Jenson Button secured his first win of the season last night after passing defending Sebastian Vettel on the final lap of an extraordinary, dramatic, rain-delayed and crash-hit Canadian Grand Prix.
The 31-year-old Englishman, driving his McLaren car with great courage, speed and judgment after surviving an early collision with his team-mate and compatriot Lewis Hamilton, emerged triumphant at the conclusion of an unpredictable and sensational race.
Vettel, of Red Bull, had looked sure to win after leading from pole position both before and after a two-hour suspension of the action due to torrential rain, but he buckled under pressure from Button on the final lap and finished second.
This enabled Button, who was in last place at one time, to come home in a winning time of four hours, four minutes and 39.537 seconds.
It was the 10th career win for the champion of 2009.
“I really don’t know what to say, it’s been a very emotional three hours or whatever it’s been since the start,” said Button.
“The incident with Lewis – I couldn’t see anything and I’ve apologised to him. It was really a fight from then on, but I kept on pushing and I managed to get past Seb at the end. Another great win for me and possibly my best.”
Vettel managed to hang on and finish second after being defeated for only the second time this year in seven races and his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber came home third, after battling through in the closing laps.
This left luckless seven-times champion Michael Schumacher to finish fourth for Mercedes after looking poised to take a podium finish ahead of fifth-placed Russian Vitaly Petrov of Renault.
Brazilian Felipe Massa came home sixth for Ferrari, who lost Spaniard Fernando Alonso through an accident earlier in the contest, with Japanese Kamui Kobayashi seventh for Sauber.
Massa passed the Sauber by a few metres as they crossed the line.
Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari finished eighth for Toro Rosso ahead of Brazilian Rubens Barrichello of Williams and Swiss Sebastien Buemi in the second Toro Rosso.
Button’s triumph, declared by many as the finest of his career after one of the most spectacular Grands Prix of recent years, lifted him to second behind Vettel in the drivers’ championship.
“That was a hell of a race,” he shouted on the team radio. “Thanks so much. That was a fantastic win.”
Button’s race included not only his collision with Hamilton, but also six pit stops including a drive-through penalty.
GP result
1. Button (McLaren) - 4h 04:39.537
2. Vettel (Red Bull) at 2.709
3. Webber (Red Bull) - 13.828
4. Schumacher (Mercedes) - 14.219
5. Petrov (Lotus-Renault) - 20.395
6. Massa (Ferrari) - 33.225
7. Kobayashi (Sauber) - 33.270
8. Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) - 35.964
9. Barrichello (Williams) - 45.117
10. Buemi (Toro Rosso) - 47.056
11. Rosberg (Mercedes) - 50.454
12. De la Rosa (Sauber) - 1 lap
13. Liuzzi (Cosworth) - 1 lap
14. Karthikeyan (Cosworth) - 1 lap
15. D’Ambrosio (Virgin) - 1 lap
16. Glock (Virgin) - 1 lap
17. Trulli (Team Lotus) - 1 lap
18. Di Resta (Force India) - 3 laps
Retired:
Hamilton (McLaren) - 8th lap
Kovalainen (Lotus) - 29th lap
Alonso (Ferrari) - 37th lap
Sutil (Force India) - 50th lap
Heidfeld (Lotus-Renault) - 56th lap
Maldonado (Williams F1) - 62nd lap
Drivers
1. Vettel 161 points, 2. Button 101, 3. Webber 94, 4. Hamilton 85, 5. Alonso 69, 6. Massa 32, 7. Petrov 31, 8. Heidfeld 29, 9. Schumacher 26, 10. Rosberg 26, 11. Kobayashi 25, 12. Sutil 8, 13. Buemi 8, 14. Alguersuari 4, 15. Barrichello 4, 16. Perez 2, 17. Di Resta 2.
Constructors
1. Red Bull 255, 2. McLaren 186, 3. Fer-rari 101, 4. Lotus-Renault 60, 5. Mer-cedes GP 52, 6. Sauber 27, 7. Toro Rosso 12, 8. Force India 10, 9. Williams 4.
Next race
Valencia GP, June 26.