14 years ago, Jenson Button became F1 World Champion at the wheel of a Brawn GP

A cry, first. Then a hymn identifiable among a thousand. A cry to free oneself from the weight of waiting. A song to transcend emotion. On the last lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the refrain became obvious to Jenson Button: “We are the Champions!” » Queen to the aid of the new king of the track, the symbol could not be stronger. In the garage, with one voice, the chorus of mechanics soon echoes him.

2009 World Champion © DPPI

“We are the champions” now echoes throughout the pit lane. The new world champion can stop his car, undo his harness and jump out of his cockpit. He runs, jumps, falls into the arms of his mechanics, goes to the weigh-in, comes back, takes off his helmet, dives back into the arms of those who supported him throughout the season. We are the champions, says the song.

Button's trajectory is anything but a long, quiet river. Long typecast as an indolent playboy, the Englishman finally reached his goal the year he turned 29 © DPPI

He still seems to doubt it. What if it was just a dream? Pursued by a swarm of photographers, he now runs towards the Brawn garage, at the other end of the stands. The further he advances, the stronger the wave becomes. When he enters, she surges. Television cameras and photo cameras have the advantage of removable partitions. It is the chaos of feelings, the drift of emotions.

Hell race

Suddenly, the one he is looking for is there, in front of him. In tears, Ross Brawn has never deserved his nickname “Big Bear” more than this evening. The Big Teddy Bear opens his arms. Jenson Button does the same. The speakers spit out Queen's song!

Emu, Ross Brawn. We would be less so when we remember the state in which the Honda team found itself F1 just eleven months ago © DPPI

“It’s incredible,” shouts the pilot. I got into a kart for the first time 21 years ago and I never thought that I would one day be F1 world champion! My career has had so many ups and downs…” Tonight, it’s Button-up, for everyone! The sound of champagne bottles being opened drowns out the music. Jenson looks around. Someone is missing. “Where’s John?” », he seems to ask. Overwhelmed by emotion, his father remained in his corner. Petrified. Richard and Chris, Jenson's two big friends are with him. John's eyes are full of tears when the son arrives. This title is also his! He was the one who took care of Jenson when their relationship broke up. He was the one who bought Jenson a kart for her eighth birthday. It was he who sacrificed everything for his son's success. It is he who, this evening, receives the biggest hug.

It was he who, just yesterday, had to boost the morale of Jenson overwhelmed by his disastrous qualifying. “It’s going to have to be a hell of a race,” he told her, “because I don’t just want to pick up a few points. I want to do much better than that and I will fight. I don't know what the weather will be like, but I want a dry race. The car is good in the dry, and the overtaking possibilities are good on this track. » John had listened, as always. And approved.

John Button, aka Papa Smurf, devoted everything to his son after his divorce. The difficult years have welded their bonds and the deliverance is all the more intense © DPPI

His 14th place on the grid forced him into an attacking race; which might not have been a bad thing. Accused of playing the grocers, the little hands, the little champions, Jenson wanted – had to? – make this Brazilian Grand Prix a celebration of his talent. Twenty-four hours later, after some high-flying overtaking and a final 5th place, he was able to put the blame on his detractors.

Believe in one's dreams

“I had good times and bad times,” he tells the journalist who reminds him of the harsh words he had to endure during his career. Button the party boy, Jenson who should rather play in a boy's band, he has heard some bad things during his career. “What can I say to that?” Nothing and no one is going to ruin this moment for me. I'm going to take advantage of this moment like you have no idea because I won! There will always be people who find fault. All this talk about my 5th and 6th places, all these speeches about whether I deserve my title, it's all nonsense. The reality is that I am world champion and no one can take that away from me! During the last races I did everything I could with the car I had, and today was no exception! I produced the best driving of my career. Winning driving as David Coulthard told me. I accept the compliment. Yes, it was great driving to only finish 5th! Even if you have a substantial lead, it's very, very difficult to live with. Even if you do well, even if you beat your main opponents, it's still very stressful. You fall asleep thinking about qualifying and the race. You wake up thinking about it again. Even in your sleep you dream of this. Here, without Jessica (Michibata), all I could think about was that! I even asked my friends to come sleep in my room last night because I knew it was going to be horrible. They were right to decline. On Friday, I dreamed that the qualifiers were going to be terrible, and they were. Last night I dreamed that I was going to win the title, and here I am, world champion. You have to believe your dreams! I am world champion! THE WORLD CHAMPION! »

Brawn GP managing director Nick Fry says he never had any doubts © DPPI

Jenson Button repeats these words, out loud, as if to better convince himself. Nick Fry says he never had any doubts. “Jenson knew what he had to do today and he showed that he was a fine world champion,” intones the general manager of Brawn GP. This first stint, when he overtook himself when he had everything to lose, demonstrated his true nature. He just stayed the same, he just stayed focused and he approached the challenge in the best way. He was in a situation where it would have been easy to compromise everything. He was very intelligent in doing what he had to do. Its success does not surprise me. We've come a long way together since BAR and I always thought he had the potential to be world champion. Today, he confused his detractors, those who said he was incapable of overtaking, incapable of being aggressive. These people can now swallow their words. » An opinion shared by Ross Brawn.

Deserved title for Jenson Button

On this Glory Day, among all the reasons he has to be happy, there is one that Ross wants to highlight: Button's behavior. “This season, he has performed at his best level. In 2008, I had seen some good races, and quite a few bad ones, he emphasizes without wanting to offend his driver. In fact, I think he needed a car that matched his talent to really reveal himself. Jenson drives very, very well, and those who still doubted it must be very surprised. Personally, I have never seen a pilot as smooth as his. It's incredible ! » As for the Briton's alleged lack of enthusiasm for technology, the boss brushed it aside. “Ask Shov (Andrew Shovlin, his track engineer), he is very diligent in his work. This season has revitalized him at this level; which is completely normal when you have equipment that you can use. Jenson is very talented and the two years of banging his head against the walls have built his character. He hasn't stopped impressing me since Melbourne. »

His 14th place on the grid forced him into an attacking race. 24 hours later, he could wring the necks of his detractors © DPPI

As for the image of a somewhat dilettante playboy that stuck for a long time to his pilot, he prefers to laugh about it. “Honestly, a lot of nonsense has been written about him,” he continues. Jenson Button is a fairly simple and discreet boy. It doesn't make any noise. He always does things in a measured and calm manner. It reflects his driving style, very expensive, very controlled…” Suddenly, the boss of the eponymous team interrupts himself. A round of applause just rang out in the garage. They've already kissed when they got out of the car, but now it's time for a real reunion.

Button and Barrichello, a friendship born from years of struggle at Honda and which withstood the fratricidal battle which opposed them until the penultimate Grand Prix of this 2009 season © DPPI

Ross looks at his two pilots finally reunited, and approaches. This time, no tears on Rubens' cheeks. “I am disappointed with the result of the day, but happy with our year,” he tells his boss. We had a fantastic car and played in a fantastic team. What an incredible journey we had! As a friend, I am sincerely very happy for Jenson. He makes a fine champion. » The three men hug without saying more. “We are the champions”, spit out the speakers.

Article published in AH1723 of October 21, 2009

SECRET STORIES

• He grew up in the small village of Upper Vobster, in British Sommerset.
• His father named him Jensen, his favorite car, but spelled with an O.
• Jenson failed his license after 5 lessons at the age of 17, but passed it after the 6th.
• We know of several famous fiancées including Louise Griffiths, ex Star'ac, Florence "Flee" Brudenell-Bruce, the daughter of a Lord and Jessica Michibata, lingerie model.
• To help the team, Jenson agreed to reduce his salary from £8 million to £3 million with a promise to return to the same level in 2010 if things improved. A promise that Fry would have forgotten!
• This season, Jenson paid for his flights, hotels and miscellaneous expenses. An addition made all the heavier by the fact that “Team Button” included two friends (Richard Williams and Chris Buncombe who competed in the Porsche Cup), his father John and his manager Richard Goddard.
• He refused the label of playboy but did not hesitate, in full view of the international press, to drag his girlfriend Jessica into the debriefing rooms after the grands prix for naughty sessions.
• He says the foot massage Jessica gave him after the Singapore qualifier helped him relax and beat Barrichello the next day.
• His other great passion is Triathlon. Last year he invited Hamilton…which never came.
• The last title he won before this Sunday was the 1997 European Kart Championship. He was 16 years old.

ALSO READ > Jenson Button, 5th in Petit Le Mans: “I enjoyed every moment”