Button: title defence will be toughest test in F1 history

JENSON BUTTON believes his title defence will be the most difficult in the history of Formula One.

The 29-year-old sealed his maiden crown this weekend at the Brazilian Grand Prix, but it has proved a tough run-in for the Frome racer, who has not won a race since June.

His Brawn GP team only came into existence this season after the withdrawal of Honda from the sport, but their rise to prominence, along with the stern challenge from the Red Bull cars, shows the sport has a depth which reaches far beyond its traditional powerhouses.

And Button believes that will make defending his title, something no British driver has ever done, a stiff test.

“It’s getting more and more difficult,” he said. “It’s a very competitive sport.

“I’m sure it was in the 70s and 80s but now, for me, every single driver on the grid deserves to be there. They are very talented, they’re not paying their way into the sport. So to have the competitiveness between the drivers, but also the teams — it’s amazing how close it’s been this season.”

“One second has covered the front to the back of the grid, whereas 10, 15 years ago that was first to third on the grid.”

With Button yet to sign a new contract at Brawn, just where he will be when he attempts is defence is not yet clear.

But he insists he intends to stay put and will not be lured away simply by a big-money contract.

He said: “For me the most important thing in my career has always been to be in a great car and this year is the first year I’ve really been in that position.

“I want to continue achieving in the sport.

“I’m not one of these drivers who’s going to be looking for a new team who can pay me a big amount of money; that’s not what I’m about.

“I want to go and win races again.

“I want to be with Brawn, we just haven’t discussed it during the season, which is the right thing to do so we could just concentrate on getting the titles, the constructors’ and the drivers’, but now we can sit down and discuss it a bit more. I am going to put a bit of pressure on them, for sure.

“We’re going to enjoy this moment very, very much — I’m not going to think about next year for a few days, but then we’ll start talks about next season.

“You always want more and achieving the world championships is a great feeling and I’ll enjoy that for many more days but after that life goes on and you want to achieve greater things.

“That will be the aim and that’s why I would like to do with Brawn next year but we just haven’t discussed a contract yet. That’s something we’ll do as soon as possible.”

“This weekend has been pretty special for myself and for everyone that has been involved in my career since the beginning,” he said. “I wanted to become a world champion in Formula One and 21 years I have spent in racing with that goal in mind. I have been able to achieve that.”