Zoom One hand on the championship trophy for Jenson Button

Jenson Button took full advantage of a lap one error from Sebastian Vettel to snatch the lead, control the Turkish Grand Prix and take the chequered flag along with his sixth victory of the season with Brawn Mercedes.

Button’s only real pressure came from Vettel following the first round of stops, but the championship leader was well aware that while he had to complete just one more pit stop for tyres and fuel, his rival had to complete two.

“My start was good actually on the dirty side of the grid,” Button began. “Sebastian covered the inside which I was surprised about as going onto the dirty side I didn’t think was the best idea. We sat behind him for the first half of the lap and then Sebastian ran wide on the exit of ten and that was my opportunity.”

Once clear of Vettel, Button was able to pull a six second gap ahead of the first round of pitstops. It was the second stint that saw his German rival pick up the pace and for a number of laps it seems that Button was really under pressure for the lead.

“We sort of knew what lap he was going to stop on,” the Briton explained. “But it is still never a nice feeling, even when you know you have got more fuel in the car, to see a car catching you eight or nine tenths a lap. I just had to be as consistent as I could. I knew that if Sebastian was behind me it was going to be difficult to overtake, so I backed off in the corners I could to help the exits and as soon as Sebastian pitted I pushed a bit harder and got the lap times down a bit.”

Button was surprised that the Red Bull team left Vettel on a three stop strategy after losing the lead on the first lap. “It was, it really was,” Button declared. “Especially when he was behind me on the first stint by five or six seconds. I was very surprised that they went for a three.”

With six wins in the bag and a massive lead in the championship, Button is not getting caught up in the world championship scenario yet.

“I’ve got a 26 point lead which is just out of this world but I’m still not going to lift off,” he declared. “I want to do the best job I can at every race I go to and I’m still going to make every move that I possibly can to win every race. But I also know that that is not going to be easy. I will have a bad race this year and I will get beaten and it’s being ready for that situation.”

Button leads the championship with 61 points with Barrichello on 35, Vettel on 29 and Mark Webber on 27.5. Naturally he is looking forward to his home race at Silverstone.

“The British public has always been behind their drivers,” he said. “Going there this year is obviously a different situation: I’m leading the championship. In previous years, when the car has been difficult to drive and we haven’t had any results, in a way you’re a little bit embarrassed because you’ve got so much support. You’ve got so much support but you can’t give them anything back but to arrive there leading the championship, I feel that, in a way, it’s giving them something to really get a hold of and sink their teeth into and really enjoy.”

Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International