Japanese GP: Brawn GP and Button Can Become Champions!

This is a highly important weekend that will begin on Friday with practice sessions for the Brawn GP team and its two drivers, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The English team could become the constructors’ champions if they score major points and if their closest rival, Red Bull Racing, faces a significant setback.

From the driver’s perspective, the battle promises to be just as beautiful because Jenson Button is very well positioned to succeed Lewis Hamilton. But these plans could be thwarted by his teammate or, in the worst case, by Sebastian Vettel. The race promises to be exciting on a track that is being revisited three years after the last GP on this ground. So get your calculators ready during the race to see if Button will be the big winner of the 2009 season!

Jenson Button – Racing Driver:

Suzuka is a fabulous circuit and I have a lot of good memories from past years. It’s a very fast, flowing lap just like Silverstone and Spa. I think this track has been missed by all of us in recent years. The 130R is one of the fastest corners in Formula 1 and you really have to think about how to approach it. I’ve had some good moments in the past! I’ve always felt a strong synergy at Suzuka with the Japanese fans who are so enthusiastic about the sport. I hope not to disappoint them and put on a great show.

Rubens Barrichello – Racing Driver

Suzuka is a track where very beautiful races take place, and we are all very happy to be back for this Japanese Grand Prix. In addition to being a challenging circuit, Suzuka brings back very special memories for me with my victory and pole position in 2003. It’s a difficult circuit because the corners and layout demand flawless precision, consistency, and a good car balance. The 130R is undoubtedly the highlight of the lap. This corner alone represents Suzuka, so demanding and such a challenge for the drivers. Overtaking can be tough and usually occurs at the slowest corner of the track, the Casio Triangle.

Ross Brawn – Team Principal:

Suzuka is a fantastic circuit so we are very happy to be back here this weekend. This place has hosted some great races over the years and with all the hard work recently undertaken to improve the facilities, it should prove to be an even more fantastic circuit after a three-year break. From the Brawn GP perspective, I am very happy with the way the team recovered from the difficult qualifying in Singapore. We came away with valuable points for the championship. We will learn from these experiences and put the lessons into practice with three races remaining in the season. We were pleased with the improvements we made in Singapore and plan to retain the advantages of this package at Suzuka this weekend.