Jenson Button in a Brawn won a chaotic Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday for a second straight victory after the race was abandoned when a ferocious storm lashed the Sepang circuit.
Nick Heidfeld in his BMW Sauber came second, benefiting from pitting only once to Button's four times in a race that became a lottery. Timo Glock in a Toyota was third.
It was finally halted after 32 laps as rain pelted down, lightning flashed around the circuit and visibility deteriorated, the first time since Brazil in 2003 that a race has been called off due to weather.
Formula One supremos must take some of the blame after pushing for a 5:00 pm start instead of its regular 3:00 pm slot to satisfy European television audiences.
With tropical Malaysia routinely getting wild storms, it was clear that if one hit during the 56-lap race they would have trouble finishing with daylight disappearing.
Toyota's Jarno Trulli came fourth, Rubens Barrichello in the other Brawn was fifth and Mark Webber in the Red Bull was sixth.
Troubled world champion Lewis Hamilton came seventh in his McLaren with Nico Rosberg filling out the top eight.
However, the drivers and constructors only get half the usual number of points with the race halted at less than three-quarter distance -- only the fifth time this has happened.
"Wow, what a crazy race, it had everything but was very enjoyable," said Britain's Button, who had never driven the Brawn before in the wet.
"They were really bad conditions. I started badly, there was a lot of oversteer, but the pace was good.
"Choosing the right tires was very difficult. It wasn't like it was a river out there, it was a lake."
Heidfeld was overjoyed to come second after starting 10th, making the right tire choices at the right time.
"I couldn't have wished for more. It was very difficult conditions but the team made the right tire choices," said the German.
"When it started raining I just tried to stay on the circuit."
Fellow German Glock was also happy to finish in one piece.
"It was impossible to drive like that and it was the right thing to stop the race," he said.
With black clouds looming, the race got off to a sensational start with pole-sitter Button half asleep as the lights turned green.
The Briton, who won last week in Melbourne, went to the first corner in fourth behind Rosberg, Trulli and Fernando Alonso.
Undeterred, Button soon woke up and sped past Alonso and started closing on the leaders.
By lap eight, the top four had a 13-second gap on fifth-placed Alonso, clearly benefiting from their controversial rear diffusers.
Only Williams, Toyota and Brawn have them fitted and they have been the subject of protests by BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull, who claim they are contrary to the rules, generating more downforce.
Leader Rosberg made his first pit stop on lap 15 and came out fourth. Trulli followed a lap later, along with Button and Barrichello.
They all selected slick tires despite the threat of rain and when the dust settled, Button was leading.
(AFP via China Daily April 6, 2009)
