BARCELONA, (Reuters) – Formula One leader Jenson Button banked his fourth victory in five races yesterday after a Spanish Grand Prix strategy switch that stunned his downcast Brawn GP team mate Rubens Barrichello.
“I feel like I’m on top of the world at the moment,” said Button, now 14 points clear of the Brazilian in the championship.
For the ninth year in a row, victory at the Circuit de Catalunya went to the driver on pole position with the Briton taking the chequered flag 13.0 seconds ahead of Barrichello for Brawn’s second one-two of the season.
The Brazilian had seized the lead at the start and was dreaming of his first win since 2004 when the Mercedes-powered team switched Button from a three-stop strategy to what turned out to be a quicker two stops.
Barrichello, who stayed on three stops, looked like his world had been shattered.
“I can’t believe how I lost that,” the 36-year-old said, adding that he wanted to know why the team had made the sudden decision to change the strategy while keeping him on three stops.
“I’m disappointed I haven’t won the race because I thought I had it in the bag today.”
Button commiserated and said he had not requested the change while team owner Ross Brawn ruled out any favouritism.
“I think you saw at the first corner there are no team orders,” he told reporters.
Australian Mark Webber was third for Red Bull, his second podium finish of the season coming on the 50th anniversary of his great compatriot Jack Brabham’s first victory in Formula One, ahead of German team mate Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel lost ground in the title chase, with 23 points to Button’s 41 and Barrichello’s 27.
Brawn have 68 points in the constructors’ standings to Red Bull’s 38.5 and third-placed Toyota’s 26.5.
Spain’s Fernando Alonso had the home crowd roaring when he snatched fifth place on the final lap from Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.
Brazilian Massa, who led for a lap after the first pitstops, had to slow in the closing laps to save fuel with the team warning him that he risked not making it to the finish.
The three points were the first of the season for last year’s overall runner-up, who had to walk back to the pits after his car crawled across the line and coasted to a halt.
He wrote off his title chances, however.