Britain’s Jenson Button has vowed to keep his focus and avoid errors as the race to the Formula One drivers title hots up after the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Brawn GP driver finished Sunday’s race in eighth to see his championship lead cut to 14 points from teammate Rubens Barrichello and 16 from Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel with two races remaining.
Button said his main aim at the next Grand Prix in Brazil on October 18 was to avoid making mistakes that might open the door wider for his rivals.
”I only lost one point to Rubens which is my main priority. Obviously we lost a few points to Sebastian but we were expecting them to be strong,” he said.
”We go to two circuits now which should suit our car so I’m excited about the end of the season and already looking forward to the next race in Brazil.
He admitted the title was his to lose.
”Well, it is all about mistakes,” he told reporters.
”It is about finishing races and picking up points.
”We obviously want the best result possible, which is to win races, and we will get as close as we can. But it is about not making mistakes, that is the most important thing.
”I go to Brazil positive and looking forward to the challenge, because it is going to be a challenge. Sebastian is quick and the Red Bull seems very quick.”
Whatever happens in the drivers title fight, it looks certain that Brawn will clinch the constructors championship with just half a point now needed to relegate Red Bull into second.
”They have been through a lot,” Button said of the Brawn team, which is in its rookie year after taking over the ailing Honda outfit just in time to start the first race of the season in Australia in March.
”It has been a rollercoaster throughout the season but also last winter, so if it does happen then congratulations to everyone.
”And well done to Ross Brawn — he has achieved a lot in his Formula One career but this is very different.”
Brawn paid tribute to his drivers and said he was confident ahead of Brazil and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
”I am pleased with the performance of the team and drivers over the weekend to extract the maximum from the car and add to our championship points tally, leaving us with half a point required to take the constructors title,” he said.
”The next two races at Interlagos and Abu Dhabi should suit the characteristics of our car much better so we can look forward to a very exciting conclusion to the season.” — AFP
