What a weekend it was! The inaugural race of the 2009 F1 calendar – The Australian GP contributed to a slice of history. Brawn GP did what was never done before. A 1-2 in both the qualifying and the race. While the euphoria has barely settled, the usual podium suspects are scampering around trying to cope with the meteoric rise of an obscure team which came into existence only 2 months back.
F1 powerhouses and bitter rivals Ferrari and McLaren have virtually been caught napping. Although Brawn GP has had a distinct advantage over them purely because they are the former Honda Racing Team who deliberately shifted their focus mid last season on 2009 season than waste their energies on a rather forgettable 2008. Brawn is reaping rewards of this strategic call by Honda last year.
With a blistering pace and veterans like Button and Barrichello at their wheels, Ferrari & McLaren will find it increasingly difficult to counter them. One look at the time sheets and we realize that only Raikkonen could manage to come close to the Brawn drivers. Massa, Hamilton and Kovalainen were more than a second of their pace. While Hamilton managed to salvage some pride for McLaren by coming 3rd, Ferrari had an absolute nightmarish weekend with both their drivers retiring because of reliability issues.
With the Malaysian GP just round the corner, there seems to be no respite for these beleaguered titans. A hot and humid circuit, Sepang with its sweeping corners and long straights is touted to favor the Brawns. With an onus on downforce and tyre wear, this circuit will provide an even bigger challenge to the slower and unreliable Ferraris and McLarens.
Both Domenicali and Whitmarsh have conceded that it will take them considerable time to match the pace of the Brawns. Their cars are a full second off the pace and both Ferrari and McLaren will have more sleepless nights in store.
However, it will call for some temerity to predict at this stage that Brawn will emerge as the champions this year. It is a long road ahead and vanity is at stake. Ferrari and McLaren are bound to bounce back and display their true mettle.
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