The annoying strategy

« Rubens and I both started with an identical strategy. The team switched me to a two-stop strategy so as not to put our eggs in one basket. I wasn?t sure if this was the right tactic. After refueling, the car was very heavy, and I had to push like crazy to keep the lead. » At the end of the race, Jenson Button obviously had to explain the reasons for his victory and the strategy which allowed him to win in Spain. And what looks like an official version can only be defended together by the two pilots. However, there is doubt as to the real reasons for this two-tier tactic.

Rubens Barrichello, after making the best start, prances into the lead of the Spanish GP. Heavier in fuel than his teammate at the start, the Brazilian seemed the fastest during this race. With three kilos of difference separating the weight of their cars, the two drivers had gone for a similar strategy. Then, the stable of Brackley decided otherwise. Three stops for Barrichello, two refueling stops for Button. This strategy obviously did not work for the Brazilian, failing to create a sufficient gap to distance his teammate.

« I got off to a very good start. I was in an excellent rhythm. The car behaved well, declared the Brazilian after the race. And then I heard they were changing Jenson?s strategy. All I had to do was attack to widen the gap as wide as possible. But it was very difficult for me to maintain a good pace and keep the car on its trajectory. » Rubens Barrichello can only regret the decisions taken by his team. And sees the specter of the model teammate returning to him, a situation he knew well alongside Michael Schumacher in Ferrari.

With four wins in five races, it is now clear that Jenson Button is in contention for the world title. And that Brawn GP will do everything to ensure that the Briton takes the lead in the standings before seeing a possible return from the top teams. From then on, Rubens Barrichello knew that he could no longer play the leading roles. And that he will only be able to claim victories when his teammate himself makes a mistake. Proof of this is with this Spanish GP, which could have seen the victory of the Brazilian in the event of an identical strategy with his teammate. Without being able to say it, Rubens Barrichello must be biting his fingers.