Most modern F1 fans know Jenson Button for his contributions as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 over the past few years.
The older ones among us, remember a time when he was one of few men to beat the legendary Lewis Hamilton while teammates and win a historic title.
Back in 2009, from the unlikeliest of positions, he found himself in a position to fight for the Formula 1 title with Brawn GP.
At the start of the year, it didn’t even look like they would be on the grid – but by the end of it, everyone knew who they were, and they have been remembered ever since as a special tale.
Jenson Button put ‘extra pressure’ on his shoulders in Sebastian Vettel battle
Facing a lack of funding and an inability to upgrade their car, their story was similar to that of Red Bull and Max Verstappen in 2024.
In 09′, Red Bull were the ones chasing them with future four-time champion Sebastian Vettel at that time, and they nearly pulled off a great turnaround.
However, Button hung on and claimed the title at the Brazilian Grand Prix, admitting to Sky Sports F1 that he had put too much ‘pressure’ on his shoulders.
“I put extra pressure on my shoulders because I knew that this was a special year, ” he said. “We didn’t have the funds to improve the car through the season, we weren’t a works team.
“I didn’t know if this would happen again. It never happened again, in terms of me having the opportunity to fight for world championships.
“I put way too much pressure on myself and I knew it. But, trying to get yourself out of that position was very difficult and it kind of just spiralled out of control.”
Who’s title win was more impressive – Button or Verstappen?
In a very similar vein of form, Verstappen won seven of the opening 10 races this year, while Button won six of the first seven in 2009.
Brawn GP were an independent outfit ran by former Ferrari boss Ross Brawn at the time, who had purchased the team and its assets from Honda for £1 at the time.
He managed to keep the ship afloat and the reward was a magnificent and the most unlikely of world championships.
READ MORE: Ross Brawn tells Lando Norris what he’s ‘got to work out’ after Austrian Grand Prix clash
Red Bull are coming off the back of a few years of domination, whereas Honda had just finished ninth in the constructors’.
A few months later, they had pioneered the double diffuser concept – copied by virtually every other team and had some silverware to show for it.
Today they are Mercedes, a team that formed a dynasty off the back of the unlikeliest of scenarios – where Button hung on for glory.
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