Button seals memorable season at FIA Gala
The FIA Gala in Monaco provided the grand finale for a dramatic season in the FIA Formula One World Championship. The winning trophies were presented to Jenson Button and Ross Brawn for the drivers’ and constructors’ titles respectively, whilst Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barichello took the stage to collect their second and third place trophies.
It was a season of records for all of those on stage. Having won six of the first seven races of the championship, Brawn became the first team to claim the Constructors’ title in its debut season.
Vettel, at age 22, became the youngest Drivers’ Championship runner-up in Formula One history. Rubens Barichello, at age 37, attained his fourth top-three finish in the Formula One Drivers’ Championship, whilst maintaining his position as the most experienced driver in F1 history, having competed in 288 races and counting.
Jenson Button said: “I am honoured to be here in Monaco this evening to collect the Drivers’ Championship trophy and to see my name engraved alongside the famous racing legends of the past. Motor racing has been a part of my life since my father bought my first go-kart at the age of eight and to have achieved my dream of becoming World Champion makes me incredibly proud.
“This has been a fantastic year for myself and Brawn GP. Just 23 days before the start of the season, we didn't even know if we would be at the first race and now I am the World Champion with the team winning the Constructors' Championship. Everyone at the team deserves our success so much.
“I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone at Brawn GP and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines for all of their hard work and commitment and for producing such a great car. It has truly been a fantastic year and I am very proud of the success that we achieved together.”
Brawn Team Principal Ross Brawn said: “This has been an incredible year for Brawn GP. To live the trauma of the winter months and make it to the grid for the first race and then to achieve eight Grand Prix victories and the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in our first year was inconceivable before the season started.
“On behalf of the team, it is a great honour to receive the Constructors’ Championship trophy this evening and I look forward to taking the trophy back to Brackley to share with our team. I would like to thank Jenson and Rubens for the spirit in which they fought for the Drivers’ Championship this year, all of our staff at the factory in Brackley for their hard work and dedication, and Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth for the support that they have given us since the start of the year and the superb engine that they provided.
“Our team has now formed a partnership with Mercedes-Benz for the future through the investment in the team by Daimler AG and Aabar. Our new position as the Mercedes works team will revive the brand's iconic Silver Arrows heritage and we are all looking forward to representing Mercedes-Benz at the pinnacle of global motorsport and the challenge of defending our title next season.”
Sebastian Vettel said: "It is a great honour for me to be here in Monaco at the FIA Gala to receive this award. Of course, as a sportsman, coming second is never your target, but we can be happy with what is nevertheless a great result. For the team, it was a fantastic season – its best ever – and the credit goes to everyone at Red Bull Racing, both at the race track and back in the factory. We are very proud of what we have achieved and it will motivate us to try and do even better next year.”
Rubens Barichello said: “It was a great season for everyone at Brawn GP. We had a really fun year together that will remain in our memories forever and it’s good to be here this evening to see Ross collect the Constructors’ Championship trophy on behalf of the team.
“I’m really pleased to have played my part in securing the title for the team with the two wins in Valencia and Monza and the podium and points finishes in what has been one of my strongest seasons in Formula One. The team were superb all year, producing and developing a car which gave me the opportunity to return to winning ways, and maintaining their belief through the difficult times. We fully deserve our Championship success and it was a real privilege to be part of such a strong team.”
