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Jenson Button - world champion

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/244181/

Jenson Button clinched the 2009 Formula One world championship by coming through to fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

His result overshadowed the second F1 victory of Mark Webber, who commanded the race for Red Bull.

See hi-res Brazilian Grand Prix race pics

See Jenson Button's career in hi-res pictures

Following the result, Button said: "It's really amazing. After the last few races I've had this makes up for it. It was a totally awesome race, I'm world champion!

"It's 21 years since I first raced a kart. I love winning, I never expected to be world champion in F1, because you think racing drivers in F1 are different from you. But I did it today."

Button's title rival Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) made it up to fourth from 15th on the grid, but that was not enough to keep his title bid alive.

Meanwhile, Button's closest rival and Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello was only running fourth when he had to pit with a puncture eight laps from the end, ending his title dreams.

The result also gave Brawn a remarkable constructors' championship title in the team's first year, less than 12 months after Honda's departure left its staff facing an apparently bleak future.

"We made hard work of it over the second half of the year," said team boss Ross Brawn. "But we've done it, and it's very special. It's going to take a while to set in.

"As for Jenson, he's a fantastic racer and on the day he had a great race. He knew what he had to do.

"We've lost a little bit of pace in the car compared to some of our rivals over the second half of the season, but he's stuck with it and deserves everything he's got."

Behind Webber, Robert Kubica (BMW) took his best result of the year in second, and Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) came through from the tail of the field for third.

See Jenson Button's career in hi-res pictures

Race result

1. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1h32:23.081

2. Kubica BMW Sauber +7.626

3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes +18.944

4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault +19.652

5. Button Brawn-Mercedes +29.005

6. Raikkonen Ferrari +33.340

7. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari +35.991

8. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes +45.454

9. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes +48.499

10. Kobayashi Toyota +1:03.324

11. Fisichella Ferrari +1:10.665

12. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes +1:11.388

13. Grosjean Renault +1 lap

14. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap

Not classified/retirements:

Nakajima Williams-Toyota

Rosberg Williams-Toyota

Heidfeld BMW Sauber

Sutil Force India-Mercedes

Trulli Toyota

Alonso Renault

World Championship standings

Drivers:

1. Button 89

2. Vettel 74

3. Barrichello 72

4. Webber 61.5

5. Hamilton 49

6. Raikkonen 48

7. Rosberg 34.5

8. Trulli 30.5

9. Alonso 26

10. Glock 24

11. Kovalainen 22

12. Massa 22

13. Kubica 17

14. Heidfeld 15

15. Fisichella 8

16. Sutil 5

17. Buemi 5

18. Bourdais 2

Constructors:

1. Brawn-Mercedes 161

2. Red Bull-Renault 135.5

3. McLaren-Mercedes 71

4. Ferrari 70

5. Toyota 54.5

6. Williams-Toyota 34.5

7. BMW Sauber 32

8. Renault 26

9. Force India-Mercedes 13

10. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 7