Brawn battle takes to Singapore

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello resume their title duel on the streets of Singapore on Sunday, where the focus returns to racing after another turbulent week off the track marked by bans and resignations

Britain's Button leads his Brawn GP team-mate by 14 points with four races remaining and while the team are closing in on a constructors' championship in their debut season, Barrichello's resurgence has ensured the drivers' title remains a keen contest.

The sport's authorities will be hoping a week that started with Renault being handed a suspended permanent ban for fixing Fernando Alonso's victory at the same venue a year ago ends with a positive race under the Marina Bay Street Circuit floodlights.

The inaugural running of the race provided a key turning point in last season's title tussle between a Briton and a Brazilian which culminated in Lewis Hamilton's podium finish helping him edge out Felipe Massa for the overall crown.

While the nationalities of the contenders are the same, Barrichello arrives in Singapore with the momentum of two wins in the last three races and will be hoping to go one better than his compatriot Massa and overhaul Button in the final standings.

"I've had a great time over the last month with two victories so we've got some good momentum behind us going into the final four races of the season," the 37-year-old Brazilian said.

"I can't wait to get back in the car and get on with the challenge."

Barrichello is also looking forward to the demands presented by racing under lights around the technical 5.067km layout.

"I really enjoyed the circuit as it felt like a proper street circuit should, with public roads, bumps, barriers and passing some of the famous city landmarks," he added.

"It's very narrow in places and you can feel quite enclosed particularly with the bright floodlights shining down."

Button started the season with six wins in the opening seven races and his second place behind Barrichello at Monza last time out was his best showing since his victory in Turkey in early June.

The Briton is less comfortable with the Singapore course than his team-mate but is banking on a strict sleeping regime to remain as alert as possible for the 8 p.m. (14.00 Malta time) start.

After starting the season in such dominant form, the Brawns came under pressure from the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber after Turkey but have benefited from the resurgence of McLaren and Ferrari, and the emergence of Force India, in recent weeks.

World champion Hamilton lost any hope of retaining his title when he crashed on the final lap while challenging Button for second in Monza but is happy to be free of any pressure for the Singapore race and expects to enjoy a good weekend.

"I remember my race in Singapore last year was all about damage limitation... I was driving with one eye on the championship and wasn't going to take too many risks," the McLaren driver said.

"I was happy to finish on the podium. This year, it's very different. I know I'm out of the title hunt and I want to attack these last four races, pushing for as many victories as I can."

F1 statistics

Title

• Brawn GP can clinch the constructors' title in Singapore with three races to spare if the Mercedes-powered team score 14 points more than Red Bull. They will be the first team to win the title in their debut season.

Wins

• Six drivers have won races this season (Button, Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Barrichello and Raikkonen).

• Four teams have triumphed: Brawn GP (8), Red Bull (3), McLaren (1) and Ferrari (1). Brawn have taken four one-two finishes.

• Brawn's championship leader Button won six of the first seven races. Only three British drivers - Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Jim Clark - have won seven races in a single season and all were champions.

• Only two Germans, the Schumacher brothers Michael and Ralf, have ever won three grands prix in a season.

• Ferrari have won 210 times, McLaren 163, Williams 113.

Pole Position

• Seven drivers have started on pole this season (Button, Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Trulli, Alonso and Fisichella).

• Seven of the season's 13 races have been won from pole.

• Force India have been on the front row of the grid for the past two races but champions Ferrari have yet to be on pole this season.