Big Sensational Opening Paragraph Alert: Jenson Button can clinch the drivers championship at Suzuka this weekend if he finishes far enough ahead of his Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello.
It’s all a bit mathsy, but here’s how it stands. For Jenson to win the title, he has to score five more points than Barrichello, by achieving one of the following:
· He wins and Rubens places lower than third.
· He finishes second and Rubens places lower than fifth.
· He finishes third and Rubens places lower than seventh.
· He finishes fourth and Rubens places lower than eighth.
If Jenson finishes any lower than fourth, the championship will still be alive going to Brazil in two weeks’ time. Sebastien Vettel is the only other driver with a chance – a very, very slim chance, admittedly – of grabbing the title, and has to manage a podium finish this weekend and hope it all goes wrong for the two Brawn drivers.
After the first two practice sessions in Suzuka, we’ve got no better indication of who might be quick this weekend, with heavy rain reducing the second session to just 13 minutes of fairly processional action.
Heikki Kovalainen set to the quickest time of the day in first practice, with Adrian Sutil going quickest in the final session. Brawn chose to sit out of second practice, keeping their wet weather tyres in good condition for qualification tomorrow.
Japanese test driver Kamui Kobayashi replaced Toyota’s Timo Glock – who is suffering from a heavy cold – in practice, but the German driver is expected to recover for quali and Sunday’s race.
But all eyes will be on Button tomorrow. If you were in his race boots, how would you play it? Go all-out in the knowledge that a win will likely clinch the championship? Or play it safe, carefully accrue a few more points and hope that Rubens doesn’t storm it?
Be an interesting one, I think
that Button should be careful, He is great in the wet but I think Hamilton will be on top.
Just be steady and amas the points Button, no need to go for it and make silly mistakes,
GO THE BRITS!!!!
just want button to come out the blocks fighting and up for it .. win it and show em you deserve the drivers championship
come on jenson ..show us our faith wasn’t for nothing
I am hoping that Rubens keeps the championship fight alive, because it woudn’t be nice if we went into the last two races (especially Abu Dhabi) knowing who the new world champion was.
bonjour jensen,the rain meister, i believe in you so go and grab it by the sphericals and bring home the prize.i did shed a happy tear last year when lewis won it by rizla’s thickness ,i like many others was falling off the edge of the settee in the last moments of that race,so please dont put me thru that again just win it for your country, your team and mainly for YOU….all the best… hercule
It would nice for Button to stick in a one or two more great drives if he is on his way to the title. Maybe not even a win just an outstanding drive.
Rubens is pretty good in the wet too isnt he?
I think its unlikely to go to the wire again.
BANZAI!go for it like a true samurai..but wait,you’re a Brit.that means you’re going to take it slow and steady like those cricketer blokes..the test players..
Blast…
GO JENSON
Stick behind Rubinho, pit one lap after him. It would be stupid to go all out.
But, go Rubinho, go!!
Light fuel to have a quick qualifying session & get the optional tyres out of the way, that way he should be on ploe for the race & storm ahead (we all know how good a driver he actually is). Long middle stint to retain track positions, then effectively a ’splah’n'dash’ to the line to get the win. Rubens would have no choice to be behind him then.
Lewis was doing Brilliantly considering he’s never EVER raced on that track, and so was Heikki. hope Lewis wins sunday and that Massa recovers well next season so he can stop Alonso becoming another Schuy, alonso was the reason schuy left F1 in the 1st place. Rubens for world title!
Go for it Jenson, just don’t through it away! Apart from contradicting myself, can’t wait to see this race at the ungodly hours.
Interesting, but I’d still rather see Rubens win the title, he probably deserves it more
P.S. Love Suzuka
Sweet Suzuka is back!!
Kimi rules at this track.
But all eyes will be at Button and Rubens…!
And I want Rubens to win the championship. He really deserves the big one before he retires!!
@ Comment 10: What do you mean Alonso was the reason Schuey left? I personally don’t think that just because Schumacher got beaten he would quit F1! But anyway, this weekend should be awesome!Suzuka is pretty much my favorite track ever (besides the Nordschleife…)
Talks about someone deserving title is boring. F1 is not a place where you earn title with anything more than points.
RB had his chances back in Ferrary but didnt managed to stay in 2nd behind Shumi – so he doesent deserve more than he has achieved.
Jenson worked hard in Honda and didn’t cried (like Rubens or Felippe). He knew that his turn will come.
Respect for JB. Have been fan of him since he started. Nice person, damn good driver!
GO JENSON!!!
I’d like to think he’d gun it to win, but the latter option is more bloody likely…
I’ll be getting up for the 06:00 live action Sunday! I love Suzuka!! Tbh, I wouldn’t mind which Brawn driver won the WDC – they’d both thoroughly deserve it.
I sense another crash gate on our hands… lol jk. I truly hope it’ll be a clean race and Button wins so that we can get on to next season with lotus coming back to f1
Come on Button just put your foot down and and watch what you are doong on the track.
If there was two men in F1 who deserve that trophy more than anyone it’s Jenson and Rubens,maybe more so Rubens not to take the shine off Jenson, but Rubens was often put on the back burner and sidelines in ferrari, either way be it Rubens or Jenson, who lift it they will be truly gracious and deserving champions.
he doesnt deserve it at all…he got lucky that brawn were soooooo much faster then everyone for the first 6 races, since the rest started catching up he has lucked meiocre at best
Call me paranoid, but with Rio celebrating hosting the 2016 Olympics, I have a bad feeling that Rubens will -JUST-, like by 1 point, win the title this year…
Finally a racing track with history that will go on.
Run Button, Run!!! Vettel is gunning for you, and he is driving very well!!!
Show me one driver in F1 who has been able to take the title with poor car?
If the car is good all top10 drivers are able to take the title. So why you blame car?
Button has been better than his teammate most of the time – it shows clearly that he is good!
Its a team sport.
todays qualifying:
JB made obviously mistake in first sector. Otherwise he was running top4 time. Obviously Brawns are heavy. Just wondering how much fuel vettel has…
Actually brawn cars were in a heavy fuel load. If they will strategize like RBull, they can be on top of the qualifying. Do the math.
Ross Brawn is a great thinker, may be jenson slip a 2 position but definitely it will score more points than the 3 in front of him. 1-stop strategy, will sure be the key. Remember the previous race. Brawn won with a large margin eventhough they were in 4th and 5th respectively in the start of the race.
Vettel is gonna be right in the thick of the title battle come Interlagos and Abu Dhabi
is it just me or is it just that it nearly always goes to the last race?? coincidence? but come on Button you can win it!!!!
I hope jenson loses he does not deserve to win , Hamilton had a bad start but now his car is ok he is winning all the races. If anybody has to win then go Rubens !!
Hasn’t Jenson already won the drivers championship?
Didn’t the rules get changed at the beginning of the year because Hamilton won the championship with less race victories than Massa. So that who ever wins the most victories wins the drivers championship. Since he has 6 victories and no other driver has more than 2 victories with only 3 races left, let me be the first to declare Jenson Button Champion.
Is it me or is Jenson doing his best to give the world championship to his team mate.
If he wins it will just be because of the fist 6 races and the points they gave him but what happened to him.
dont panic lets just all take stock the tail end may have been a bit like cutting teeth but the work was done at the start sorry for always second fiddle rubins but JBs got this id like to say maybe next year red bull but Mclaren and ferrari have had a year to develop
With the points difference in his favour, all Jensen has to do is accumulate 6 points or better and he can’t be beat. Simple as that. Good for the viewers if it goes to the wire. Just stay cool and out of trouble Jensen and it’s yours. piece of cake.
Go get it boy you deserve it.
its the car it was ahead of the rest in mods ect but all the other teams soon catched up now its down 2 the drivers and jenson just ent got it if lewis had of had the car he would of won it 3 races ago fact