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Great preview Murray.
It will be an interesting race, not just the championship titles, but the circuit lends itself to some good results.
If Mclaren & Ferrari get good grid positions in qualifying, then the Kers look like they will have a good advantage off the long start.
Barrichello must be fired up with the 'home crowd' advantage.
Intersting point that you made about Webber "supporting" Vettle. Officially there are no team orders, but as we all know a'nudge & wink' from the team often takes place.
Q. Do you think team orders should be allowed in situations like this? where Webber cannot win the WDC but Vettle can.
Team orders are effectively 'fixing' the race results, but if Red Bull can gain a Championship(drivers) result from it, then surely in this situation it is a must.
Thanks Paul

I have no probs with team orders as long as both drivers are happy with them... Webber is out of the DWC and Vettel needs a miracle to stay in the hunt for it, if Mark is in the position to help his team clinch the DWC by letting Vettel past or playing rear gunner/ spoiler (without driving Jenson off the road) then I have no problems with Red Bull ASKING Mark to play a role for the sake of the team and his team mate.

I think this is going to be a cracking race, and I hope Jenson can clinch it here.

Thanks MW. Can't wait.

Webber will do what helps the team and Vettal, he has to. It seems that there is a good chance of rain in both the qualifying and the race, should make it epic.

C'mon Jenson, you can do it.

#1...Try looking at your coments this way!

Great preview Murray.
It will be an interesting race, not just the championship titles, but the circuit lends itself to some good results.
If Mclaren & Ferrari get good grid positions in qualifying, then the Kers look like they will have a good advantage off the long start.
Vettle must be fired up with the 'home crowd' advantage.(lets say they racing in Germany and it is the penultimate grand prix)
Intersting point that you made about Barrichello "supporting" Button. Officially there are no team orders, but as we all know a'nudge & wink' from the team often takes place.
Q. Do you think team orders should be allowed in situations like this? where Barichello cannot win the WDC but Button can.
Team orders are effectively 'fixing' the race results, but if Red Bull can gain a Championship(drivers) result from it, then surely in this situation it is a must.
Thanks Chuck

By the way Paul...remember Williams dominated F1 in 1992 and Patrese continued to deliver in his role of second driver to Nigel Mansell, moving out of the way for Mansell while leading comfortably at that year's French Grand Prix.

@#4

I ment to say...

...Team orders are effectively 'fixing' the race results, but if BRAWN can gain a Championship(drivers) result from it, then surely in this situation it is a must.
Thanks Chuck

Hi Murray,
The dynamics in this fabulous sport have changed so much that I do believe Webber, the KERS Cars, dare I say the Toyotas and BMW's will play a significant role in drawing the championship to the last race in Abu Dhabi.
Team orders will definitely play a part for Red Bull - Webber has no choice but to be Vettel's wing-man as long as there is hope for the team having a driver's title to their name - the constuctors must surely be a done and dusted deal for Brawn now.
I think Barrichello has nothing to lose - and this track, like Italy, should in theory suit him.
Does Button play the percentages or go guns blazing for an all out win? Can his car/drive give him that chance of winning?
My view is this - if Vettel can have the mindset to not make a mistake and bring the car home, then he's up there with Barrichello for the win in Brazil - with Webber close by...The KERS cars and the Toyotas (BMW's) should mix up the midfield points with Button somewhere amongst them..
All I know is this season has been one of unprecedented unpredictability - so, using the Murray mantra - anything can happen in Formula 1 and it usually does.... can't wait!

Jenson should wrap it up here. Jenson Button said at Monza that he'd be impressed if a non-Kers car won there, and I think the same phrase could be applied here.

Of course Barichello did win in a non-kers car at Monza, I think he will need some luck to repeat it at Interlagos though, where the ideal strategy is less clear cut than Monza. The weather also looks unsettled for the entire weekend, throwing another random element in there.

I hope Rubens wins at home, he deserves 1 in his career, but I also hope Jenson finishes 2nd. So the Brazilian crowd will have seen a home winner lose the title to a brit 2 years running. And if Jenson gets the title in Brazil, it'll be the 5th year running the title has been secured there. That must be a record.

#4
What on earth are you on about chucksavage7
Might be a good idea to air your own opinions instead of criticizing others, that is if you can think for yourself.

We all know team orders have been used in the past, but with the FIA rules recently, it states that team orders are not offically allowed, since the event with Schumacher.


@#5

I ment(meant) to say...
...again another load of tosh

Interlagos is a cracking circuit. I am really looking forward to this year's race, as always.

I do hope, however, that the championship battle will go all the way to Abu Dhabi though, as it will baptise the new track in spectacular fashion.

And I agree with you Murray, that 2008 was one of the finest title-closers ever. Tremendously exciting stuff! And what a sight it will be if Rubens Barrichello FINALLY manages to win at home!

Here's hoping for a Brawn 1-2 with Rubens winning, then Button easing to a pressure-free win in Abu Dhabi.

Vettel wins it, with Barrichello second and Button in seventh.
Then it's ALL to play for in Abu Dhabi.
C'mon Bernie - make it happen in that secret cigar-smelling boardroom of yours...

Great choice of music at the end by the way. Didn't know Murray was a Smiths fan!

Prediction for race.

1.Barrichello (Takes him to 81 points keeping championship alive)
2.Hamilton (He could help Jenson now and could snatch himself 4th in DWC)
3.Vettel (Takes him to 76 points and put of DWC)
4.Raikkonen (Ferrari always do well here)
5.Button (Takes him to 89 points with only 8 pont lead in Abu Dhabi)
6.Alonso (Pops up outta nowhere sometimes)
7.Webber (He is so unlucky)
8.Kovalainen (Could be te last point he will ever score for Mclaren)

So it will go to the last race which i believe Jenson will do enough in to snatch it but its gonna be tight. What a season.

Skipping a race to Abu Dhabi here:
YT now has on board footage of the finished circuit; search "Yas Marina first laps" or something similar.
In my opinion the most interesting feature is the pit exit, don't rate the track at all, and I hope those grandstands are full; the last thing we need is another race overlooked by empty seats (see China, Turkey, Bahrain, even Valencia).

What odds on Lewis Hamilton finally doing well at interlagos? Maybe with no pressure this year he'll do his best not to balls it up :)

Hoping Jenson wins the title of course, he's been solid as a rock this season with 15 points finishes out of 16. Hope Lewis does well too as he's had a great last 6 races. He'll be the number 1 driver again next year as long as McLaren go forwards and not backwards again. Red Bull will be strong, and Ferrari's record is always good, but they've only got one competitive driver.

My predictions for qualifying (can't predict what will happen in a race)

1 Vettel
2 Hamilton
3 Webber
4 Button
5 Raikonnen
6 Barrichello
7 Trullo
8 Sutil
9 Kubica
10 Rosberg

@14 The pit lane exit at YT looks interesting, couldn't see where the exit line for the pit lane limiter is, after the tunnel I assume as an accident in it would be a nightmare. Not so sure about the lap itself, will wait to see it fully kitted out and from other angles than just onboard.

Jenson NEEDS to do it here. He has to believe: There is a great preview on Shortlist's site:

Could the Toro Rosso's (Red Bull's feeder team) complicate matters in the midfield? we'll have to wait and see...

Congratualation to Jenson Button - World Champion!
Everything that you have done, including your drive in Brazil, has proved beyond criticism that you are undoubtedly a worthy winner.
...and to have a ringing endorsement from Mr. Lauda...well, that's pretty special too...

How impressed were you with Jenson's drive? Personally I thought it was stunning.

Which teams do you expect to be in and amongst the battle next season. Thanks for your work all season Murray, it has been second to none. Hope to see your videos carry on even through the out of season break, and if not back befor Australia! Cheers, Adam.

Do you think it will be back to Ferrari and Mclaren battling out for the championship or will Brawn, Red Bull or even a new team keep at the top for 2010

Should Kobayashi have been penalised for his weaving blocks on Jenson and Nakajima which eventually knocked Nakajima out?

Why does one person seem to get the job for designing the new tracks in formula one and why have none of them been able to produce the exciting races we have seen at the older and more established tracks?

Hi Murray,

If you were the McLaren boss who would you sign for your team next year now? I've heard Button's now a possible contender alongside Hamilton, but who would you pick?

And why would Rubens (as reported) want to move to a team like Williams who, let's be honest, are highly unlikely to be getting a win next season (subject to any Brawn-size miracles!) let alone challenging for the championship? Why move from a championship winning car!

And Are Brawn a "one-hit-wonder"? Who do you see being the main contenders for the title next year at this early stage?

Looking forward to a great blog!


Tom

Hi Murray
Been a fan for too many years to mention. Miss your commentary ever since I moved to the US. I am very bothered by Mark Webber's driving. He has taken out several people, in recent races (Kimi in this last one and Lewis in a previous one) I fear that if left unchecked he will kill someone.
Currently the most treacherous chicane in motor-sport is the Webber Chicane. Is there something that can be done about this ?
Best wishes
Peter

Hi Murray,
do you think Lewis and Jenson will give us another Golden Age in F1 for Britain?

Also overtaking-isn't the answer just to run more races at high altitude? With thinner air there must be less 'dirty' air produced, so cars can run closer. It's the only reason I can think of as to why Interlagos (at 800M) produces more overtaking than anywhere else. There are tracks with longer straights and slower, wider corners at the end of them.

Bring back Mexico City!

Hi Murray,

Ross Brawn deserves a special mention for his contribution to Formula 1, especially to his own team this season, so I have a 2-fold question:

How influential is Ross Brawn in producing a winning team/world championship winning drivers?

or...

How does Ross Brawn compare to the championship winning team principals of the past?

Many thanks - and congratulations on a world championship winning drive by Jenson Button- his overtaking throughout this season has been a highlight throughout the whole season so (another question!)

In your vast knowledge and experience in Formula 1...

How does Jenson Button's overtaking skills compare to past (legendary) drivers in Formula 1?

Many thanks Murray.

Hi murray, who do you think the driver of the year is?

Or..

Do you think Brawn could repeat their success next year or was this season just a one off?

Something that dawned on me yesterday is that when I was younger, watching the likes of Hill, Schumacher etc race, it wasn't unusual to see the backmarkers get lapped twice or even three times in one race; something which is far less common nowadays.

Is this more likely to be because the drivers and cars are more equal, or is it simply a testament to the brilliance of Schumacher et al's ability? Do you feel the races are more or less exciting because of it?

Do you think Jenson was impersonating you on the radio when he passed Kobayahhi?

I think if Jenson didn't qualify poorly in Brazil, it wouldn't push him to perform those world class take over moves to secure his world championship title.

He did say he actually felt sick after the poor qualifying which he never felt before. May be that's what he needed to pull out a good race.

Murray,

Which of our newly-crowned world champions is more worthy of praise: Jenson Button or Beth Tweddle?

@ 34

Both are worthy of our praise, as any British World Champion should be!!

Given the great race yestewrday crowning another british champion.

Who in your opinion murray is the greatest british WDC?

Kamui Kobayashi certainly provided F1 fans with a lot of excitement and entertainment as he battled furiously with the likes of Button and co, but would you brand him reckless or promising?

Kamui Kobayashi certainly provided F1 fans with a lot of excitement and entertainment as he battled furiously with the likes of Button and co, but would you brand him reckless or promising?

hi Murray
do you think that jensons drive yesterday was his best ever and do you think brawn and red bull will be able to challenge for the championship next season
regards
megajc2222

Hi Murray

First of all, many congratulations to Jenson Button and Brawn GP. And here's my question:

Given what Jenson's gone through during his career, how deserving a world champion is Jenson Button?

Love the blogs, see you in Abu Dhabi!

Hi Murray,

What do you think the chances of car no.22 driven by an Englishman, powered by a Mercedes-Benz engine, finishing 5th at the 2010 Brazilian GP meaning that the driver wins the World Championship for a 3rd consecutive year are?

Is Adrian Sutil wreckless or is he just unlucky following all his incidents this season?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Is it fair for one person to own two teams in formula 1? AKA Red Bull Racing and Torro Rosso

Hi Murray, I don't actually have a question that hasn't already been asked, but I just wanted to thank you for doing this blog over the course of the season! It has been great!

Hi Murray

I'm sure you were as delighted as the rest of us to see Jenson win the F1 World Championship, when in recent years it perhaps appeared the chance may have passed him by.
But my question is where would you rank Jenson amongst both Britain's previous World Champions and indeed the likes of Fangio, Senna, Prost and Schumacher?

hey Murray, so congrats to Jenson - but what of Rubens, always the bridesmaid never the bride. Do you see him driving next year and if so - for whom? And is he good enough to win the world championship within his last few F1 years?

Murray are you able to commentate on the last lap in Brazil 2009? (Martin and Jonathan did a great job)

Also Murray where were you when you watched Brazil 2009

I can still hear you commentating when Damon Hill won it in 1996, that's why I'd love it if you could do the same for Jenson or narrate the end of season DVD!

Any way thanks Muuray.

SPOTY Classics - Hill and Stewart 1969...
Watching two men a lifetime ago who can be as respectful,humble and incredibly funny towards each other...and still be friends beyond ultra - competition/competitiveness ....wow.