The Standpoint

Button is champion

By

Abhishek Mukherjee

Brawn’s Jenson Button claimed the Formula One World Championship in Brazil as he secured fifth position. Britain retained the title secured by Lewis Hamilton last year and Button and the Brawn team broke into wild celebrations.

Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber took the checkered flag but it was Button who stole the limelight for securing his maiden title. He took fifth place as his team-mate and rival Rubens Barrichello finished eighth and Sebastian Vettel, the only other driver capable of winning the crown, finished fourth.

"It's really amazing," said Button. "That was just such an awesome race. I deserve the title after that race! 21 years ago I jumped in a car and I loved winning. I never expected to be world champion in Formula One but I've done it today."

The grand prix was an eventful affair. The opening laps were filled with incident as first an off-track fight almost erupted between Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil. Replays appeared to show Force India's Sutil forcing Trulli wide on to the grass, causing the Toyota to lose control and slide off into the barriers, tagging Sutil along the way. Sutil also ended up in the gravel trap and had to face a fuming Trulli in a confrontation that almost became physical.

A lap later Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was caught in a flash fire in the pit lane. The Finn had gone in to receive a new nose cone after tagging the back of Webber's Red Bull. Ahead of him an earlier spinner Heikki Kovalainen was leaving the pits but with the fuel hose still attached to his McLaren. Fuel sprayed over the hot Ferrari, which was briefly engulfed in flames, although Raikkonen was unhurt and carried on.

However, all eyes were on Button who had just produced a sensational performance to claim fifth place and with it the title.

By his own admission he struggled to cope with the expectation in the second half of the year but his performance drop-off was largely down to Brawn cutting back on development and his own pragmatic approach.

Earlier having the image of a notorious playboy, Button silenced all critics throughout his career by proving to be a hugely deserving world champion.