6 March 2009: Ross Brawn, the team’s technical director, announces that he has bought the team, renamed Brawn GP. Button and Barrichello will drive cars powered by Mercedes engines.
27 March 2009: Following complaints from other teams, the FIA investigates whether the rear diffuser used by Brawn and two other teams is illegal, and rejects the claims. The protesting teams, Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull, lodge an appeal.
28 March 2009: Brawn secure both places on the front row of the grid for the opening Grand Prix of the season in Australia, with Button, who has underachieved up to this point in his career, despite much-hype, taking his fourth ever pole, his first since 2006.
Team announces major sponsorship deal with Richard Branson’s Virgin.
29 March 2009: Brawn becomes the first constructor in over 50 years to secure pole position and a win in its first Grand Prix, as Button and Barrichello finish in first and second.
The team announces heavy job losses in order to cut costs, making more than a third of its staff redundant.
5 April 2009: Malaysian Grand Prix is abandoned after 31 laps with Button leading. He is awarded the win and half points, as the race did not go the full distance.
15 April 2009: FIA court rules that the controversial rear diffuser is legal. Brawn’s results stand.
19 April 2009: Barrichello starts on pole position in China, with Button second. The Englishman finishes third in the race, with his Brazilian team-mate fourth.
7 June 2009: In Turkey, Button secures his sixth win out of seven races, opening up a 16-point Drivers’ Championship lead over Barrichello.
21 June 2009: Button struggles at the British Grand Prix, finishing sixth.
18 October 2009: Button wins the Driver’s Championship, his first, by finishing fifth in Brazil, opening up an unassailable 15-point advantage over Sebastian Vettel with one race to go. Brawn secures the Constructor’s Championship, in only its first season in existence.
16 November 2009: Mercedes announces that it has bought Brawn GP, which will be renamed, meaning that Brawn will be unique in winning the title in its only season, leaving with an 100% championship success rate, and a 47.05% race success rate (8 wins in 17).
18 November 2009: Jenson Button signs for McLaren, where he will race alongside 2008 world champion, Lewis Hamilton, a man to whom Button had been previously been unfavourably compared to due to years of underachievement and Hamilton’s remarkable success in his first two seasons in the sport.
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