Fortune favours cautious Button in Singapore GP

HAMBURG - Jenson Button may have only managed a fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Singapore Formula One Grand Prix but with his main rivals slipping up, the Brawn GP driver celebrated like a winner as he took another step towards the F1 title.

The Briton can even wrap things up this weekend at the Japanese GP in Suzuka with a fourth-place finish should teammate and closest threat Rubens Barrichello fail to finish.

Indeed if F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had had his way and the title was awarded to the driver with the most race wins this season, Button would have been crowned world champion in Singapore.

“It would have seen Brawn’s long-time championship leader wrap up proceedings with three largely meaningless races left to go,” commented the Daily Telegraph.

“As it is, this remarkable season is still on a knife-edge, albeit one getting blunter with each passing week that Button stumbles towards the finish line.”

The Times also noted how Button is “almost anonymously” driving his way to the title.

“It would be wonderful if he could thrill us once again, pumping fists in the cockpit as he writes his name in the sports folklore, but it does not look likely,” the paper wrote.

“Instead, we can expect to see the smooth-driving Button edge his way across the finishing line this season without tearing any houses down or leaving us breathless in admiration and awe. From our point of view, that is to be regretted.”

Not surprisingly, Button is not at all worried about how he finishes the season as long as the 29-year-old ends the year ahead of Barrichello and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, now a huge 25 points adrift after incurring a drive-through penalty to finish fourth.

“My aim is to win the championship not win next weekend,” he said. “Obviously the sooner the better but I am not going to go out purposely just to win it in Japan. This is the biggest and hardest battle of my life.”

Button heads to Suzuka holding a 15-point lead over Barrichello with just three races remaining but is acutely aware that the Brazilian is still within striking distance.

“Rubens can still beat me, for sure, but this result has taken a lot of weight off my shoulders, so it is a good finish,” he said.

However, Singapore GP winner Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes sounded a note of caution to his compatriot.

“Let’s not forget I was leading by 17 points with two races to go (in 2007) and I lost it,” said the defending world champion. “So I suggest he keeps pushing.”