The season featured ten teams after rule changes aimed at cutting costs. These changes included the return of slick tyres for the first time since 1997, aerodynamic alterations, and the introduction of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS). The Brawn team, formed from the Honda team following a management buyout, won six of the first seven races, capitalizing on the new regulations. Red Bull Racing became competitive later in the season, marking the first time since 2005 that all participating teams scored World Championship points. Sebastian Vettel, Rubens Barrichello, and Mark Webber were Button’s main challengers, winning eight races between them to finish second, third, and fourth respectively.
The 2009 season was the last to feature in-race refuelling, a practice allowed continuously since 1994, and used the scoring system valid since 2003 (10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1). It would be the last time a British-licensed constructor won the constructors' title until McLaren in 2024.
Honda withdrew from Formula One ahead of the 2009 season, and the team was bought by a consortium led by Ross Brawn, renaming the team Brawn GP and racing with Mercedes engines, retaining drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. Force India also switched to Mercedes engines, having used Ferrari engines in 2008. The only offseason driver change saw Sebastian Vettel replace David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing, with Sébastien Buemi taking Vettel’s seat at Toro Rosso.
During the season, Toro Rosso replaced Sébastien Bourdais with Jaime Alguersuari ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa missed the remainder of the season after an injury sustained during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, initially being replaced by Luca Badoer, and later by Giancarlo Fisichella. Renault parted ways with Nelson Piquet Jr. after the same race, replacing him with Romain Grosjean.
Several incidents impacted the driver line-up throughout the season. Timo Glock crashed heavily during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix and was airlifted to hospital with a leg injury, being replaced by Kamui Kobayashi for the final two races. The 2007 World Champion, Kimi Räikkönen announced he would be leaving Ferrari at the end of the season, while Ferrari announced Fernando Alonso as their team driver for the 2010 season.
The 2009 season was also marked by controversy surrounding allegations of race-fixing during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, involving Nelson Piquet Jr. and Renault. The FIA World Motor Sport Council handed Renault a two-year suspended ban, and gave life and five-year suspensions to Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, respectively.
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