight for the front, the McLaren-Mercedes race cars of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button ran competitively but were unsuccessful in preserving the team's chances for the manufacturers championship.      

Unlike the Korean Grand Prix which resulted with a sizable casualty list, the Formula 1 race at Brazil ended with one official retirement. That solitary vehicle not finishing the Brazil Grand Prix was the Force India-Mercedes of Vitantonio Liuzzi that ended the race with a collision into the turn 2 pit road wall at lap 50. As the wreckage of the Force India-Mercedes littered within the narrow off-track area, safety car period was necessary to clean up the turn 2 portion of Autódromo José Carlos Pace circuit.

Under the brief period behind the Mercedes SLS AMG safety car, some teams used this opportunity to take on fresh slick tires. McLaren and the Mercedes GP pitted while the top-3 maintained its composition. As the race was sent back to green on lap 56, the restart had a collection of slower race cars separating the 3 top Formula 1 cars aiding in Vettel's defense of the lead over Mark Webber.

While Liuzzi's crash was the only race-ending collision, their was no shortage of contact on the Brazilian race circuit. Ferrari driver Felipe Massa ended his home country's grand prix in 15th place after no fewer than two incidents of contact with other race cars. The latest incident occurred between Massa and Renault's Vitaly Petrov in turn one as they were fighting for position late in the grand prix. Both drivers continued to finish the race. Other Brazilian drivers including Rubens Barrichello and Bruno Senna were also presented with disappointing results in their home grand prix wanting to impressive the country where their careers were first stoked.

Despite some minor drama regarding fuel mileage concerns on the final laps, the Red Bull-Renaults rolled down the track's front stretch with Sebastian Vettel taking the victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Mark Webber's second place run guaranteed Red Bull Racing their first constructor title in Formula 1 with a 48 point cushion over McLaren heading into the final race at Abu Dhabi.

Playing follow the leader throughout the event, Fernando Alonso settled with 3rd gaving up points to both of his main drivers title opponents. Moving from 11 points behind to a tighter 8 point gap behind Alonso, Webber closes along with teammate Vettel now 15 points away from lead. Finishing 4th in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton barely holds onto F1 World Championship contention but would need an awful amount of trouble to plague the forward three in the points at Abu Dhabi in order to gain the McLaren driver's 2nd F1 title.

Other qualifying on pole, Nico Hulkenberg's race resulted with a respectable 8th place run improving two spots thanks to the pitting during the safety car period.


2010 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Race Results

 

1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
8. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth
9. Robert Kubica Renault F1
10. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari
11. Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
13. Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
15. Felipe Massa Ferrari
16. Vitaly Petrov Renault F1
17. Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber-Ferrari
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
21. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth
22. Christian Klien HRT-Cosworth
23. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth
24. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes

Hulkenberg's Hulking F1 Upset: Williams Driver on Brazil GP Pole

Photo Credit: Glenn Dunbar/ LAT Photographic

The second to last grand prix remaining for the 2010 Formula 1 season, 24 drivers along with teams realize these final races of the year as the final opportunity to score power and glory. Some drivers like Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton the Formula 1 world driver's championship is at stake making every on-track session precious time.

As predicted, rain swept over the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in time for Formula 1 qualifying Saturday. However, a break in the wet weather presented itself during the timed session allowing for tire strategy to figure handsomely into the team's planning for Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying. Fernando Alonso led Q1 with 1 minute, 1.987 seconds while Mark Webber's Red Bull-Renault would top Q2 with 1 minute, 18.516 seconds.

As weather improved into the Q3 session, the option of running the Brazilian circuit on slick tires was actually a viable option. When drivers were chanced on the dry weather tire, lap times plummeted to nearly 4 seconds under the Q2 fastest times. With times under the 1 minute, 16 second range coming from Lewis Hamilton's McLaren-Mercedes, Fernando Alonso's Ferrari as well as the Red Bull-Renault pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, a 2010 Formula 1 rookie beat all of them to start the Brazilian Grand Prix in the top spot.


Piloting his Williams-Cosworth, Nico Hulkenberg rose from 9th place in Q2 to ripple a shockwave through the Formula 1 paddock with his first career pole at a 1 minute, 14.470 second lap time winning the spot by nearly a second over second place Sebastian Vettel. Hulkenberg and the Williams F1 team top qualifying effort marks the first time since the French Grand Prix in 1999 that a Formula 1 pole sitter drives with Cosworth power.  It is also worth remembering that the Brazilian Grand Prix was the site of Cosworth's last glorious victory. In the 2003 race, Jordan F1 team's Giancarlo Fisichetta drove a Ford-badged Cosworth to what was than a remarkable top podium spot.
 
Having owned the top of the speed charts on Friday, the Red Bull Racing pairing settled behind the Williams-Cosworth with Vettel taking 2nd and Mark Webber placing 3rd fastest. The Red Bull-Renaults were separated by little more than 1/10th of a second. One of the first drivers to brave the Brazilian track with slick tires, Lewis Hamilton slotted his McLaren-Mercedes into 4th place ahead of title leader Alonso's Ferrari.
 
Set for Sunday at 11 P.M. Eastern time, we'll see whether the 2009 GP2 champion Hulkenberg will hold off the currently more elite Formula 1 outlets through the Brazilian Grand Prix.
 
 
2010 Formula 1
Brazilian Grand Prix
Qualifying Results

Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth
Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
Fernando Alonso Ferrari
Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
Robert Kubica Renault F1
Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
Felipe Massa Ferrari
Vitaly Petrov Renault F1
Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari
Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber-Ferrari
Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth
Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth
Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth
Christian Klien HRT-Cosworth
Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth

Weekend Racing Weather Forecast: Nov 5th to 7th, 2010

Sao Paulo, Brazil
Brazilian Grand Prix
Autódromo José Carlos Pace
2010 Formula 1

Friday: Projected to be the warmest day for the 2010 Formula 1 race weekend, ambient temperatures will shoot to 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) as a high. Skies are forecasted to be mostly sunny through the morning and afternoon with only a slight probability of showers after 9 P.M..

Saturday: A departure from Friday, all indications appear to indicate the use of wet-weather Bridgestone tires again this Formula 1 race weekend in Brazil. With qualifying set for Saturday, the rain and soaked track will undoubtedly throw a monkey wrench into team preparations. Rain is expected to be partnered with chances of thunderstorms through the daylight hours. Daily high temperature is slated at 22 degrees Celsius (72 degree Fahrenheit).

Sunday: Saturday's rain will roll through for the first few hours of Sunday morning but will clear up well before sunrise. With temperatures reaching 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) as a high, the track should be dry well before the Brazilian Grand Prix sets off in the morning.


Fort Worth, Texas
Texas Motor Speedway
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series/ Nationwide Series/ Sprint Cup Series

Friday: Sunshine will be prominently featured in the skies of the Dallas/Fort Worth area for the big NASCAR race weekend. 17 degree Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) weather will be present during the afternoon featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' qualifying session followed by the NASCAR Nationwide Series' time trials. A major temperature swing to a daily low of 3 degree Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit) will play a part in the Camping World Truck Series' WinStar World Casino 350k race set for 8 P.M. local time.

Saturday: Sunny and a little warmer than Friday, temperatures will reach 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) Saturday afternoon. NASCAR Sprint Cup final practice is set in the late morning while the optimum warm period at Texas will be dominated by the Nationwide Series 300-mile/200 lap O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge.

Sunday: Reaching a projected high of 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit) at Texas Motor Speedway, temperatures showed a steady improvement in the Lonestar state. The AAA Texas 500 is set to roll at 2 P.M. Sunday with plenty of sun overhead.

Button Clinches 2009 F1 Championship at Brazilian Grand Prix

As Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber won the Brazilian Grand Prix for Formula one second last round of 2009, the man of the hour was not even on the podium. Brawn GP's driver Jenson Button rose to the spotlight relished his 5th place finish. Though not so impressive by itself, the points finish was more than enough to lock Englishman's hard-earned Formula one title after a Cinderella-like 2009 grand prix season.

After 10 seasons of competition in the formula one world championship, Jenson Button spent much of that time overcoming the excessive hype from his introduction as a 20 year old driver in the 2000 F1 season. Having just one grand prix victory prior to 2009, Button's career looked less than certain after Honda decided to withdraw from formula one after 2008. As Honda's F1 program was bought by the team principal Ross Brawn, Brawn was confident enough on Button's abilities to retain the now 29 year old racer.

Contending with the essentially new team of Brawn GP at the season opening Australian Grand Prix, Jenson Button promise showed in a brilliant performance which would shape the most interesting underdog efforts in Formula One. Outwitting established teams names of McLaren and Ferrari, the Mercedes-Benz engined Brawn stormed to pole and set himself up for victory in Australia. Giving the Brawn GP car a win in its inaugural outing, Button turned heads which had than been focused on Lewis Hamilton or even Kimi Räikkönen. Winning five of the six races following the 2009 F1 season opener, early year tear propelled the team as the top outfit in motorsports in only months.

However, as the season appeared to become a cakewalk for Button and Brawn GP, other Formula One teams applied themselves to the axiom 'standing still is moving backwards'. While teams stepping up their efforts is not a surprise, amazement came from which the fact that Red Bull Racing was providing the greatest challenge to Brawn GP. 22 year old Sebestian Vettel carried the Red Bull Racing flag for 2009 as he held close to Button in the point standings. Rubens Barrichello, who supported the Brawn GP cause with two wins of his own, was also a leading contender as Button's winning ways faded through the season.

Nonetheless, even though Jenson Button has gone winless since early July, he kept logging points with his Brawn Mercedes-Benz to secure the championship with one race left on the schedule.

Brawn's Barrichello Batters Best in Brazil GP Qualifying

The penultimate round of the 2009 Formula one season, the Brazilian Grand Prix is set to become an important moment where Brawn GP Jenson's Button could lock up the 2009 F1 driver's championship. However, for Saturday afternoon qualifying, it was Brawn GP teammate Rubens Barrichello is taking the headlines so far in Brazil. Starting his home race on the front row Barrichello will be joined by Red Bull Racing's driver Mark Webber.

The thunder of the Formula one cars in qualifying were accompanied by a persistent rain shower over the Interlagos road course. With formula one competitors reverting to their wet weather tires as the first qualifying started, Japanese grand prix victor Sebestian Vettel took top spot in the early minutes of the session. Living the dream of every Italian race car driver, Rome born Giancarlo Fisichella is making the most of his time the F60 Ferrari race car. Fisichella was second in the early stages of the first qualifying until he lost traction and later an opportunity to fend off the faster field during the latter stage of the session. The stopped Ferrari as well as the significant rainfall brought out a red flag. By the end of session #1, both driver's times were eclipsed as other drivers took advantage of slightly better track conditions. Also suffering from a lack of speed in the first round of Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying was 2008 F1 champ Lewis Hamilton and young Red Bull hopeful Sebestian Vettel who's early fastest lap also came up short. Vettel, to start in 15th place on Sunday, holds a slim but mathematically possible challenge against Button.

As session two qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix started, the Force India car of Vitantonio Liuzzi wrecked in spectacular fashion. After catching a large wet patch of standing water along the pit stretch, Luizzi hydroplanned into the inner wall sliding into turn one where he collided with the outer barriers. Vitantonio Liuzzi was unhurt but his Force India racer sustained substantial damage. As track crews cleaned up the wreckage of Liuzzi's accident under a second red flag, the break was extended by 40 minutes as a result of the afternoon rain showers intensifying.

In the third and final 10 minute qualifying session was when Rubens Barrichello streaked through the wet Interlagos circuit the successor in an eventful battle with five other drivers for top speed.

The Brazilian Grand Prix is set to roll at 2pm local time (12-noon Eastern time).

1. Rubens Barrichello- Brawn GP
2. Mark Webber- Red Bull
3. Adrian Sutil- Force India
4. Jarno Trulli- Toyota
5. Kimi Raikkonen- Ferrari
6. Sebastien Buemi- Toro Rosso
7. Nico Rosberg- Williams
8. Robert Kubica- BMW Sauber
9. Kazuki Nakajima- Williams
10. Fernando Alonso- Renault
11. Kamui Kobayashi- Toyota
12. Jaime Alguersuari- Toro Rosso
13. Romain Grosjean- Renault
14. Jenson Button- Brawn GP
15. Sebastian Vettel- Red Bull
16. Heikki Kovalainen- McLaren
17. Lewis Hamilton- McLaren
18. Nick Heidfeld- BMW Sauber
19. Giancarlo Fisichella- Ferrari
20. Vitantonio Liuzzi- Force India (Moved to move due to transmission change)