Formula 1: Button wins aborted race in Malaysia
The winner of the 2009 season second Formula 1 race was Jenson Button. The Briton, whose Brawn-Mercedes is fitted with dampers from ZF Sachs Race Engineering, benefited from the Grand Prix race in Malaysia being stopped and not re-started. In the 32nd lap monsoon-like rainfalls inundated the Sepang International Circuit. Race control deployed the safety car and stopped the race a lap later. After weather conditions failed to improve, Jenson Button was declared the winner of the aborted race.
Since the final results were based on the positions after the 31st lap, Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) and Timo Glock (Toyota) were in places two and three. The racing cars of the two Germans are equipped with high-tech components from Schweinfurt-based ZF Sachs Race Engineering. Jarno Trulli Toyota and Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes were two other ZF Sachs partner cars in the points, in places four and five. For the drivers and the constructors championship, only half the regular points were awarded in Malaysia since the teams completed less than 75 per cent of the racing distance.
Results, GP Malaysia (MAL), 2nd round, FIA Formula 1 World Championship, 03 Apr � 05 Apr 2009:
1. J. Button, Brawn-Mercedes, 55m30.622s, ZF Sachs
2. N. Heidfeld, BMW-Sauber, + 22.722s, ZF Sachs
3. T. Glock, Toyota, + 23.513s, ZF Sachs
4. J. Trulli, Toyota, + 46.173s, ZF Sachs
5. R. Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes, + 47.360s, ZF Sachs
6. M. Webber, Red Bull-Renault, + 52.333s
7. L. Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, + 1m00.733s
8. N. Rosberg, Williams-Toyota, + 1m11.576s
Drivers championship:
1. J. Button, 15 points; 2. R. Barrichello, 10; 3. J. Trulli, 8.5; 4. T. Glock, 8; 5. F. Alonso and N. Heidfeld, je 4; 7. N. Rosberg, 3.5; 8. S. Buemi, 2; 9. S. Bourdais and L. Hamilton, 1 each.
Constructors championship:
1. Brawn-Mercedes, 25 points; 2. Toyota, 16.5; 3. Renault and BMW Sauber, 4 each; 5. Williams-Toyota, 3.5; 6. STR-Ferrari, 3; 7. Red Bull, 1,5; 8. McLaren-Mercedes, 1.
World Rally Championship: Second place for Ford driver Mikko Hirvonen
Fourth round of the season, fourth podium position: At the Portugal Rally, ZF Sachs partner Ford finished as the runner-up for the third time in a row with driver Mikko Hirvonen. Hirvonen, whose Ford Focus RS WRC is fitted with a clutch from ZF Sachs Race Engineering, had even been leading the field on the first leg. From the second day forwards, he merely had to admit defeat to the subsequent winner, Sastien Loeb. Hirvonen team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala in the second 吐actory� Ford was leading the beginning of the rally as well, but the young Finn retired from the event after an accident.
A successful fifth-place finish was achieved by Henning Solberg from the private Stobart-Ford team. He relies on a clutch from ZF Sachs Race Engineering in his Ford as well. Federico Villagra from the Munchi team and Khalid Al Qassimi, who drives a customer vehicle on the 吐actory� team, were two further ZF Sachs partner cars that finished in the points, in places seven and eight.
Results, Rally of Portugal (P), 4th WRC round, 02 Apr - 05 Apr 2009:
1. S. Loeb/D. Elena, Citro�, 3h53m13.1s
2. M. Hirvonen/J. Lehtinen, Ford, + 24.3s, ZF Sachs
3. D. Sordo/M. Marti, Citro�, + 1m45.4s
4. P. Solberg/P. Mills, Citro�, + 2m44.6s
5. H. Solberg/C. Menkerud, Ford, + 5m46.3s, ZF Sachs
6. M. Ostberg/O. Unnerud, Subaru, + 6m20.8s
7. F. Villagra/J. Perez Companc, Ford, +12m59.5s, ZF Sachs
8. K. Al Qassimi/M. Orr, Ford, +18m21.7s, ZF Sachs
Drivers championship:
1. S. Loeb, 40 points; 2. M. Hirvonen, 30; 3. D. Sordo, 23; 4. H. Solberg and P. Solberg, 14 each; 6. M. Wilson, 8; 7. J. Latvala, 6; 8. C. Atkinson and F. Villagra, 4 each; 10. S. Ogier, 3.
Manufacturers championship:
1. Citro�, 64 points; 2. Ford, 40; 3. Stobart-Ford, 27; 4. Citro� Junior Team, 11; 5. Munchiエs Ford, 7.