Button & Brawn – World Champions

Jenson Button drove a great race to finish fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix and secure his world championship and that of Brawn GP.

It’s looked less and less certain that Jenson Button would secure the world championship that seemed to be his from the first race of the Formula One season. But one thing you have to say about Jenosn is that he was consistently there or there abouts, even though a win has eluded him for what seems like forever.

The Brazilian Grand Prix was chaotic even before the lights went out to start the race. Qualifying was a nightmare with a constant deluge of rain soaking the track and Button seemed to have lost all chance of a win when he started 14th, with team mate – and chief rival for the championship – Barrichello on pole.

The race saw Barichello suffer a puncture; Trulli and Sutil almost coming to blows after a coming together that also pitched Alonso out; Raikkonen lost his front wing and suffered a puncture and Kovalainen left the pits with his fuel hose attached, which sprayed fuel on Raikkonen and set fire to his car. Oh, and a couple of safety car outings. Not a quiet race.

But through it all Button – with some excellent overtaking moves – weaved his way through the pack and at one point was running in second place. But the final fifth place was enough to secure him the drivers world championship – the 10th for a Brit and the second Brit in succession – and the constructors championship for Brawn GP.

The actual result of the Brazilian Grand Prix? Webber won for Red Bull with a superb drive. But it wasn’t enough to keep Red Bull’s hopes in the drivers and constructors world championship alive.

Now we’ll have to wait and see if Button or Barrichello stay at Brawn for 2010. There are rumours that at least one – and maybe both – will be off to pastures new.