2009 Season

Team changes

Honda withdrew from Formula One in December 2008 as a result of the automotive industry crisis, leaving their two race drivers and hundreds of staff in uncertainty over the winter. After months of speculation, team principal Ross Brawn led a management buyout of the outfit, and on 5 March 2009 — less than four weeks before the opening race — it was confirmed the team would compete as Brawn GP, powered by Mercedes engines. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello are retained as drivers. Force India also switches to Mercedes power, ending a Ferrari supply arrangement and signing a five-year deal.

Red Bull co-owner Gerhard Berger sells his half-stake in Scuderia Toro Rosso back to Red Bull, citing that the new regulations would “leave no room for improvement for a small team like STR.” Franz Tost takes over as team principal.

Driver changes

The sole off-season driver change is David Coulthard’s retirement from Formula One after 14 seasons. Sebastian Vettel moves from Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing to replace him. Vettel’s Toro Rosso seat is filled by Swiss driver Sébastien Buemi, a Red Bull junior who raced in GP2 in 2008.

Calendar

Seventeen rounds are scheduled, beginning in Australia on 29 March and ending in Abu Dhabi on 1 November. Abu Dhabi makes its debut on the calendar, with a race at the Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island — Formula One’s first day-night event, starting at sunset. The Japanese Grand Prix returns to Suzuka, having been held at Fuji Speedway in 2007 and 2008. Both the Canadian Grand Prix and the French Grand Prix are absent from the calendar: Canada was dropped due to lack of sponsors and contractual problems, while France lost government financial backing.

Regulation changes

Slick tyres return for the first time since they were abolished for the 1998 season. Bridgestone remains the sole tyre supplier; the softer compound is now identified by a green sidewall marking rather than a grooved white band. Wet-weather tyres are renamed: former “wets” become “intermediates” and former “extreme-weather” tyres are now called “wets.”

The aerodynamic rules are radically revised. Front wings are made lower and wider; rear wings become taller and narrower. Barge boards, winglets, and turning vanes are banned, making 2009 cars noticeably cleaner than their predecessors. Adjustable front wing flaps are introduced for the first time — drivers may make up to two adjustments per lap within a range of six degrees — intended to help when following another car. The diffuser is also repositioned higher and further rearward.

Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) are introduced, storing braking energy and releasing it as a power boost of approximately 82 hp for up to six seconds per lap. The systems are not compulsory, and only four teams choose to use them.

In-season testing is banned entirely. Wind tunnel usage is reduced and more data must be shared between teams during race weekends. Each driver is limited to eight race engines for the season; using additional units incurs a ten-place grid penalty. Gearboxes must last four consecutive races; changing one early incurs a five-place penalty. The pit lane speed limit rises from 80 km/h to 100 km/h, and the rule closing the pit lane during a safety car period is abolished.

The FIA initially proposed that the championship would be decided by race wins rather than points, but dropped the idea following strong opposition from teams and drivers. A new 12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1 points scale and a medal system for the podium were also rejected. The existing 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 system remains in place.

Pre-season testing

An initial multi-team test at Circuit de Catalunya in November 2008 gave teams their first taste of the new aerodynamic rules. Two further tests followed: the Bahrain International Circuit from 16–19 February, and Circuit de Catalunya again from 9–12 March. The final Barcelona test was the first in which all ten teams ran their 2009 cars together.

The test was dominated by Brawn GP’s late appearance: Button was fastest on day three by over a second from Felipe Massa, and Barrichello went faster still on day four. McLaren were conspicuously off the pace, often 1.5 seconds from the front, prompting Massa to remark he had never seen them so far behind. BMW Sauber led the overall times at the Barcelona test, with Brawn GP fourth overall but fastest on the final two days.

A major controversy dominated the winter: three teams — Brawn GP, Williams, and Toyota — launched their cars with a “double diffuser” design using the rear crash structure to generate extra downforce. Rival teams protested immediately and requested an FIA ruling before the season opened.