Balanced News Blog

By Chris Whyatt
BBC Sports

Jenson Button sealed the drivers’ championship with a superb recovery drive at a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix won by Red Bull’s Mark Webber.

Brawn’s English driver started from 14th but executed a series of spectacular early overtaking moves before finishing the race fifth.

He was already set to win the title when a late puncture dropped main title threat Rubens Barrichello to eighth.

Brawn still clinched the constructors’ championship in their debut season.

Pole-sitting Brawn driver Barrichello, who so badly wanted to win on a circuit he was born in the shadow of, was running in third before his unlucky puncture smoothed team-mate Button’s path to the promised land.

BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica came second ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton while six drivers retired in Sao Paulo.

Red Bull’s talented German Sebastian Vettel, who started just behind Button, finished fourth while Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi finished a season-high seventh.

The results ultimately pale into significance with Button’s maiden world title now the talk of Formula 1 and beyond, but the race delivered a fitting scene for that success.

With the stands bubbling over with atmosphere, anticipation was sky-high at a track high in the hills above Sao Paulo where the world championship has now been decided in the past five years.

And, as soon the race got under way, drama ensued.

Barrichello made a rapid start while Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen jumped up to third using his energy-boost (Kers) button before suffering front wing damage in a frenetic dash off the grid.

But a contentious first-lap collision between Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Force India’s Adrian Sutil caused the pair to engage in a furious argument at the side of the track – both blaming the other driver – before they were forced to retire from the race, along with Renault’s Fernando Alonso.

Seconds later, in the pits, McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen pulled away from his mechanics taking the fuel hose with him.

The leaking fuel immediately caught fire right in Raikkonen’s face, although it quickly died away and the Finn was able to drive on instantly.

Read more at BBC Sports »