Button, who won six of the seasons opening seven races, had come in for criticism of late, having only once finished higher than fifth in the subsequent rounds. But all that was swept aside at Interlagos after a spirited drive from 14th on the grid saw him capture the points he needed to clinch the crown.
“What a day! Jenson is a fantastic racer and he had a great race, particularly after such a difficult qualifying,” said Brawn. “He knew what he had to do and did just that and is a very deserving world champion. I am so incredibly proud of the team and our drivers and it's so very special to have won the constructors' and the drivers' championships in our first year as Brawn GP.”
Buttons team mate Rubens Barrichello started his home race from pole position and had looked set to take the title race down to the wire at the last round in Abu Dhabi. However, he was leapfrogged by rivals during the first pit stops and then suffered a late puncture, dropping him to eighth place at the flag.
“The spirit in which our two drivers have fought for the championship makes me very proud,” said Brawn. “They have been a credit to the team and our sport. Rubens has made a fantastic contribution to this season without which we could not have won the constructors' championship.”
Sundays result confirmed a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of a team whose future had looked uncertain until only weeks before the season, following the withdrawal of previous owners Honda at the end of last year, after which the Brackley squad underwent some major restructuring.
“I want to thank everyone who has worked with the team over the years that couldn't be with us this season as we had to resize the team at the start of the season,” added Brawn. “My sincere thanks go out to them because they worked so hard and should feel a part of our success."
formula1.com
Comments:
