Jenson Button's journey to becoming 2009 F1 World Champion
Ten seasons and 171 races since his Formula One racing debut at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix, Jenson Button has finally made his dream a reality by clinching the 2009 FIA Formula One World Drivers’ title in Brazil.
After dominating the early part of the season, winning six of the first seven races, Jenson Button’s control was challenged when team mate Rubens Barrichello and Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel picked up a number of wins through the second half of the season.
Starting from 14th on the gird at Brazil’s Sao Paulo circuit, Button put in the drive of his life, finishing in fifth position in a race that was won by Red Bull’s Mark Webber. Jenson Button’s fifth place finish put the title beyond the reach of his season-long rivals Barrichello and Vettel and helped the Brawn GP team claim the 2009 Constructors’ title, just eleven months after the Brackley based team feared they would have to exit the series.
Jenson Button revelling in F1 achievement
“Brazil was the best race that I’ve driven in my career and I’m really going to enjoy this moment. For the team to win the Constructors’ and the Drivers Championships is just fantastic and they deserve it so very much after all the difficult times that we all went through over the winter. This season has been a rollercoaster ride from the elation of the wins at the start to the hard graft in the second half of the season which has seen us grind out the results needed to take the titles. It’s going to take a while to sink in but for now I’m just revelling in the achievement of a lifelong dream.”
Jenson Button, 2009 FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Champion and Brawn GP driver
Button becomes the tenth British F1 World Champion
Button is the latest in a long line of British drivers to claim the title. A total of ten British drivers have taken 14 titles between them, with the most recent being Lewis Hamilton winning the 2008 championship. It is the likes of Graham Hill and Jim Clark with two championship titles or Sir Jackie Stewart with three championship titles however that Jenson Button will hope to emulate.
The final round of the FIA Formula One World Championship takes place at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi on Sunday 1st November, with second place in the drivers’ championship still up for grabs.
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“Brazil was the best race that I’ve driven in my career and I’m really going to enjoy this moment. For the team to win the Constructors’ and the Drivers Championships is just fantastic and they deserve it so very much after all the difficult times that we all went through over the winter."