1. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes – 1’47.891
2. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault – 1’48.204
3. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota – 1’48.348
4. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault – 1’48.722
5. Fernando Alonso, Renault – 1’49.054
6. Timo Glock, Toyota – 1’49.180
7. Robert Kubica, BMW – 1’49.514
8. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes – 1’49.778
9. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes – 1’48.828*
10. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota – 1’47.013
11. Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes – 1’47.141
12. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari – 1’47.177
13. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – 1’47.369
14. Jarno Trulli, Toyota – 1’47.413
15. Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes – 1’48.231
16. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – 1’48.340
17. Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari – 1’48.350
18. Romain Grosjean, Renault – 1’48.544
19. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes – 1’48.792
20. Nick Heidfeld, BMW – 1’49.307**
*Five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change
**Sent to the back of the grid after discovered to be running underweight in qualifying
Igo
26th September 2009, 16:14
Button 11th. More proof he doesnt deserve to be champion. World Champions don’t end up in the drop zone when there car isnt easily the best. Rubens will hopefully win it
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
26th September 2009, 17:37
Even worse – he’s 12th.
DanThorn
26th September 2009, 16:21
Disappointing way to end a potentially thrilling session…
sato113
26th September 2009, 16:23
typical isn’t it, how everytime Button does badly, so does his nearest rival. he is one lucky guy.
Scribe
26th September 2009, 16:46
uhhh button…
even if he does win this he’ll be a champion in the mold of j.villenerve.
A sort of filler champion.
gabal
26th September 2009, 17:00
Too bad we were cheated of a thrilling shoot-out for the pole because of red flag.
Steph90
26th September 2009, 17:02
Seems so Scribe. Sato I also think everyone else is serious unlucky.
StrFerrari4Ever
26th September 2009, 17:16
Button isn’t championship worthy in my opinion. He constantly moans cant make the most out of the car and always seems to now make mistakes for no apparent reason I for one hope the Red Bull’s can take the maximum this weekend and hall Jenson back. If he is championship material tommorow he has to prove it on the track from where his starting!
manatcna
26th September 2009, 23:42
The driver with most points at the end of the last race is the WDC – That’s how it works
sato113
27th September 2009, 2:06
fair enough.
Patrickl
27th September 2009, 8:16
If he wasn’t championship material he wouldn’t have been so far ahead. If Button is bad, then Barrichello, Vettel and Webber are even worse.
Still, they simply made a mistake to not give Button an extra run on fresh tyres in Q2. They felt that they were fast enough in Q2 to make it through and use those fresh tyres in Q3.
Is there any driver who didn’t get caught out like that this year? Most drivers even got caught out during Q1.
I’d say only vettel hasn’t had this mistake made, but he made plenty mistakes on track to compensate …
Kovy
27th September 2009, 9:06
That’s a boring answer, have an opinion. ;)
Yes, the driver with the most points is a champion, but it doesn’t mean that they are the best driver, or a worthy champion as compared to past champs. Button (nor Barrichello, Webber, or Vettel) are not on the same level as Hamilton, Raikkonen, or Alonso.
rodemarz
27th September 2009, 1:42
Button is choking-not in the Nigel Mansell mold………
Aussie
27th September 2009, 5:46
Love it how the guy defending Button is has a union jack as his avatar.. biased much?
Sorry, have to say it, Button is only good in a good car on a good day, look at the likes of Massa, theres a driver thats World Champion material, or Alonso who is still doing quite well in a not great car I guess we already know he is WC material though!!
Harv's
27th September 2009, 7:45
No offence to massa, or you aussie, but he has only ever won off the front row, and he is kind of like button, as you quoted…
Button is only good in a good car on a good day,
For me massa lacks something, he should have been champion last year because he had alot handed to him, but hamilton did a better job despited all the penalties, and “winning” less races.
but i do agree with you that button is not a worthy champion, i think that he is not because he is not scrapping it out with the best, hamilton, kimi, fernado for half the season, thats why i think his championship will be less credible
Xanathos
27th September 2009, 9:58
Why are people still criticising Massa for only winning from the front row? I still can’t see what’s wrong about that. Hamilton has won most races from the front as well and apparently no one is complaining about Senna, who never won from further back than 5th on the grid…
Massa has also proven multiple times that he can charge through the field and finish in the points after starting last or falling back early in the race.
Harv's
27th September 2009, 7:47
Look at hamiltons time its a second quicker than p4!!
sav01
27th September 2009, 10:32
buttons never been in this position and so if nerves are creeping in that doesn’t make him unworthy and if he finishes the season with the most points he was worthy enough .
manatcna
28th September 2009, 2:07
Love it how the guy defending Button is has a union jack as his avatar.. biased much?
And how exactly was I defending him?
manatcna
28th September 2009, 2:14
By the way, it’s called the union flag