Jenson Button completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of sport last night by becoming Formula One world champion after a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix. Just 11 months ago Button, 29, was out of a job and facing the prospect of never driving in Formula One again after Honda quit the sport. The team was rescued by Ross Brawn, who asked Button to stay to lead the revival. Brawn produced a spectacularly fast car and Button won six of the first seven races. He has led the world championship from the first race of the season and yesterday only had to keep Rubens Barrichello, his team-mate, in his sights to make sure of the championship with one race still to run in a fortnight in Abu Dhabi.
Q. Can you describe your emotions?
Jenson Button: It feels like I’m still racing. It has been flat out since I have got out the car, it is more of a relief. You feel ecstatic, all the bad memories and the good memories go through your mind, not just from this year but previous years in the sport. Especially this year you know, such a great start to the season, then the last races pretty stressful for me because pace was there, but for whatever problem in qualifying we struggled. It made it very difficult for me, bit just because mentally that hurts when you can’t get the best out of the car, but also I read too many papers and magazines and there were some negative comments. It’s tough when you are a driver and you know that you are at the top of your game, but there has been a lot of good stuff written about us this year and so there should be.
This was my best race I’ve driven in my life, I know because of the emotion that’s involved in it, but also because I knew what I had to do - I did it, and that is why I am sat up here as world champion. I am going to enjoy this moment very much. The people around me have been so supportive. I might have come across like I don’t care about this in the past, but that was just me keeping a face. It shows a weakness if you show it is hurting or stressful, but I can say it now, it was very a tough few months and I needed the people around me, especially the team to fight for this.
The race saw plenty of drama, including a massive shunt for Nakajima, who tried it on with Koboyashi only to lose his front wing and then go airborne into the wall at Turn 1 and a dangerous incident in the pitlane when Kovalainen drove out of his box with the fuel hose still attached. That petrol spewed out of the end and caused a fireball under Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari as the Iceman’s brakes ignited the vapour. Fortunately the Finn was not injured.
While Button drove to glory in fifth place, Barrichello endured another disappointing afternoon at his home track, where he has been dogged by bad luck. In his first stint he could not get far enough ahead of Mark Webber, the eventual race winner, in the Red Bull to stay ahead after his first stop and then, in the closing stages he had to pit after his car developed a puncture in its front left tyre. Thus Barrichello’s last chance at a world championship ground to a halt in the closing days of his seventeenth season in Formula One.
Results and final positions
Result
1, M Webber 1hr 32min 23.081sec (Aus, Red Bull Renault)
2, R Kubica at 7.626sec (Pol, BMW Sauber)
3, L Hamilton 18.944 (GB, McLaren Mercedes)
4, S Vettel 19.652 (Ger, Red Bull Renault)
5, J Button 29.005 (GB, Brawn GP Mercedes)
Leading positions Drivers
1, Button 89pts
2, Vettel 74
3, R Barrichello 72 (Br, Brawn GP Mercedes)
4, Webber 61.5
5, Hamilton 49
Constructors
1, Brawn GP Mercedes 161
2, Red Bull Renault 135.5
3, McLaren Mercedes 71
4, Ferrari 70
5, Toyota 54.5.
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