Button secures Formula One world championship

Jenson Button defied his critics and made a boyhood dream come true as Britain's 10th Formula One world champion. Written off by some in recent years as an overpaid one-hit wonder with playboy tastes, the Briton capped an extraordinary season with a title that ranks as one of the sport's most astonishing turnarounds. The 29-year-old Brawn GP driver lined up in Australia in March with just one win under his belt from 153 starts but with a dominant car that he would go on to describe as outrageous and a monster. He went on to win six of the first seven races and laid the foundations for a championship that would elevate him to the same level as the likes of compatriots Nigel Mansell and Lewis Hamilton. Starting 14th in Brazil, with closest rival and Brawn team mate Rubens Barrichello on pole position, the title seemed destined to go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi on November 1. Instead, a fifth place for the Briton, a late puncture for Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel finishing out of the top two handed Button the title. The boyhood dream had looked impossible at the end of last year when Honda announced they were pulling out of the sport, leaving Button and Barrichello both wondering where their careers were headed. With a Mercedes engine in the back of a car that Honda has lavished time and money on, Button started the season by leading a commanding one-two in Melbourne -- the most successful debut by a team in 55 years.