Button and His Brawn Team Secure Formula One Titles

SAO PAULO: Jenson Button clinched his first Formula One title with a fifth-place finish Sunday at the Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo, and his Brawn team made history by winning the constructors’ crown in its debut season.

Button’s victory gives Britain back-to-back Formula One titles for the first time since 1969, when Jackie Stewart won the year after Graham Hill did. Lewis Hamilton of McLaren won last year.

“I am the world champion; I’m going to keep saying it all night,” Button, 29, said. “I’m going to enjoy this moment like you wouldn’t believe.”

Mark Webber of Red Bull won the race, ahead of Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber and Hamilton.

The hometown favorite, Rubens Barrichello — Button’s Brawn GP teammate and his closest challenger for the title at the start of the race — started from the pole but finished eighth after a puncture. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was fourth.

Fifth was good enough to give Button an insurmountable 15-point lead over Vettel in the drivers’ standings. The final race of the season is Nov. 1 in the United Arab Emirates.

Button, in his 10th year in Formula One, won six of the first seven races, then was consistent enough to arrive in Brazil with a comfortable lead.

The Brawn team, which entered needing only a half-point to clinch the title, was created only a weeks before the start of the season, after the Honda team decided to withdraw because of the global recession.

JOHNSON IN COMMAND Jimmie Johnson is practically on cruise control to a Nascar-record fourth consecutive championship with his commanding lead in the race for the Sprint Cup title after winning Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Johnson won for the third time in five Chase for the championship races this season. He has a 90-point lead over Mark Martin, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, at the halfway point of the 10-race playoff.

“I think it’s a nice points lead, but there’s no need for anybody to get too excited yet,” Johnson said, adding, “There’s a lot of races left.”

Johnson collected his sixth career victory at Lowe’s on a night when 8 of the 12 Chase drivers finished outside the top 10. The win, Johnson’s 46th over all, moved him into a tie with Buck Baker for 13th on the career list.

The competition now heads to Martinsville, Va., where Johnson has won five of the last six races.