F1 SEASON OPENER // BRAWN GP FINISHES 1-2 AT MELBOURNE

Just a brief note and a few photos from last nights Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne.

With a strong showing during qualifying and a nearly flawless run from the pole, Brawn GP's Jenson Button was able to capture the first win for the virgin (no pun intended) team. Only the second F1 win for the seasoned driver, Button took full advantage of his controversial 'diffuser car,' running away with an early lead. Teammate Barrichello had trouble early on, loosing part of his front wing, but was able to maintain control and managed to finish just behind Button, making it a 1-2 win for the new Brawn GP team.

Follow the link for complete results, additional photos and a video of the 'Vettel-Kubica' incident...

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COMPLETE RESULTS - 2009 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

1. Jenson Button
2. Rubens Barrichello
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Timo Glock
5. Fernando Alonso
6. Nico Rosberg
7. Sebastien Buemi
8. Sebastien Bourdais
9. Adrian Sutil
10. Nick Heidfeld
11. Giancarlo Fisichella
12. Jarno Trulli*
13. Mark Webber
14. Sebastian Vettel
15. Robert Kubica
16. Kimi Raikkonen
DNF
Felipe Massa
Nelson Piquet Jnr - spun
Kazuki Nakajima - crashed
Heikki Kovalainen - accident damage

*Trulli was penalized for overtaking Hamilton during the final safety car period, which relegates him from third to 12th.



Here is a short video highlighting the late race incident between the BMW of Robert Kubica and the RedBull of Sebastian Vettel. While making a run for the lead, Kubica looked to pass Vettel on the outside of turn three. Vettel reacted and the two bumped wheels, leaving both with severe damage to their front wings. Moments later Kubica lost control and collided with the wall, while Vettel, also suffering collision damage, continued to drive with only three wheels on the ground. Due to the incident, Vettel has been handed a ten place grid drop penalty for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Be sure and stay tuned for additional Formula One coverage in the weeks to come!