Saturday: At Brawn, Barrichello takes a serious option on Button

While Sebastian Vettel seems completely out of the running for a victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the drivers’ championship appears likely to be decided in two weeks in Abu Dhabi. Indeed, at Brawn GP, Rubens Barrichello clinches pole position while Jenson Button will start only from 14th position, a poor performance.

A lot can still happen in the race, but if the situation remains unchanged, the Brazilian racing in front of his home crowd would regain 10 points on his teammate, who would only have a four-point lead over Barrichello. The race promises to be exciting.

Rubens Barrichello – 14th and 1st:

I am so happy to have qualified on pole for my home Grand Prix, especially after such a qualifying session. It’s the first time in seventeen years that I’ve gotten out of the car twice during qualifying! I am very proud of what we have achieved. We were lucky in Q2 when we should have put on the intermediates, but it was a superb race in Q3. It’s a great situation to start at the front rather than being in the pack. But the job is only half done, and I keep my feet firmly on the ground. I need to focus on having a good race. It’s great for all the fans at Interlagos who stayed sitting in the rain.

Jenson Button – 3rd and 14th:

« It was a rather crazy qualifying session and it’s obviously very disappointing to have qualified in 14th position. The first session went well and our pace was relatively good on the wet track, so it was encouraging. The track had dried in Q2, which is why we made a few small changes, but the balance of the car changed. I was suffering from understeer on the first laps and did everything I could to set up my car in time, but the pace just wasn’t there. On the third run, the rear tires started going off, leaving me with no grip at the back, and I couldn’t improve my time. It will be a very tough race since I will be right in the middle of the pack, but I will make the most of the many opportunities to move forward. »

Ross Brawn – Team Principal:

« Mixed fortunes on this qualifying Saturday with Rubens securing pole position and Jenson, unfortunately, stuck in Q2. It was chaos with the session delayed by heavy rain. The downpours caused havoc and demanded teams and drivers to remain focused for nearly three hours. We were lucky in Q2 with Rubens scraping through, but Jenson was left at the dock. Jenson’s lack of balance with his wet tires was unexpected as we thought it was possible to advance without using intermediates. In hindsight, it was a bad strategy. He had the option to do an additional lap at the end, but unfortunately, the pace just wasn’t there. Rubens did a fantastic job today to get pole position. The car has performed well all weekend and the potential is great on the eve of the race. »