With this information we can compare their performance in 2008 and now 2009:

BrawnGP scored 8 wins and improved on their championship position by 8 places compared to the previous season as Honda.  Along with Red Bull they teams scored over 100 points more than the previous season, this meant that Ferrari and McLaren scored 80 and 102 points less respectively. This point loss for Ferrari along with winning 7 less races and being on the podium 13 less times rounded off their worse season since 1993.  McLaren’s resurgence over the second half of the season meant them only lose one position overall and saw them finish above Ferrari for the first time since 2005.  Toyota are the only team not to have improved their position finishing 5th in both seasons, they won no races but managed to score 3.5 points more in the 2009 season.

In what became BMW’s last season in Formula One, the team scored no wins and 2 podiums compared to the 11 in the previous season and had their worse season since BMW purchased the Sauber team, however they managed to perform something of a resurgance in the later half of the season. Whilst Williams managed to more up a place in the championship they were unable to get any podiums compared to the two the scored in the previous season but managed to improve on their performance in 2009.  Renault’s 8th position in this year championship was their worse since their return to Formula One in 2002.  Force India had their best season in Formula One and scored their first points since the team was known as Spyker in 2007, their first podium since 2005 when the team was Jordan and their best finish after they won in 2003. The final team Toro Rosso finished 10th for the first time since they were purchased, the team last did this in 2005 when they were known as Minardi.

17 Races
988 Laps
25 Drivers
6 Race Winners
643.5 Total Points
11 Different drivers on the Podium
10 Different drivers set Fastest Lap
51 Retirements (Average of 3 per race)

Drivers
Most Poles: Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton (4)
Most Wins: Jenson Button (6)
Most Second Places: Mark Webber (4)
Most Third Places: Kimi Raikkonen (3)
Most Podiums: Jenson Button (9)
Most Fastest Laps: Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel (3)
Most Laps Completed: Rubens Barrichello (977 Laps = 98.9% of the total completed)

Teams
Most Poles: BrawnGP and Red Bull (5)
Most Wins: BrawnGP (8)
Most Second Places: Red Bull (6)
Most Third Places: Red Bull and Ferrari (4)
Most Podiums:  Red Bull (16)
Most Fastest Laps: Reb Bull (6)
Most Laps Completed: BrawnGP (1921 Laps = 97.22% of total completed)

Over the next week I hope to bring more facts and stats about the 2009 Formula One season!

McLaren MP4-20 (2005 car)
I loved this car and it was the final black and white livery before McLaren started using silver in 2006. Shame it was a livery on car that was so unreliable.

Renault R26 (2006 car)
The car that won both titles in 2006 and had a brilliant livery with the blue and yellow which just so happened to match the colours of Fernando Alonso’s home town. Sadly they got rid of it in 2007 and started using orange from their title sponsor ING.

McLaren MP4-22 (2007 car)
The 2007 car used the silver from the 2006 MP4-21 but used a lot more red than the previous car for the teams new title sponsor Vodafone. I just loved seeing this car although that may have had something to do with a certain driver…

Red Bull RB4 (2008 Car)
As seen over at sidepodcast (although not for much longer) the RB4 was Red Bull’s fourth Formula One car as the name suggests. Considering my other favourites have been McLarens and Renaults I’m not entirely sure why I like this one so much, there is just something about Red Bull liveries that I like.

I’m going to leave it there with my own favourite liveries because I do have many more and could go on about them forever, but it is over to you what are your favourite liveries?

• Fernando Alonso is leaving the team he won 2 World Championships with (again) and will be moving to Ferrari for next year.
• The 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen will be driving his last race for Ferrari, where he will be driving next year remains uncertain.
• Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld will be driving for the BMW team for the last time as BMW withdraw from the sport, Kubica is off to Renault for the 2010 season and Heidfeld’s F1 future is unknown.

As of right now these are the known lasts in Formula 1 because of the lack of annoucments regarding drives for next season.Whilst there are those that are rumoured nothing has been confirmed so we can’t be certain of anything. One thing is for sure the 2010 grid will look very different to that of this season.

There could well be a number of drivers who are driving in Formula One for the last time…

Pre 2003

10-6-4-3-2-1

Using the scoring system from prior to 2003 Jenson Button would have won the title in Brazil with a gap of 13 points to Sebastian Vettel with only 10 available in the following race. After the race in Japan, Button had a 14 point lead over nearest challenger Sebastian Vettel with 20 points still up for grabs. The result of the Brazil race meant Vettel had only closed the gap by 1 point and with only 10 points still up for grabs Button world champion.

FOTA Proposed System

12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1

Had the scoring system proposed by FOTA at the start of the season been used this year then Jenson Button would have claimed the championship in Brazil as well. With two races to go and 24 points available Button had a gap of 19 points to both Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello. The result in Brazil meant there was a gap of 18 points between Button had an 18 point lead making him world champion.

Moto GP Scoring System

25-20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

If Formula One had been using the MotoGP Scoring system then again after Brazil Jenson Button would have been crowned Drivers Champion with the gap to his nearest challenger Rubens Barrichello being 35 points. Prior to Brazil Jenson Button would have had a 32 point lead over his team mate Rubens Barrichello, with a maximum of 50 points still available. The result of the race in Brazil gave Button a 35 point lead and with only 25 points still available the 2009 world championship.

So it just goes to show that regardless of the scoring system used for this year’s championship, the result would have been the same and it is really down to the 6 wins from the first 7 races which under any of the systems given Jenson a massive lead. Although we have to take into account that under a different scoring system people would approach a race differently and the above assumes that the season’s results would be the same regardless of the scoring system.

I’m going to use this post to also congratulate the 2009 World Champion Jenson Button because at the end of the day he won more races than anyone else this year and managed to keep himself in the points in all but one race this year.

This photo goes to show that even with some dodgy Santendar trophies there are still some very good looking trophies!

Mercedes-Benz TV commercial

Making of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5MEkf3gmU

Ferrari Vodafone Adverts

Ferrari and Shell

BMW Sauber F1

Fernando Alonso

ING 2007 and 2008

Guardian F1

Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi and Juan Pablo Montoya

Kimi and Michael Schumacher

Lewis Hamilton

Making of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLORITXSwr0

Making of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-jJm576DOo

2009 Season Promotion

1. Australian GP – Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
2. Malayisian GP – Sepang International Circuit
3. San Marino GP – Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola)
4. Spainish GP – Circuit de Catalunya
5. Monaco GP – Circuit de Monaco
6. Canadian GP – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
7. USA GP – (I don’t know any good USA circuits!)
8. Brazil GP – Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos)
9. British GP – Silverstone
10. German GP – Nurburgring
11. Belgium GP – Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
12. Italien GP – Autodromo Nazionale Monza
13. European GP – Alternate around circuits in Europe
14. Singapore GP – Singapore Street Circuit
15. Japanese GP – Suzuka Circuit

I have only listed 15 races, a small calendar but there would be room to add the French, Portuguese and even Abu Dhabi as we are yet to see what the circuit is even like but I would still finish with the Japanese Grand Prix. I’d get rid the Turkish, Chinese and Bahrain Grand Prix, although I would like to see the Turkish race on the calendar considering the low crowds it is one circuit that should go.

Now it is over to you, what do you want to see?

2010 Grid

Empty Seats: 6 (assuming 13 teams)

Moves

Fernando Alonso (Renault -> Ferrari)
Robert Kubica (BMW -> Renault)
Rubens Barrichello (BrawnGP -> Williams)
Timo Glock (Toyota -> Manor)
Jenson Button (BrawnGP -> McLaren)
Nico Rosberg (Williams -> Mercedes GP)
Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota -> Sauber)
Jarno Truli (Toyota -> Lotus)
Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren -> Lotus)

New Drivers

Nicolas Hülkenberg
Bruno Senna
Lucas Di Grassi

Returning Drivers

Michael Schumacher

Notes

[1] Lewis extends McLaren stay until 2012
[2] Webber to partner Vettel again in 2010
[3] Massa extends Ferrari stay until 2010
[4] Ferrari Press Release
[5] Robert Kubica joins the Renault F1 Team in 2010
[6] Campos honoured to give Senna F1 shot
[7] Tost certain rookie pair will blossom
[8] Glock joins Manor for 2010
[9] Vodafone McLaren Mercedes signs Jenson Button
[10] NICO ROSBERG TO DRIVE FOR MERCEDES IN FORMULA ONE
[11] Force India retains Sutil and Liuzzi
[12] Di Grassi to partner Glock at Virgin
[13] Sauber F1 team recruit Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi
[14] Trulli, Kovalainen confirmed at Lotus
[15] Schumacher makes F1 return

Since I’ve watched, in 2003 Schumacher was crowned champion, 2006 saw Alonso win and Schumacher’s engine fail ending Schumacher’s hopes of the championship. However the race that will always stick out is 2005, where the drivers championship had already been decided in the previous race in Brazil, Kimi Raikkonen won from the race from 17th on the grid after passing Fisichella on the last lap of the race. This was a race that a featured two of the greatest overtaking manoeuvres in the history of F1 and left me speechless. The BBC feature the 2005 race as part of their classic F1 series, which can be found here, there are probably more overtakes in this race than there have been all of this season.

Alonso overtakes Schumacer through 130R

Raikkonen overtakes Fisichella on the last lap

In a season where the grid has been so close together despite new regulations, we can only hope that Suzuka 2009 will give us once more an exciting and thrilling race with the possibility that once more a champion could be crowned.