Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
Formula One
VARSHA: Monaco GP - The Final Word
Bob Varsha wonders if maybe we all underestimated Jenson Button after he failed to live up the hype surrounding his debut season back in 2000.
Bob Varsha  |  Posted May 27, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Jenson Button receives the Monaco Grand Prix trophy from HSH Prince Albert (Getty)
Monaco Grand Prix Photo Gallery HERE

A bulletin from the Fantastical Thinking Department at Formula One (news) Management made it official on Monday: all 20 drivers are still mathematically alive for the 2009 world championship.

That fact is, no doubt, a comfort to the nineteen not named Jenson Button following their complete annihilation at the hands of the Brawn GP driver last Sunday in Monaco. However, it won’t be long before names start falling off the list and we commentators start crunching Button’s magic number.

The Brawn GP-Mercedes has now proven it can handle just about any kind of track layout and all four Bridgestone tire compounds, and other than a wet track, where history tells us Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull-Renault are the combination to beat, Button appears to have a fairly smooth road ahead en route to the title. Teammate Rubens Barrichello said he wore out his tires racing too close to Button in the early laps in the principality, or maybe just attempting to stay close to him. Either way, the one and perhaps only weapon that may still be available to Button’s rivals at this point is qualifying ahead of him, and forcing him to play catch-up in hopes of him running the tires off his car.

I must admit I thought Kimi Raikkonen was a threat after watching the 2005 Monaco winner lay down the quickest lap in Q2. But when Kimi’s poor getaway on the dirty side of the road allowed Barrichello into second behind Button, the Finn on the prime tire had no real chance again the Brawns on the softer option. At least the 3-4 Ferrari finish offers hope for the rest of the season, and Kimi himself said this week that he still believes he can win.

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that several teams are talking about throwing in the towel now and starting on next year’s car, in much the same way Brawn, as the Honda team, stopped developing their 2008 device in order to devote the resources to 2009. Assuming, of course, that those teams do in fact plan to be on the grid in 2010. Entries close this Friday, and then the fun really begins.

Be honest, doesn’t all this make you wish series boss Bernie Ecclestone had managed to push through his idea that the championship go to the driver who wins the most races? Just imagine what new territory Mr. E would explore in order to spark some viewer interest in the last, oh, six races of the season when the champion had already been decided. Even Bernie, the guy who thought a half-race in the wet in Malaysia was compelling stuff, would be hard pressed to beat that drum convincingly.

Page 1 of 2
Prev
12
Next
bob_varsha's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Varsha

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.