Jenson Button and Brawn GP Take Bahrain Grand Prix
Jenson Button and Brawn GP proved once again they are the class of the field as long as it isn’t raining by winning the Bahrain Grand Prix. Rubens Barrichello continued to disappoint.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was a return to normal racing for Formula One. Nary a drop of rain was to be seen. With hot temperatures, the true performance of the drivers and cars were revealed once again. As we’ve known since offseason testing, Brawn GP is the runaway leader in that area. The driver’s and constructor’s championships are perilously close to being decided already.
Brawn GP
Jenson Button has risen to the occasion after being doubted much of his career. He has shown poise and put in blistering laps when needed. He has all the marks of a true champion and proves once again that the car is what really matters in Formula One.
In contrast, Rubens Barrichello has proven what has been known for a very long time. He is a solid number 2 driver, but nothing else. His offseason claims that he was better than Michael Schumacher at Ferrari are simply laughable at this point. With the best car in the field, he is once again inconsistent and losing out convincingly to his teammate. It is doubtful we will see Rubens in an F1 car next year.
Toyota
Toyota has progressed to the point where they really should not be pulling cheap stunts. Going with minimal fuel to take the front row in qualifying is just such a stunt. The stunt got them headlines, but their races were done before they started. Your in the big time now boys. Try to act like it.
McLaren
The news was good and bad. Lewis had a nice start, but the pace with which Jenson Button dispatched him was shocking. One thinks Lewis literally watched his world championship drive away. Heikki had another Heikki race, which is to say a terrible one. Why is this driver in Formula One? McLaren doesn’t help him with poor strategy, but has there been a bigger dead weight on a team? One has to wonder how it is this driver keeps his seat.
Ferrari
The good news is the team avoided the dreaded four races and no points scenario. The problems in the team were no clearer than the first corner when Massa and Raikkonen ran into each other. At this point, watching Ferrari is like watching a train wreck McLaren is a disaster, but one you can see recovering. Ferrari is a disaster that appears on the cusp of turning into an utter disgrace. The new diffuser and aero improvements are promised for Spain. They better be good or this prancing horse will have to be shot to put it out of its misery!
BMW
The only reason BMW is not being laughed out of the public is the mess that is Ferrari and McLaren. Bahrain was beyond a disaster. Both cars in collisions. Both cars with little pace. The team that appeared to make so much progress last year had a dubious 1-2 finish: the last two positions on the track. Yikes.
Driver of the Race
It was a boring race to be honest. We’ll give the award to Jenson Button. Clinical. Dominant. Composed. Well, done.
Closing Thoughts
Spain has the next race and it will be a huge one. This is the race where major advancements are going to come online for most cars. Ferrari is the standard in this regard. If no car comes forward to compete with Brawn’s pace in Spain, the season is over. Yes, advancements can be made later in the season, but the points lead for Brawn would be so extreme at that point that a suddenly competitive competitor will have no chance of recovering.
It is somewhat ironic that the FIA set out to create a more competitive racing field, but have literally done the opposite. If Brawn wins in Spain, the season is over. Television ratings will start dropping and so will attendance. Once sense the ego maniac – Bernie and Max – will get what they deserve. The sooner they are out of the sport, the better.
Lemmy