Brawn GP competed in F1 for just one season during the 2009 Formula One World Championship. The team’s drivers for that season were Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Ross Brawn: A former Benetton and Ferrari employee, Brawn served as the team’s principal and was instrumental in its formation and success.
Jenson Button: Button was one of the team’s two drivers who won the 2009 Drivers’ Championship. He secured six wins and nine podium finishes out of 17 races.
Rubens Barrichello: The second driver for Brawn GP, Barrichello finished third in the 2009 Drivers’ Championship. He secured two wins and a total of six podium finishes with the team.
Brawn GP was established in early 2009 when Ross Brawn led a management buyout of the Honda Racing F1 Team. The move came after Honda announced in December 2008 that it would withdraw from Formula 1 due to the global financial crisis happening at the time.
The origins of Brawn GP’s car began in early 2008 under Honda’s ownership. For the 2009 season, despite their exit, Honda provided a substantial budget of $100 million. Additionally, Mercedes stepped in to supply engines, forming a customer relationship with the team.
Brawn GP made an astonishing debut at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix, their first race. They achieved a front-row lock-out with pole position and second place during qualifying, positions that translated into race results, where they finished first and second. Jenson Button had an exceptional start to the season, winning six of the first seven races. His early success in the season culminated on October 18th at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he clinched the 2009 Drivers’ Championship. Rubens Barrichello also secured two wins and finished third in the Drivers’ Championship, helping Brawn GP secure the 2009 Constructors’ Championship.
The team won eight of the seventeen races in the season. Remarkably, Brawn GP became the first and, to date, the only constructor in F1 history to achieve a 100% championship success rate in its sole year of competition.
On 16 November 2009 it was announced that Mercedes-Benz, in partnership with Aabar Investments, had acquired a 75.1% stake in Brawn GP. Subsequently, the team was rebranded as Mercedes GP for the 2010 season. Following this transition, many of Brawn GP’s former employees continued their careers with the new Mercedes team, maintaining a continuity from the Brawn GP era.
Brawn GP Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 2009 Australian Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 17 |
| Constructors’ Championships | 1 (2009) |
| Drivers’ Championships | 1 (2009) |
| Race victories | 8 |
| Podiums | 15 |
| Points | 172 |
| Pole positions | 5 |
| Fastest laps | 4 |
| Final entry | 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Brawn GP Drivers’ Champions
The following drivers won the Formula One Drivers’ Championship for Brawn GP F1.
| Driver | Nationality | Championship Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jenson Button | British | 2009 |
Brawn GP Championship Results
| Year | Name | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Brawn GP | BGP 001 | Jenson Button Rubens Barrichello | 172 | 1st |
