Which team did Jenson Button win the 2009 F1 championship with? Exploring details about former world champion constructors

Jenson Button was the successor to Lewis Hamilton's maiden championship victory, with a car that performed shockingly well against its competitors. He won the first six out of seven races in 2009 in the famous Brawn BGP001.

Team Brawn GP debuted in the Australian Grand Prix of 2009, setting the fastest lap during the qualifying session and fantastically winning the race. Jenson Button crossed the finish line first and his teammate Rubens Barrichello followed in second. But what made the BGP001 so extremely competitive?

The design of the car was introduced by Honda Racing in 2008, but the brand announced its departure from Formula 1 later that year. Honda was then purchased by Ross Brawn, who would go on to become the team principal as the team was renamed Brawn GP.

There were a total of eight victories throughout the length of the season for the team out of the 17 races they competed in. Button took the majority of these wins, securing his only F1 world championship after the Brazilian Grand Prix.

There were many components of the car that made it so extremely competitive, of which Jenson Button's smooth driving style played only a part in.

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Why was the legality of Jenson Button's BGP001 disputed?

The BGP001 was known for its double-diffuser, however, teams on the grid had a dispute over the legality of this component. One of the regulations mentioned that the height of the diffuser must be 177mm above the floor of the car. It also mentioned that there should be no bodywork above it.

Brawn GP, however, found their way around the regulations with a loophole. Their diffuser design was embodied around the crash structure of the car. Thus, the air that passed through it created a huge downforce advantage for the car, making it easier to drive more competitively.

Teams took the matter to the F1 Court of Appeal in Paris. However, the FIA declared that the double-blown diffuser was within the regulations and deemed it legal.

Interestingly, as good as the first half of the season was for Button, the second half saw no victory to his name. Nonetheless, he was still able to climb to the top and win the world championship. The team also won the constructor's championship with Barrichello's consistent driving near the front of the field.