Brawn GP make history as they take one-two in debut race

Mar 29, 2009, 13:58 GMT

Formula One cars drive with the Melbourne skyline in the background during the Australian Formula 1Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia, 29 March 2009. Brawn GP claimed a sensational one-two in their debut Formula One race on 29 March as Jenson Button won the Australian Grand Prix ahead of his team-mate Rubens Barrichello. EPA/PETER STEFFEN

Melbourne - Brawn GP finished a sensational one-two in their debut Grand Prix race on Sunday as Jenson Button won the Australian Grand Prix ahead of his team-mate Rubens Barrichello.

The two drivers finished in the order in which they started the race.

Third place went to Jarno Trulli in a Toyota, who had to start the race from the pit lane after being disqualified during the qualifying on Saturday.

It was the first time since 1977, when South African Jody Scheckter won Walter Wolf Racing's first Grand Prix in Argentina, that a team won it's maiden race.

Barrichello and Trulli benefited from a crash late in the race between Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and BMW's Robert Kubica, who were lying second and third respectively.

With less than three laps remaining, Vettel pulled wide on a corner and as Kubica tried to capitalize from the mistake, the German crashed into him, sending both of them out of the race.

For Button it was the second victory of his career, having previously won the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2006.

Button, who survived a horror pit stop to take the checkered flag, was honest after the race and said that he had made it difficult for the team.

'I really made a mistake in my pit stop. I was just confused with Massa ahead of me. It cost me a few seconds and I made it difficult for the team, but we got there.'

Although the 29-year-old led from start to finish, he said it was not an easy race. 'It always looks easier than it is. When the safety car came out I struggled to get heat in the tyres and the light conditions made it difficult to see.

In contrast to Button, who had the best possible start to streak ahead of the rest of the pack Barrichello, who started alongside him on the grid, made a hash of his start.

The Brazilian crashed into the Red Bull of Mark Webber, who in turn then collided with Heikki Kovalainen in a McLaren-Mercedes. Also involved in the crash was BMW-Sauber's Nick Heidfeld.

Kovalainen had to retire as a result.

The Finn explained that there was nothing he could have done. 'Going into the first corner Webber had a bit of a spin. I touched him with the front left wing and it was race over for me.'

Barrichello said that he was surprised how tough the car was. 'The car is very strong. I was hit from behind, I hit somebody upfront.

'I never thought I could finish on the podium after my start and after being hit I thought the car was done, but I managed to finish. I had a lot of mixed emotions during the race and am very happy to have finished second.'

After a few laps, Button and Vettel were already moving away, while the teams, including Ferrari and McLaren, that had started the race on the super soft tyres had to come into the pits.

The safety car had to come out on the 20th lap after Williams' Kazuki Nakajima crashed into a wall.

This allowed the pack to move together again.

When the safety car pulled off five laps later Brazilian Nelson Piquet in a Renault, who at the time was lying in the points positions, spun off after a break failure and had to retire.

Button and Vettel, meanwhile, continued to dominate upfront, with the Englishman pulling out a five second lead before Vettel pitted on the 45th lap.

Even though Button's team seemed to have messed up their pit stop a lap or two later, the Brawn car was able to come out just ahead with 11 laps to go.

There was more drama to follow as with three laps to go Vettel and Kubica crashed out, resulting in another safety car phase and in effect giving Button the race as cars were no longer permitted to overtake.

Fourth place went to defending champion Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes, who had started in 18th place on the grid.

Hamilton said that they had done the best job they could have. 'If anybody had said to me that I would finish fourth, I would have taken it. I am very happy with the result.'

Fifth place went to Timo Glock, who also had to start from the pit lane, while Fernando Alonso in a Renault took sixth place.

The final points positions belonged to Nico Rosberg in a Williams and Sebastien Buemi in a Toro Rosso.

The next race is the Malaysian Grand Prix on April 3.