Brawn GP won on F1 debut

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Brawn GP won its first Formula 1 race at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix. Jenson Button led Rubens Barrichello home in a remarkable one-two for the newly formed team.

Brawn GP opened its Formula 1 story in the most dramatic way possible on 29 March 2009. At Albert Park, the team that had only been assembled after Honda’s withdrawal arrived for its first world championship race and immediately took victory, with Jenson Button beating teammate Rubens Barrichello in Melbourne.

The result was startling not only because Brawn was new, but because the team had come together under intense financial and technical pressure during the winter. Ross Brawn kept the operation alive after Honda pulled out, secured Mercedes power, and brought a car to the grid that was instantly competitive. In Australia, that speed was obvious from the start. Button converted pole into control of the race, while Barrichello recovered from a difficult opening lap to complete the one-two.

The win confirmed that Brawn GP was not just a feel-good survival story, but a genuine title contender from the first round of the season. The performance also underlined how well the BGP 001 had adapted to the new 2009 regulations, especially in aerodynamics, where the car quickly became one of the reference points on the grid.

What happened in Melbourne set the tone for one of Formula 1’s most improbable championship campaigns. Brawn had arrived late, but it left Australia leading both championships and with the paddock forced to rewrite its expectations.

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