The 2009 Formula 1 season is best remembered for the fairytale Brawn GP, but there was also another underdog story that nearly took place.
Force India managed to get the services of proven race winner and regular podium finisher at Renault, Giancarlo Fisichella, in 2008 but it was a tough season.
The team owned by Indian businessman Vijay Mallya struggled to break into the points, which were only down to sixth place at the time, and were nowhere near finishing on the podium.
The 2009 season presented an opportunity for them to improve because of the new regulations, but the start of the season proved to be difficult. The team was regularly finishing outside of the points, with Fisichella achieving a best finish of ninth at the Monaco Grand Prix.
But behind the scenes, the team was hard at work developing updates that would put them on the right course once they reached the Belgian Grand Prix.
Force India’s unexpected pole at the Belgian Grand Prix
Force India is a descendant of the Jordan F1 team and they always had happy hunting grounds at Spa Francorchamps, having won their first race with Damon Hill in 1998 following a dramatic race.
Although the Force India VJM02 could not match some of the more regular points scorers, the low downforce nature of Spa suited them.
After fitting the new aero package on Saturday morning, Fisichella found that he was one and a half seconds faster than on Friday. Despite an unfortunate collision with a rabbit during final practice, heading into qualifying, the team was excited about their prospects.
The combination of the Mercedes V8 engine, known for its superior straight-line speed, and the VJM02’s upgraded aero made it easy for Fisichella to progress through the session. All of a sudden, fears of exiting in Q1 were replaced by jubilation when they reached Q3 for the first time.
Fisichella was driving sublime and with a 1:46.308s, none of his rivals could match it, earning Force India their first pole and pulled off one of the most unexpected moments of the season.
It was expected that Fisichella would have a light car, as in those days teams were required to publish their fuel loads after qualifying. Instead, he had the usual amount of fuel onboard, confirming that it was earned on pure pace.
Giancarlo Fisichella’s Belgian Grand Prix win was denied by Ferrari
All eyes turned to the race and the potential for a podium, with Fisichella focused on nailing the start. After a clean getaway, the Italian emerged from La Source in the lead of the race. Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen made their way into the top three after a lock-up from Nick Heidfeld compromised his entry.
As they went through Eau Rouge and down the Kemmel Straight, Fisichella had everything in control, but behind, chaos ensued. Romain Grosjean collided with Jenson Button after misjudging his braking, with Lewis Hamilton then getting collected by Jaime Alguersauri as he backed off.
The incident brought out the Safety Car, erasing Fisichella’s early lead over Raikkonen, who was now in second. The 2009 season was unique in that only a few teams used the hybrid KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which gave drivers an extra 80bhp on command.
This was partially due to weight concerns, but mostly due to the cost of having the system. Ferrari had it on their car and were ready to use it with Raikkonen along with any tow he would get on the straights.
“After the restart of the Safety Car I was still leading, but Raikkonen was using the KERS,” Fisichella told F1.com. “We didn’t have the KERS on the Force India. For about seven seconds you can use 70, 80bhp more, and I couldn’t close enough his overtaking [move].
“After that it was so difficult to overtake him, because in every corner, at the exit, he was using the KERS and he was able to pull away [around] 20 or 30 metres, which was enough to keep the [lead] position.”
Kimi Raikkonen wins 2009 Belgian Grand Prix after fight with Giancarlo Fisichella
After a Herculean effort by the Italian to keep up with Raikkonen, eventually, Fisichella had to settle for second best.
The pair were separated by just nine-tenths of a second at the chequered flag, with Sebastian Vettel finishing in third.
Force India bagged eight points, a haul that would prove crucial in their Constructors’ Championship battle with Toro Rosso that was worth millions of dollars in prize money.
As for Fisichella, his drive caught the eye of then-Ferrari team principal Stefano Domanicali, who was in need of a second driver after Felipe Massa’s accident in Hungary.
Ferrari had Luca Badoer in the car, but the Italian was far from ideal having finished the race last, a lap down, and half a minute off the car ahead.
Fisichella’s first race for Ferrari would come at the following race in Monza, realising a lifelong dream for the Rome native.