April 2009 Archives

The 38º Celsius heat in Bahrain really took its toll on the drivers, and none more so than Fernando Alonso. 

The Spaniard's water bottle pump broke at the start of the race, leaving him dehydrated. Shortly after the race he fainted while being interviewed by TV crews, and had to be attended to by medics. Keep an eye out for it on YouTube!

Alonso, who finished eighth, pulled off the most audacious move of the day, going around the outside of Jarno Trulli on lap 13. The pair banged wheels but there was no damage.

Jenson Button claimed his third win of the year in Bahrain. He started fourth and was immediately passed by Lewis Hamilton, but he held on tight to the McLaren driver's tail and managed to out-brake him into Turn 1. "That move made the race for me. I think it was the finest first lap of my career," he said afterwards.

With pole man Jarno Trulli embroiled in an epic fight with an aggressive Fernando Alonso, Button found himself in the lead after the pitstops worked themselves out. Sebastian Vettel could have been a threat but was released from the pits behind Jarno Trulli who, on hard compound tyres, was a second per lap off the pace but difficult to pass. By the time Vettel was able to overtake he was 13 seconds behind the race leader.

The greatest challenge Button faced, though, was from traffic. "At one point I lapped Robert Kubica, but he pressed his KERS button and unlapped himself. I'm sorry if my language over the radio was broadcast."

And backmarkers weren't the only pain in the backside for Jenson. "In this heat all the surfaces on the car and in the cockpit get incredibly hot. As I was getting out I burnt my left buttock on an electrical box," said Jenson, and he indicated that Vettel could massage it later.

The Brawns had suffered cooling issues in practice and Jenson was concerned that his car wouldn't make it to the finish. "For us it's very difficult because of the heat. We were a bit worried about the engine," he said. "I am absolutely chuffed to bits with this result because we just didn't have the pace here that we had in the first couple of races. The car feels a bit aged, but we have new bits to go on the car at the next race."

If Brawn can keep with the pace of development, Jenson will be a difficult man to catch.

RESULTS

1. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
2. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull-Renault
3. Jarno Trulli - Toyota
4. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
5. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
6. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari
7. Timo Glock - Toyota
8. Fernando Alonso - Renault
9. Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
10. Nelson Piquet - Renault
11. Mark Webber - Red Bull-Renault
12. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
13. Sebastien Bourdais - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
14. Felipe Massa - Ferrari
15. Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Mercedes
16. Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes
17. Sebastien Buemi - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
18. Robert Kubica - BMW-Sauber
19. Nick Heidfeld - BMW-Sauber

DNF Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Jenson Button - 31 points
2. Rubens Barrichello - 19 points
3. Sebastian Vettel - 18 points
4. Jarno Trulli - 14.5 points
5. Timo Glock - 12 points
6. Mark Webber - 9.5 points
7. Lewis Hamilton - 9 points
8. Fernando Alonso - 5 points
9. Nick Heidfeld, Heikki Kovalainen - 4 points

7. Nico Rosberg - 3.5 points
8. Sebastien Buemi & Kimi Raikkonen - 3 points
9. Sebastien Bourdais - 1 point

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Brawn - 50
2. Red Bull Racing - 27.5
3. Toyota - 26.5
4. McLaren - 13
5. Renault - 5
6. Toro Rosso & BMW-Sauber - 4
7. Williams - 3.5
8. Ferrari - 3

Lewis Hamilton set the pace in today's first session ahead of the BMW pairing of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica. Practice maestro Nico Rosberg was fourth. The Brawns of Button and Barrichello were fifth and seventh respectively. Massa and Raikkonen were eighth and tenth, no doubt relieved to be in the top ten. Red Bull can't have been going for fast times - Webber was ninth and Chinese GP winner Vettel 12^th. Toyota's Glock and Trulli are 15^th and 17^th. I am certain they're sandbagging.

By Middle Eastern standards, Bahrain - which is an archipelago in the Persian Gulf - is a relatively cosmopolitan country and tolerant of western ethics and ideas. Alcohol, for instance, is readily available in hotel bars.

The Bahrain Grand Prix was welcomed in order to put the country on the international business map. And, unlike its neighbours, Bahrain isn't just reliant on its oil wealth, having been the region's financial hub since the 1970s. Many international banks keep their main Middle Eastern offices in the capital, Manama.

While there's plenty of luxurious accommodation in Bahrain, it does come at a price - to the extent that some visitors prefer to stay in Dubai and fly in everyday. Those that do have millions at their disposal elect to stay at the Banyan Tree, a spa resort located a few minutes drive from the track and is considered the most impressive accommodation on the island.

Renault and a lot of the drivers pitch their tents at the Ritz Carlton, where you can have your own villa right on the beach on which Red Bull launched their cars in 2006. 

In the same hotel complex is Trader Vic's where you'll find people in Ferrari shirts sipping equally red drinks. Restaurants in Bahrain are hit-and-miss but for seafood try La Perle at the Novotel Al Dana resort. BMW host a press dinner here every year.

 For nightlife, try the Fashion TV party at the Coral Beach Club or risk the ominously titled Club BJ. On second thoughts...

www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Bahrain/

www.tradervics.com/rest-manama.html

www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-3600-novotel-al-dana-resort-bahrain/restaurant.shtml

Formula One's first Middle East venue mixes desert with oasis, and features some remarkable architecture, most notably a 10-storey VIP tower overlooking the paddock and the first three turns.

Sakhir offers four lengthy straights leading into tight corners - like Sepang and Shanghai before it, these are circuit architect Hermann Tilke's trademarks. This makes brake preservation of paramount importance. The design encourages overtaking, specifically at Turns 1 and 14. The other benefit to Sakhir are the large run-off areas which make this track one of the safest in the world, though it has come under criticism for not punishing drivers who stray from the track.

The sinous left-right-left esse through Turns 5 to 7 are particularly rewarding, and a good exit from the final corner is key, and an opportunity to overtake.

Felipe Massa has made this circuit his own, posting two dominant wins in as many years, though that will be harder to achieve in 2009. Jarno Trulli has also fared well here for Toyota.

To keep sand off the track, the dunes have been coated in adhesive, but this only limits the problem and teams are forced to run heavy-duty air filters to keep damaging particles from their engines. Also a special tarmac has been used to provide extra grip. 

The Bahrain Grand Prix is the only podium not to feature champagne. Instead, drivers spray non-alcoholic rose water. Jenson Button has been on the podium here before, and complained afterwards that he smelled like a woman!

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber hope they can transfer their crushing performance in the showers of Shanghai to the hot and sandy tarmac of Bahrain this weekend, and close the gap to championship leader Jenson Button.

Celebrations on Sunday night in China were curtailed as the Red Bull Racing crew packed up and headed straight to the Middle East. Their ambitions, after that first win, have immediately shifted to the bigger prize - championship glory.

Red Bull's designer, Adrian Newey, has shown that he's still got it, having propelled Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Mika Hakkinen to their world titles. With a blank sheet of paper at the start of the season, he has developed the fastest car not to have a double-decked diffuser. Now that the 'DDD' has been declared legal, the team are re-designing their car around this additional aerodynamic part, and are expecting to unveil their b-spec machine in Monaco. "It's not the easiest task getting it to fit the car," explains Newey. "The unique feature of the Red Bull cars is the pullrod rear suspension, which is a good solution when you don't have a double-diffuser. But getting it to work with the diffuser will be more difficult."

Many would suggest 'if it ain't broke don't fix it', but Newey dismisses that philosophy. "There is no doubt that a double-diffuser does give performance."

The Brawns, of course, all ready have a super-efficient 'DDD'. However Button, who finished third last weekend, struggled to get heat into his tyres as the rain lashed down. He found his wheels "shuddering" and the car aquaplaned so much he "just closed [his] eyes and hoped for the best."

Bahrain is about as dry a race as you're likely to get, and that should suit the Brawns well. In qualifying in China, Vettel may have been the fastest on the day but Button's team mate Rubens Barrichello had six extra laps of fuel on board, which should have given him a 0.6 second disadvantage. In fact, he was only 0.3 seconds slower than Vettel's pole time, indicating the Brawn is still three-tenths faster than the Red Bull.

The characteristics of the Bahrain circuit are rather different to the last two venues we've visited. Unlike Sepang and Shanghai's sweeping curves, Bahrain is more 'point and squirt' with long straights and tight corners. It requires a car with good traction that is stable under braking.

Also, safety cars have appeared in every race so far this year. That's less likely to occur in Bahrain, due to the dry conditions and wide run-off areas. So Bahrain should be the clearest indication thus far of where all the cars stand on performance. It may also, after three sensational rounds, be a little more processional. Nevertheless, the Bahrain International Circuit has a couple of decent passing places, specifically at turns one and 14.

Felipe Massa has dominated at this track in the last couple of years, but with Ferrari yet to deposit any points in its account this season, expectations at Maranello are at an all time low. Not since 1981 have Ferrari had such a poor start to the season.

Keep an eye on Nico Rosberg in the Williams, who has had some strong finishes here in Bahrain and finally has a car capable of winning. He just needs to turn that potential into a result. And Toyota, who tested here pre-season, will also be aiming for a podium.

Rainmeister Sebastian Vettel led his team mate Mark Webber home to take the chequered flag in China and claim Red Bull Racing's first ever victory.

The 21 year-old German had the perfect weekend, starting from pole position and building a commanding lead before his first pitstop. With the poor weather causing deep rivers of water across parts of the track, drivers found it a real challenge to find grip, survive aquaplaning and have any visibility at all due to the spray.

The first eight laps of the race were held under the safety car, which ruined Fernando Alonso's strategy. The Spaniard had started on the front row alongside Vettel, but was forced to pit on Lap 7 and return to the back of the field.

The two Brawn cars swapped places when Rubens Barrichello went wide at one corner, but while both he and Button had more fuel on board they didn't have the pace to capitalize on it before the safety car reappeared, due to Robert Kubica smashing into and over the top of Jarno Trulli.

Vettel's race was threatened when he was hit from behind by Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi, but miraculously the leader's car was undamaged.

Button leapfrogged Webber in the pitstops and the pair had a thrilling battle for second, trading places twice before Webber overtook the championship leader on the outside. Afterwards, the Australian described it as the best move of his career. He went on to take his finest finishing position so far.

McLaren picked up seven championship points, having benefited from Adrian Sutil flying into the barriers at high speed five laps before the end. It had been a commendable drive from the Force India driver, the team yet to score a point in its history.

Ferrari suffered a dreadful race, with Kimi Raikkonen finishing an anonymous 12^th and Felipe Massa grinding to a halt with an electric throttle sensor problem.

This was Vettel's second win, having become the sport's youngest winner at Monza last year driving for Red Bull's sister team, Toro Rosso. He should now be considered a serious title contender.

RACE RESULTS

1. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Racing-Renault
2. Mark Webber - Red Bull Racing-Renault
3. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
4. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
5. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
6. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
7. Timo Glock - Toyota
8. Sebastien Buemi - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
9. Fernando Alonso - Renault
10. Nick Heidfeld - BMW-Sauber
11. Sebastien Bourdais - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
12. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari
13. Robert Kubica - BMW-Sauber
14. Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Mercedes
15. Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
16. Nelson Piquet - Renault

DNF      Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes

DNF      Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota

DNF      Felipe Massa - Ferrari

DNF      Jarno Trulli - Toyota

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Jenson Button - 21 points
2. Rubens Barrichello - 15 points
3. Sebastian Vettel & Timo Glock - 10 points
4. Mark Webber - 9.5 points
5. Jarno Trulli - 8.5 points
6. Lewis Hamilton, Nick Heidfeld, Heikki Kovalainen & Fernando Alonso - 4 points

7. Nico Rosberg - 3.5 points
8. Sebastien Buemi - 3 points
9. Sebastien Bourdais - 1 point

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Brawn - 36
2. Red Bull Racing - 19.5
3. Toyota - 18.5
4. McLaren - 8
5. Renault, Toro Rosso & BMW-Sauber - 4
6. Williams - 3.5

Jenson Button has responded to some cruel comments from Flavio Briatore. The Renault boss is still fuming after his diffuser appeal was denied, and has said having a team like Brawn at the front is damaging to the reputation of F1. He also said Button was a 'patacarro', an Italian phrase meaning Button is as slow as a mile-post by the side of the road.

Jenson says: "Unless he is at the front of F1, I am sure [he thinks] any team [being
there] hurts the credibility of F1. He also needs to remember that he
tried to employ me for this year, so... He is obviously a very angry man after the diffuser issues and he is
obviously very disappointed that they haven't produced a car that is
as competitive as ours."

Asked what the team's reaction had been to Flavio's comments, Jenson said: "Laughing, basically."

Flavio also came in for criticism this weekend from Williams CEO and all-round decent chap Adam Parr. Responding to Flavio's suggestion that Parr had unfairly accused Ferrari and Renault of running illegal cars for the last decade, Parr clarified that there had been a misunderstanding, and said: "[Flavio] is a fantastic, flamboyant character who I think doesn't necessarily always have his thumb on the details, but he is very happy to wave his arms and state his case."

Practice superstar Nico Rosberg topped the charts this morning, with Jarno Trulli second and Lewis Hamilton third. Things do seem to be looking up for the world champion this weekend. His new diffuser is just an interim development, but the team have real pace here in Shanghai. Jenson Button was fourth while team mate Rubens Barrichello was 10^th. Odd to see the Brawn that far back, perhaps he is practicing for a heavy stint. Nelson Piquet was up in fifth position, which was a surprise for recent form, while his team mate Fernando Alonso is yet to show any performance, down in 19^th and only completing six laps. Renault aren't running KERS here, and nor is Ferrari. BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica has also given up on the system for the weekend.

Jarno Trulli has made an impassioned plea to raise money for the victims of this month's earthquake in Abruzzo, Jarno's home region.

The Italian has set up a charity called 'Abruzzo nel Cuore' ('Abruzzo in the Heart') and will wear the logo on the sleeves of his race suit at upcoming races. He's also been busy up and down the pitlane today, encouraging other teams to run stickers on their cars, and for drivers to donate items for auction.

"Nearly 300 people died and we don't have a city or villages anymore; everything has gone," says Jarno.  "More than one hundred thousand people have been left with nothing: no houses, no jobs, families. It must be really hard.

"I want to support the people and to do that I gave up one of my sponsors to give money and raise visibility. I am going to ask GPDA drivers, teams, everyone, to join me. This is not just asking about the money. I am raising money but I want people to donate items.

"At the end of the season [we'll] see how much we have and try to go there and rebuild schools - everything basically has to be rebuilt. For once in my life, I will probably go and knock on everyone's door to raise some money."

While Sebastian Vettel prepares to sign some fireproof underwear, why not show your support by visiting Jarno's new website www.abruzzonelcuore.

Whatever changes McLaren has made to their car this week, it seems to be working. There were smiles in the garage when Lewis Hamilton chalked up the fastest time of First Practice. Heikki Kovalainen finished the session fourth. The Brawns of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello were second and third. Mark Webber's Red Bull squeezed into the top five. Nico Rosberg, who has dominated practice this season, was down in seventh today. Disappointment for Ferrari as Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa could only muster 11^th and 15^th. And things are looking very frustrating for BMW-Sauber. Nick Heidfeld was 16^th fastest and Robert Kubica struggled to do better than 18^th.

With two peerless wins and an FIA ruling on his side, Jenson Button has arrived in Shanghai with his sights set firmly on a hat-trick.

Last year's Chinese Grand Prix was held just six months ago, and since then the running order has been turned on its head: In 2008, Lewis Hamilton stormed to a decisive victory while Jenson Button finished 16^th, and lapped by Hamilton.

Now, in 2009, Button is the title favourite and all Lewis has to show for his season so far is a disqualification, a soggy seventh place in Malaysia and an upcoming court date which could, worst case scenario, see McLaren thrown out of the championship.

This weekend, McLaren are said to be introducing new aerodynamic parts which should help close the gap, but they've been so far behind up to now that their hopes are a modest points finish.

The ruling on Wednesday that the double-decked diffuser used by Button's Brawn, and the also Williams and Toyota cars, is legal sets straight a point of controversy that has been debated for over a month now. The innovative interpretation of the technical rules by these three teams has been found valid by the FIA's independent Court of Appeal, and now you can expect the other teams to be working night and day to finalize their own copies. McLaren and Renault are set to unveil their versions here this weekend, while Ferrari are estimating theirs will debut in Spain, four weeks from now - time which could further erode their hopes of holding onto their constructor's title.

The cars which are closest to the performance of the Brawns are Toyota, Williams and Red Bull Racing, and the latter two are due a strong result. They have yet to convert their 2009 machines' enormous potential into representative results. So far we've seen their performance squandered through accidents or poor strategic decisions during the race.

One element that will definitely mix things up at the Shanghai International Circuit is KERS, as the track features some extremely long straights.

If Ferrari, Renault, McLaren or Nick Heidfeld's BMW-Sauber can qualify reasonably well, expect them to make up places at the start and then be very hard to pass. This could make an impact on the non-KERS cars strategies, choosing a shorter first stint.

Therefore Jenosn and team mate Rubens Barrichello will be hoping for a few of their non-KERS allies to create a buffer on the grid between them and those with a boost button.

A couple of weeks ago Kimi Raikkonen spoke of how the diffuser ruling would affect the outcome of this year's championship. There are still 15 races to go and everything to play for, but Ferrari and McLaren need to do more than copy Brawn, they need to innovate and make fewer mistakes if they're to deny Jenson his surprise title.

Laid out to resemble the Chinese character 'Shang' - meaning 'high' - the Shanghai International Circuit cost approximately US$450 to construct, making it by far the most expensive circuit facility in the world.

It is a signature Hermann Tilke track, with a long back straight heading into a tight hairpin, forcing the drivers to brake from 320kph to 70kph. The first corner complex is among the trickiest in F1 - a demanding 270 degree right handed corner combination which requires an aggressive flat-out entry, braking through the corner which tightens up towards the end. Then there's a sudden change of direction, and the bend unwinds itself. Teams, therefore, lean towards oversteer when setting up their cars.

The corners are then fast or medium speed through to Turn 9 where the cars enter a straight running up to a sequence of corners not dissimilar to Turns 1 to 3, but in reverse.

So far, every year has yielded a different winner, but Lewis Hamilton has always driven well here. He won in 2008 en route to the title, but also lost it here in 2007 when he stayed out on his tyres for too long and slid off the road while in the lead.

Team hospitality suites are glass pagodas, situated around a lagoon. The water features, bridges and spread-out nature of the set-up makes finding your way around difficult, and journalists are forever walking into dead ends just going from, say, Toyota hospitality to the Toyota engineers office - even though you can see it, it's right there!

The vast main grandstand, which dwarfs any other, props up two overhead levels that cross the track, and contain the Paddock Club and media centre. They offer astounding views of the start/finish straight and beyond.

Because the grandstand is so huge, it often looks like it's empty even though there are 50,000 sat in it. Of those 50,000, only a small proportion are likely to have legitimate tickets, as counterfeiting is part of the culture here.

One of the world's most exciting cities, Shanghai presents a potent mix of old and new and an undiminished sense of adventure. The colonial 1930s architecture of the Bund is reminiscent of Liverpool, but the surrounding buildings are in contrast - on one side, ancient Chinese temples, and on the other the illuminated 468-metre-high Oriental Pearl Tower and other modern wonders. Shanghai's Pudong district is as dynamic as cityscapes get, with more than a hint of Blade Runner.

With 20 million inhabitants, Shanghai is the largest city in China, located on the central eastern coast at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

If it's the heat that makes people want to drink in Malaysia, it's the lack of road awareness in China that will drive you to the bottle. Fortunately, there's no shortage of epic bars in Shanghai.

If it's the view you're after, then you can't beat Bar Rouge, which offers striking views of the Oriental Pearl TV tower and is packed with F1 personnel. Sharing the view is M On The Bund, Jenson Button's favourite restaurant. My personal recommendation is TMSK in Xintiandi, with its fusion food and lacquered surroundings.

For civilized drinks, try the members-only Kee Club, if you have a paddock pass. And just down the road is the Pudi Boutique Hotel Fuxing Park, where a standard room includes a full-size bar, jacuzzi and fish tank. That's where I stayed last year, though because the traffic makes me a bag of nerves, I have elected to spend the next few nights at a hotel close to the track called the Blue Palace. Sounds like a knocking shop.

www.bar-rouge-shanghai.com

www.tmsk.com

www.keeclub.com

www.agoda.com/asia/china/shanghai/pudi_boutique_hotel_fuxing_park_shanghai.html

A quick update from me, before I head to Shanghai in a couple of hours. I'm in Bangkok where, I'm sure you know, there has been some civil infighting - not unlike Formula One of course! Up until yesterday I was partying with friends in the beach resort of Cha-Am, where two of my gang were indirectly involved - one guy's father was a leader of the rebel 'red shirts' and another friend's father is a senior government minister whose motorcade was attacked in Pattaya last week. Fortunately, the kids are fairly neutral.

Bangkok was a mess today, but not due to politics. Instead, it's the Thai new year and tradition dictates that everyone throws water on each other and paints their faces with clay. Kids ride round in Tuk Tuks firing Super Soakers at innocent bystanders, like some kind of juvenile drive-by.

Back to the battle of the diffuser - F1's leaders have been gathered in Paris and there's been plenty of mudslinging. Ferrari's lawyer, Nigel Tozzi, accused Ross Brawn of "unbelievable arrogance" at refusing to accept his diffusers illegality. Unfortunately for Ferrari - and Renault, BMW, Red Bull and McLaren - it is they who will have to accept the judgment, because the FIA just announced the Court of Appeal has found them LEGAL.

So, the championship continues and Button still leads. Renault and McLaren are said to be bringing their own trick diffuser to China. Ferrari say there's won't be ready till Spain in two races time.

This is how it goes in F1 - clever teams design something clever, the others try to get it banned and, failing that, copy them.

Speaking of copies, I just traveled in the chavviest taxi east of Chelmsford - check out the Burberry seats.

Plenty more of that to come in Shanghai, I'm sure.

When the red flags came out it was pretty clear we were done for the day, so I sprinted down to the TV compound - I was to be a studio pundit for the host Malaysian broadcaster. Of course when I got there I looked like I'd swum the Channel - my shorts were wringing - and to my horror there was no desk to sit behind and it was a wide shot - meaning eight million households witnessed my pale hairy legs.

Shortly afterwards, I was covered in mud. The post-race Jamiroquai concert was every bit as messy as Glastonbury, and I attempted to keep my shoes clean by walking in a pair of carrier bags. A limited success.

I watched the concert from behind the sound desk with Nelson Piquet's physio and a mate from Ferrari. The band closed with Deeper Underground, and it was a really energetic version. Concerts at races are a great idea, and it sounds like it could become a regular thing now FOM has done a deal with Universal Music. Oh, on that note, I have heard that Aerosmith have been booked for Albert Park next year. Looking forward to it.

I've included a photo of a security guard we found who had fallen asleep in the VIP area while trying to write a text message. A skill I have honed in the wild: if you're holding a beer bottle and think you're going to pass out, stick an index finger in the top to plug it. Works wonders. Not that I passed out with a beer in my hand last night...

Jenson Button has won his second grand prix in succession, in conditions he described as "crazy".

Monsoon rain lashed down on the Sepang circuit, which caused several drivers to spin off the circuit and brought the race to an abrupt finish after just 32 laps of 56. Because less than three quarters of the race was run, only half points were awarded - meaning Button extends his championship lead by five points and eighth place finisher Nico Rosberg heads home with 0.5 points.

It was an incident-packed race even before the weather turned, with some sensational battles and a great start from Rosberg who rocketed from fourth on the grid into the lead at the first corner, while Button struggled with rear grip and slid back to fourth.

The first droplets fell on lap 22, but is was obvious long before that storm clouds were rolling in and that gave teams a strategic conundrum. Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari was fitted with wet tyres on lap 18, a gamble that didn't pay off as the Finn fell back through the field, lapping 20 seconds off the pace. The strength of the weather caught teams out, most opting for full wets even before it really thundered down on lap 31, making safe driving impossible.

Mark Webber and Timo Glock chose intermediate tyres while the rain was light, and this helped them to lap up to 12 seconds quicker than their rivals.

Kimi's woes continued when his KERS system failed for the second time this weekend, this time because it had got wet. So while the other drivers waited on the grid for a message from Charlie Whiting, Kimi put his shorts on and had an ice cream. I'm not making this up.

The downpour was joined by thunder and lightening, and a crack went off so loud it sounded like a bomb. I think it may have hit the pit building because it took out the TV signal for a moment.

It made me wonder - what happens if a car fitted with KERS was struck? Maybe it would be like Back To The Future - at 88mph Kimi Raikkonen is sent to 1955.

Button made four tyre changes as rain levels fluctuated, using two sets of slicks before switching to extreme wets, then to intermediates, and then back to the extremes.

"What a crazy race, it really was," said Button, soaking wet after he and the other drivers sat on the finish line for 30 minutes, waiting to see if the race would restart. "Choosing the tyres was very difficult, because normally here when it rains it pours, but it didn't to start with."

The results were taken from the last flying lap before the safety car came out, handing Nick Heidfeld - who timed his final tyre change perfectly - second place, ahead of Glock.

Button is now in the remarkable position of winning every race this season so far, but each time behind the safety car. 

RACE RESULTS

1. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
2. Nick Heidfeld - BMW-Sauber
3. Timo Glock - Toyota
4. Jarno Trulli - Toyota
5. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
6. Mark Webber - Red Bull Racing-Renault
7. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
8. Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
9. Felipe Massa - Ferrari
10. Sebastien Bourdais - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
11. Fernando Alonso - Renault
12. Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota
13. Nelson Piquet - Renault
14. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari
15. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Racing-Renault
16. Sebastien Buemi - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
17. Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes
18. Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Mercedes

DNF            Robert Kubica - BMW-Sauber

DNF            Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Jenson Button - 15 points
2. Rubens Barrichello - 10 points
3. Jarno Trulli - 8.5 points
4. Timo Glock - 8 points
5. Nick Heidfeld & Fernando Alonso - 4 points

7. Nico Rosberg - 3.5 points
8. Sebastien Buemi - 2 points
9. Mark Webber - 1.5 points
10. Lewis Hamilton & Sebastien Bourdais - 1 point

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Brawn - 25
2. Toyota - 16.5
3. Renault & BMW-Sauber - 4
4. Williams - 3.5
5. Toro Rosso - 3
6. Red Bull Racing - 1.5
7. McLaren - 1

It's 13h00 here and dark clouds are circling. The GP2 Asia Series race, which starts in 30mins, could be carnage! As for F1, if it rains now it's unlikely to do so again later. Which is probably good news for pole man Jenson, who has never driven the Brawn in the wet.

Allowing for the fact that Barrichello moves back five places and Vettel ten, lets see how the grid shapes up. I have cited the weight, in kilos, of each car so we have an idea of fuel load. Those with an asterisk are just he declared weights, unchecked by the FIA.

An F1 car drinks approx 2.75kg of fuel per lap.

We can see that Button is planning to pit a lap later than the four cars behind him. The Englishman should pit on lap 17. He'll be relieved to see Trulli is lighter. Barrichello and Kubica will pit a lap later. A strong quali performance from Alonso, who can race until lap 24 and is therefore probably on a one-stopper. Keep an eye out for Nick Heidfeld who is 10th on the grid and is on a one stop strategy, pitting around lap 28. This is a 56 lap race.

1. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes - 660.0

2. Jarno Trulli - Toyota - 656.5

3. Timo Glock - Toyota - 656.5

4. Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota - 656.0

5. Mark Webber - Red Bull Racing-Renault - 656.0

6. Robert Kubica - BMW-Sauber - 663.0

7. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes - 664.5

8. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari - 662.5

9. Fernando Alonso - Renault - 680.5

10. Nick Heidfeld - BMW-Sauber - 692.0*

11. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Racing-Renault - 647.0

12. Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota - 683.4*

13. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes - 688.0*

14. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes - 688.9*

15. Sebastien Bourdais - Toro Rosso-Ferrari - 670.5*

16. Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 689.5*

17. Nelson Piquet - Renault - 681.9*

18. Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Mercedes - 680.5*

19. Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes - 655.5*

20. Sebastien Buemi - Toro Rosso-Ferrari - 686.5*

Following on from the various statements made by the FIA and McLaren regarding steward-gate, I thought it might be useful to provide a transcript of what Martin Whitmarsh said in the press conference yesterday, about the suspension of sporting director Dave Ryan, Lewis Hamilton's role in misleading the stewards, and the fall out for McLaren.

Martin Whitmarsh: Obviously I have got to comment on what for our team is a very sad day today. We have suspended a long standing Sporting Director, Dave Ryan. I think many people in this room will know Dave and will know of Dave. He has been with the team for 35 years. I have personally known him for 20 years and I think anyone who knows him, knows that he is a very straight forward, dedicated, hard working individual. However, it has become clear from discussions with Dave last night and through into this morning that during the stewards' meeting he was not entirely full and truthful in answers that he gave the stewards and consequently we had no alternative today other than to suspend him. As you can imagine I think it is a very sad day for the team. We have got to deal with this weekend and we have got to look in a bit more detail at all of the events that surrounded that. From my perspective obviously it is a point of deep, deep regret. It is not how I wanted this year in particular to start and it is something for which the team and myself are not only deeply embarrassed but deeply regretful. I think for Dave is has been a shattering day for him.

Q: The impression we are getting from the statement is that Dave Ryan did this on his own. Are you telling us that there was no one else involved in McLaren, senior to him, in this process?

MW: Correct, there was no-one else senior. I think anyone who knows Dave will know that he did not set out with any deliberate intention to mislead the stewards. He went to that stewards meeting with Lewis, I am sure, with the intention of being very clear and straightforward but I think during the course of that meeting, as we explored it more with him, over the last 24 hours it became clear that he was not as full and comprehensive as he could have been.

Q: Could you explain also what Lewis's precise role was because the stewards made it very clear to us that both Dave Ryan and Lewis specifically said that the team had not told them to allow (Jarno) Trulli to go past. So what did Lewis do? Did he follow Ryan?

MW: I think Dave was the senior member of the team there and Dave has to take responsibility for leading that process. I think Lewis is going to talk to the media later and I am sure he will give a full account from his perspective. But this is something that was still unfolding until literally minutes before the first practice session. I had to take an incredibly difficult decision. I have personally known Dave for 20 years. If you go around this paddock and ask any team in any organisation of their experiences of Dave in terms of his dedication and commitment, so he is shattered by what has happened today. We need to take stock of that situation but there were two people in with the stewards but Dave is part of the management, he is the Sporting Director of this team, and as such he had the responsibility to ensure that the stewards received a full and entirely truthful account of what happened.

Q: You say that Dave was not entirely truthful in front of the stewards but what about Lewis, was he truthful in front of the stewards?

MW: No, I think that Lewis was not entirely truthful but we have spoken to Dave, he was the senior member of the team and they went into a situation together and I think they were trying to deal with the situation but they got it wrong. Dave, as the senior member of the team was responsible for what happened and therefore I took that decision this morning.

Q: What is the procedure or the process in terms of deciding what was going to be said? You were on the pit wall and so was Ron Dennis as much as Dave and anyone else. When this process was unfolding and you knew he had to go to the stewards what was done? What happens?

MW: In truth the situation was that during this incident we were asking the stewards, well, we were asking race control, for a decision because we realised that Trulli had been let past. We did not think that was right because in fact the original overtake of Trulli was entirely legitimate as Trulli was not on the circuit. We believed that when all of the facts were presented to the stewards that they would recognise and they would restore the positions, so we asked for the race control and the stewards to look into it and Dave and Lewis went to the stewards to give their account.

Q: But did they talk to you about what should be said?

MW: No. They did not because it was not necessary. We knew what had happened and there was a belief that a true and honest account of that would get the result, that the positions would have been reversed.

Q: So what got lost in translation? Lewis gave this interview or interviews saying 'I was asked' and then said 'no' in the stewards' inquiry. Why, why did that happen?

MW: Well, I think Lewis got out of the car and gave a truthful account of what happened. I believe that whilst they were at the stewards, Dave, who had been party to what had happened in Spa, was highly sensitive and I think in the heat of the moment, his judgment was to not give a true account, and I think Lewis was then led by that.

Q: What is the next step, given that Dave Ryan has been suspended as opposed to sacked or resigned. What does that mean, how will that develop?

MW: What it leaves now is that this is something that happened literally minutes before the first practice session. Dave has been sent home and we need to, during the course of this weekend, understand exactly what happened and make the decisions about Dave's future.

Q: Have you given any consideration to whether you would resign from your role?

MW: I think there's a lot of things going through my mind today and it's happening during an event in which we're trying to do the best job we can. I think, as a team, at the moment, we've lost someone who is very much a significant anchor in this organisation and we've got to make sure that we pull together to do the best job that we can this weekend. I think we've got to reflect on everything that's happened over the course of the Australian weekend, after this race has finished.

Q: So you don't rule that in or out?

MW: I don't rule anything in or out. I think at the moment, what we are keen and earnest to do today is make sure that we put our hands up and say it was a serious error of judgment during that process and that we make sure that we come clean on that fact.

Q: Have you had the chance to see the precise words which were spoken between the stewards and your two team members?

MW: No, I haven't. Ordinarily they aren't minuted and I believe one of the stewards didn't bring his notebook from Australia but we have no access to that. All we can do is ask the driver and the team manager what was said in that meeting.

Q: Where do Lewis and his manager stand with the team at the moment, how are relations between them and you and whether their reaction to what's gone on was the factor in Dave Ryan going and whether it's still a factor in how you're evaluating your next step as well?

MW: No, it's not a factor. Lewis is not only a very committed member of the team, he's a longstanding friend of many of us in the team who have known him since he was a lad. Anthony is similarly well-regarded. They are solid supporters of the team, consider themselves to be part of it. They weren't involved in the sad decision with Dave Ryan, they learned after the event, Lewis didn't know until after P1 this morning. So they had no bearing on it, they weren't involved in it. We have to manage the business, they know and understand that and I would say the relationship - at the moment, it's a very difficult time for the team. We've got to make sure that we come out of it understanding and learning and hopefully with even stronger relationships than we started with.

Q: Did you only learn this morning from Mr Ryan that he was not entirely truthful, because yesterday when you talked to us, it was something completely different, and it was after you read what the stewards sent out as a press release that you saw there was some inconsistency from what you said and what you knew?

MW: I think in these situations people strive to convince themselves that they have been entirely true and honest in all of their answers and of course you can technically answer something and convince yourself that it is truth. Dave was clear that he had not lied and we believed that. As we dealt with the unfolding situation of yesterday, the more that we discussed it, the more that we believed that the answers that were given were not full and honest in the way that we would expect them to be.

It wasn't April 1 - actually it was April 3 - but Scuderia Toro Rosso is famous for its spoofy press releases. In Australia, they released excepts from Sebastien Buemi's diary, saying he'd had all his Toblerone seized at customs - leading one Australian hack, in an official press conference, to ask if this was really true. Obviously everyone thought he was an idiot.

But the Malaysian press have really outdone themselves. The Star and the New Straits Times, both respected national gazettes, have reported STR's latest announcement straight - that they have developed KERS to act as a sophisticated driver cooling aid.

The evident benefits of the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) on display at the Australian Grand Prix last week has brought forward Toro Rosso's introduction of the system on board their cars to this weekend's Petronas Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, and they have had some local assistance in doing so. Reported The New Straits Times.

The KERS system is connected to a special driver suit. At the push of a button (for maximum of six seconds per lap) cold liquid is circulated around his suit reducing his body temperature.

"We are indebted to Professor Hugh Masterby-Jerrkin of the Imperial College, London for his department's assistance in moving this project forward so quickly," said Wayne Kerr, Torro Rosso's KERS project head.

"While the team was racing in Melbourne, we came directly to Kuala Lumpur to evaluate the system in real conditions and for this we were given invaluable help by the Thermal Energy Faculty of the Kuala Lumpur Polytechnic and particularly the head of department, Dr Ku Lin Ng Phaan."

F1 drivers and junior hotshoes got the chance to battle on Sepang's kart track - and were given a couple of journalists to provide mobile chicanes.

Actually, I jest, because now I am accompanied on this epic long-haul adventure by a rather dainty pewter trophy, which is modeled on the ones that will be handed out on the big podium on Sunday.

The main competition in my race consisted of Spanish GP2 racer Javier Villa, Malaysia's Formula BMW maestro Fahmi Ilyas, and fellow scribe Will Buxton of GPWeek.com. I qualified fourth for the three-lap race, but whipped third off Will as we charged through the first corner. And that's how the race played out, with the two professionals proving unstoppable, and Will eating my dust. Bonus!

Earlier in the morning, there was a photo finish between Force India third driver Tonio Liuzzi and, just a nosecone behind, GP2 hotshot Edoardo Mortara. Friends and countrymen, they held hands all the way around on the slowing down lap. Italians, eh?

And Christian Klien, BMW's reserve, dominated his race and left BBC commentator Martin Brundle stuck in the midfield - something rather reminiscent of his F1 career. But perhaps he was hampered. Brundle had borrowed David Coulthard's helmet, and I doubt he could get the chin strap tight enough.

A forward-looking city, Kuala Lumpur spearheaded South East Asia's development in the 1990s and has, as its symbol of economic power, the Petronas Towers - a dazzling twin-tower that was officially the world's tallest building until October 2003. It's accessible to visitors everyday except Monday, between 8.30am and 5pm. Another vantage point is the KL Tower, which provides a 360° view of the city at 421m.

Away from the sheen of the CBD, KL feels more like Bangkok with its community of hawkers (who produce delicious street eats), markets and old Chinese mansions. But the city isn't the clichéd contrast of old and new that you might expect. Rather, it's an ever-evolving jungle of buildings that seem to have sprouted organically from the vegetation and rivers that still snake through the heart of town.

For beautifully preserved colonial architecture, visit Parliament House, the old railway station, the Sultan Abdul Samad buildings and historic Royal Selangor Club, which is by Independence Square.

KL is a shopper's paradise, and Central Market provides many handcrafts, curios and inexpensive restaurants.

A lot of teams stay close to the track at luxury resort hotels. However, those that do stay in the city have a variety of nightlife, and many drivers and VIPs can be found cooling off by the rooftop pool at Skybar or dancing to house music and trance at super club Zouk. Because they rarely have anything to do on race day, the reserve or 'third' drivers always take advantage of Saturday nights. Last year one of the third drivers stumbled into Zouk at 3am, tripped, and fell onto a table of champagne flutes. He was picking shards of glass from his chest the next morning. What excuse he gave his physio we may never know.

www.shangri-la.com/en/property/kualalumpur/traders/dining/restaurant/skybar

www.zoukclub.com.my

Jenson Button has arrived in Kuala Lumpur fully charged after his sensational win in Australia on Sunday, and is looking to do the double under Malaysia's swelteringly hot conditions. In Melbourne, the new Brawn GP team made victory look easy, but the clouds over Kuala Lumpur could hold a few surprises.

Forecasters in Malaysia are predicting heavy rain. Traditionally, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello are quick in these conditions, but the Brawn car has never been tested in the wet.

"The safety cars threw us into the unknown in Australia, and I think we can expect the weather to do the same here," said Button, who led every lap of the last race. "In winter testing we were strong on two different circuits, strong in Melbourne and you would expect us to be strong here. I'd rather it was dry, but it's a good car and hopefully it's good in the wet."

The Sepang circuit should give us a better form guide than Australia, due to the accidents and two safety car periods that shook up the field in Melbourne. Albert Park's dusty roads, with narrow tarmac and straight-forward chicanes, are increasingly at odds with most Hermann Tilke-designed F1 tracks, which provide fast, following, technical corners and have wide straights to aid overtaking.

Sepang is the blueprint for modern circuits. While a driver can stay out of trouble and fluke a lucky podium in Oz - and, indeed, at Monaco - Sepang is a greater test of a car's overall performance.

Therefore we can expect the cream to rise to the top, but few would argue against the Brawns locking down the front row again. The BGP-001 is a beautifully stable and efficient car, and likely to be more capable than its rivals under braking and through off camber curves. The performances of both drivers were hampered last weekend by various events, but they still managed to snatch that historic one-two finish, and insiders claim the team had plenty of performance in the bag.

"It wasn't a perfect weekend in Melbourne," reflected Button, who suffered a five-second delay in the pits, "hopefully we'll have a perfect weekend here. But this is a different circuit and it's difficult to know where the other teams are going to be. Red Bull are quicker than I expected, and you can never discount Ferrari."

Fifty percent of the time, Ferrari have won at this track. With longer and more plentiful straights, expect the cars carrying KERS - Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and Nick Heidfeld's BMW - to close the gap. Heidfeld, in particular, should be quick. But McLaren's rear downforce problems will be even more pronounced here.

Red Bull Racing were right up with the Brawns in Oz, but ultimately failed to score after leaving their bodywork scattered around the track. Williams didn't fulfill their full potential last weekend either, and should perform better in qualifying. However they, like many teams, struggled on the soft tyres. Toyota showed they have astounding speed, with Jarno Trulli fighting his way to third place after starting from the pitlane. The Japanese team should be super quick at Sepang.

If Brawn is uncatchable again this weekend, it will be interesting to see which driver leads. Button and Barrichello are very evenly matched. Down Under, Rubens was quickest in practice and two thirds of qualifying, but Jenson got the job done when it counted. Having been number two to Michael Schumacher for much of his career, Barrichello has no intention of playing wingman this weekend.