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Button's F1 title a question of when, not if

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-10 10:04

LONDON: Jenson Button's charge to the F1 title now looks unstoppable after his sixth win in seven races.

Had it been decided on wins alone, the Briton might have been looking at taking the crown as early as next month. As it is, August is possible and September highly likely.

Brawn GP Formula One driver Jenson Button of Britain celebrates on the podium after winning the Turkish F1 Grand Prix in Istanbul June 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Retired triple world champion Niki Lauda agreed it was only a matter of time.

"He's driving in the most perfect, brilliant way, no mistakes, nothing," he said after Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix. "He is fully in control of every situation. You can't do a better job than he does.

"Why is the car the best? Because he's working with the car, he's part of the team," he added. "He does not do mistakes and the team does not do mistakes. Everything is absolutely brilliant."

The big questions at the weekend concerned the future of the sport, with the governing body engaged in a standoff with the teams and due to publish the 2010 entry list on Friday.

Paddock regulars wondered who would be on it, fretted that the sport could tear itself apart and expressed concern at the absence of fans.

Hardly anyone wasted time in pondering the outcome of the championship.

Related readings:  Button celebrates 6th win in seven races  Massa and Button vie for 4th consecutive win  Button promises to impress home fans at Silverstone  Button masters Monaco for fifth win in six races  F1 struggling after poor attendance at Turkish GP

Button is 26 points clear of Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello and 32 ahead of Red Bull's third-placed Sebastian Vettel with 10 races remaining.

He is already doing better than Ferrari's Michael Schumacher did in 2004, when the German clinched the title with 13 wins and four races to spare.

In 2002, when Schumacher won five of the first seven races, he took the title with six grands prix remaining.

Button could be crowned before the championship leaves Europe in September for the final four races in Singapore, Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

"I cannot see any way that he won't win the Championship," said former racer David Coulthard.

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh also saluted the 29-year-old he expects to dethrone his own team's champion Lewis Hamilton.

"You've got to say Jenson looks in good shape and I'm sure that he's the title favorite and deserves it," he told Reuters.

"He's had the years really struggling in the dark and now he's doing a fantastic job, he's in a competitive car and I think you've got to say he looks like he's going to be the world champion."

Reuters