Jenson Button's 10 greatest F1 drives
Jenson Button has been one of Formula 1's underrated drivers for many years now.
The 2009 world champion has made 296 starts (third in the all-time list), won 15 grands prix and scored 50 podiums in his 17-year career.
In that time, he has also come up against - and beaten - a string of top team-mates, including world champions Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Jacques Villeneuve.
Picking the 10 best races from his illustrious career is not an easy task, but here are the events, in chronological order, we think demonstrate the best of Button.
2002 MALAYSIAN GP
Button race #36
Renault R202
Started: 8th
Result: 4th
"This race possibly marked the first tangible foundation of the rebuilding of Button's career," reckoned Autosport reporter Mark Hughes after the second race of the 2002 season.
The year before had not gone well for Button. The Benetton-Renault B201 was not a good car and Button scored just two points, trounced by team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
That had undone a lot of Button's good work in his rookie season with Williams in 2000, which had included qualifying third at Spa.
Now partnered by Jarno Trulli, Button had to do a stronger job in 2002 and in Malaysia he qualified eighth (in the spare car), four spots ahead of Trulli, and made a good start.
Michael Schumacher's Ferrari and the Williams of Juan Pablo Montoya clashed at the first corner, heralding recovery charges from both, and Button moved into sixth.
He then displayed fine racecraft, battling with the recovering Montoya and using the R202's great traction to keep the faster Williams at bay.
Montoya made a move stick on lap seven but a controversial drivethrough penalty for the Schumacher clash meant he would need to pass Button again later on.
Before that, there was some good luck for Button. Remarkably, engine failures accounted for both McLarens and Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari.
Once the pitstops had played out, that meant the one-stopping Button - making the most of a Michelin advantage in the hot conditions - was up to second.
Montoya arrived on his gearbox on lap 41 of 56 and again Button put up a stout defence. At one point, the Williams dived by into Turn 1, only to find the Renault slipping back ahead at Turn 2.
The Colombian finally made second his own on lap 44, but the consistent Button still looked out of range of the still-charging Schumacher.
Then, just three laps away from his first F1 podium, Button began to slow. A link in the Renault's rear suspension had broken and Schumacher's Ferrari swept by on the final lap, Button nursing the car home fourth.
"I'm absolutely gutted," he said, but Autosport's Nigel Roebuck felt he had made a point: "Jenson drove a quite superb race, burying a lot of memories from 2001 in the process."
2004 GERMAN GP
Button race #78
BAR 006
Started: 13th
Result: 2nd
"Jenson: My greatest ever race," said Autosport's cover after Button stormed to second in an enthralling encounter at Hockenheim.
The performance came after a troubled weekend for BAR, which included its Front Torque Transfer system being banned and Button being relegated 10 places due to an engine change after qualifying third.
Button left his first stop until late, then unleashed the BAR's pace when in clean air. That got him to fifth.
A mistake from Montoya helped Button to fourth and more quick laps as others pitted meant he jumped David Coulthard's McLaren. Only the Ferrari of Schumacher and Fernando Alonso's Renault remained ahead.
After both his second and third (final) stops, Button found himself behind the Renault and the two future world champions put on a superb show of wheel-to-wheel racing.
Button's task was made harder by his helmet working loose, throttling him at high speeds and forcing him to hold it on the straights.
The battle with Alonso only ended when the Renault's left-hand bargeboard picked up some debris, robbing him of downforce and allowing Button to streak clear on lap 52 of 66.
"If we had started where we qualified we would have had a very good chance of challenging Michael," argued Button, who finished just 10s behind.
2006 HUNGARIAN GP
Button race #113
Honda RA106
Started: 14th
Result: 1st
Michael Schumacher 11th, Jenson Button 14th and Fernando Alonso 15th. For one reason or another (in Button's case a 10-place penalty for an engine change), the starting grid for the 2006 Hungarian GP was unusual.
But rain on race day brought some of the familiar names back into play, and finally the cards fell Button's way and he scored his first GP victory.
In tricky conditions, Button picked up three spots on the opening lap, passed Nick Heidfeld on lap two, Coulthard on lap three and Felipe Massa on the next tour.
Fisichella (Renault) and Schumacher were next and after just seven laps Button was up to fourth, behind the McLarens of Kimi Raikkonen and Pedro de la Rosa, and Alonso, the Renault having shot to sixth on the opening lap.
On a day the Michelin intermediates were superior to the harder Bridgestone offerings, Alonso and Button starred.
Alonso stayed out longer than many of the other frontrunners, only pitting under a safety car after Raikkonen crashed into Tonio Liuzzi's Toro Rosso. It meant that Alonso led Button at the restart.
Button lost time behind the lapped Massa initially, but once through closed on Alonso.
"Button is still the only driver who might be a match for Michael Schumacher in full wet conditions and there was a period where he was reeling in Alonso hand over fist in the greasy conditions," said our race report.
Nevertheless, with the earlier-stopping Button sticking with intermediates, Alonso took dries at his second (and final) stop and second looked the likely result for Honda.
But then a wheel parted company from the Renault and Button swept into the lead before making his own switch to dry rubber. From there, he went on to win by over half a minute.
"This is the way you dream of your first GP win - fighting your way through the field, picking people off," said Button.
Victory in Button's 113th F1 start also moved 1996 world champion Damon Hill to say: "If Jenson had a fully competitive car it's obvious that he would win on a regular basis."
2009 MONACO GP
Button race #159
Brawn BGP 001
Started: 1st
Result: 1st
That regular basis arrived in 2009. Against the odds, Honda became Brawn and the BGP 001 was the car to have at the start of a new rules cycle.
After struggling throughout Monaco practice, Button delivered when it mattered in qualifying, taking arguably the best of his eight career pole positions. He duly led from the off.
Second-placed Barrichello's super-soft rear tyres started graining from around lap 10. Team-mate Button was not so afflicted and thus the gap went from 3.2s after nine laps to over 12s before Barrichello pitted on lap 16 of 78.
Although turbulent air could have been part of it, Bridgestone's Hirohide Hamashima pointed to the driver factor: "Jenson is very, very easy on the tyres.
"He is super-smooth with his braking, steering and throttle. This helps a lot."
From then on, Button comfortably controlled proceedings to take his fifth win from six 2009 starts in what Autosport's Mark Hughes described as "copybook start-to-finish perfection".
Not, perhaps, his most exciting drive. But Button has four circuits he holds above the others - Suzuka, Spa, Monaco and Silverstone - and this was his first F1 victory that ticked one off the list.
2009 BRAZILIAN GP
Button race #169
Brawn BGP 001
Started: 14th
Result: 5th
After his stunning start to the 2009 campaign - six wins and a 26-point lead after seven races - Button suffered a mid-season wobble.
That was in part due to the pressure of his first world championship challenge, but also to Red Bull's RB5 becoming at least a match for the BGP 001 and tyre issues for Brawn.
Things didn't look very good for Button during a rain-affected and crash-strewn qualifying session in Interlagos either. Overheated rear wets left him 14th, with team-mate and title rival Barrichello on pole.
But come the race, Button again proved that racing is his strong suit. Ninth at the end of lap one, helped by a multi-car incident, he quickly gained two more places after the ensuing safety car period with some good racecraft.
He was trapped by Kamui Kobayashi's Toyota for several laps, but Button finally made a decisive move into the Esses. He then inherited another spot when Nico Rosberg suffered a gearbox problem on his Williams.
As Barrichello, who needed to outscore Button by five points to take the title fight to the Abu Dhabi finale, fell back Button's position looked ever stronger.
At the final stops, Sebastian Vettel leapfrogged Button, underlining the pace of the Red Bull, but the title looked to be going Button's way even before Barrichello pitted with a puncture.
That meant Button took fifth and, more importantly, the world championship in confident style.
"By the end of the season that was far from being the best car, but Jenson drove the drive of a champion," says experienced engineer Pat Symonds, who worked with Button at Renault.
"All the odds were stacked against him and he drove almost beyond his ability. That's what makes a champion."
2010 CHINESE GP
Button race #174
McLaren MP4-25
Started: 5th
Result: 1st
Many were sceptical about Button's move to McLaren after becoming world champion. Could he really stand up to the rapid Lewis Hamilton, long since established in the team?
The answer came quickly. Button won second time out in the 2010 Australian GP after a canny early switch to slicks, but his success in China was even more impressive.
Having qualified fifth, just ahead of Hamilton, Button held position at the start. Liuzzi then dropped his Force India under braking, removing two other cars and bringing out the safety car.
With rain developing many (including Hamilton) decided to pit for intermediates, but Button stayed out, rising to second behind the Mercedes of Rosberg.
It was the right call. The rain abated, the track dried, and the stoppers soon returned to the pits to switch back to slicks.
Button tracked Rosberg and when the rain returned the Mercedes ran wide in Turn 11, just before the back straight. Button pounced to take the lead before finally making a stop, fitting intermediates.
At this point Button was nearly a minute clear of his most likely rivals - the Red Bulls and Hamilton - but lost that advantage when Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso tripped over the HRT of Bruno Senna, bringing out the safety car.
It was Hamilton who made the most of the opportunity, charging to third within four laps of the restart. With the intermediates already going off, Hamilton dived into the pits for a new set on lap 37 of 56.
McLaren called Button in a lap later and, with Hamilton jumping Rosberg after the Mercedes too pitted, that left the #1 machine with just a 3.3s lead over the sister MP4-25.
"We were now set for 17 laps of what promised to be an enthralling contest: a straight wet-weather driving contest between two of the great rain aces in identical cars," said Autosport's report.
They traded lap times until Hamilton's tyres started to give up, Button extending his lead to 10s with seven laps to go.
But then Button's tyres went off and he ran wide at the hairpin, losing four seconds. Hamilton closed in, but never got within striking distance as Button took the flag 1.5s ahead.
2011 HUNGARIAN GP
Button race #200
McLaren MP4-26
Started: 3rd
Result: 1st
Vettel's Red Bull and Hamilton set the pace early at a damp Hungaroring, the McLaren tracking the Red Bull, with Button third. Vettel then slid wide at Turn 2 on lap five, allowing Hamilton into the lead.
After switching from intermediates to slicks - and with his McLaren on a saved set of new super-softs - Hamilton looked strong. Button passed Vettel after the stops to run second, but was 9.1s behind his acrobatic team-mate after 21 of the 70 laps.
Then Hamilton's front-left tyre started to wear out and Button relentlessly reduced the gap, only four seconds behind as Lewis pulled in for his second stop on lap 26.
Button pegged Hamilton early during this third stint, then closed in towards the end, again getting more life out of the rubber.
"I was looking after the tyres and the fuel early in each stint," said Button.
The same thing happened after their third stops and, as drizzle arrived, Hamilton spun at the chicane on lap 47, allowing Jenson by. But Button's harder rubber now started to lose temperature as the rain got worse, allowing his super-soft-shod team-mate to catch up.
The McLarens started battling, passing and repassing on the slippery surface.
If the race had stayed dry, Button would have won on account of being able to do one stop fewer than Hamilton, but the rain worsened and McLaren called its drivers in for intermediates. Hamilton obliged, Button did not.
"Jenson's skill on slicks in the wet means his changeover point can be considerably wetter than most, giving him a great bandwidth in such marginal conditions," said Mark Hughes in our report.
Button was more straightforward: "I had no intention of stopping."
Hamilton was beaten, a drivethrough for a spin-turn after his earlier moment dropping him to fourth but making no difference to the victorious Button.
"The better man won today," proffered Hamilton.
2011 JAPANESE GP
Button race #204
McLaren MP4-26
Started: 2nd
Result: 1st
Pipped to pole by Vettel's Red Bull by a mere 0.009s, Button was in sublime form around the sweeps of Suzuka.
He made a better start than the poleman, but Vettel moved across, edging Button towards the grass, notwithstanding the fact that Seb could secure the world crown with four races to spare.
Button thus lost a spot to team-mate Hamilton and was not amused. The McLarens nevertheless swapped again shortly afterwards as Lewis struggled with a slow puncture before pitting.
After the first stops, Vettel hit tyre degradation woes first and Button caught him. Red Bull pitted Vettel, but Button - who came in a lap later - was 1.4s quicker on his in-lap.
It was enough for Button to leapfrog Vettel. He then contained the Red Bull's early-stint pace advantage, then blitzed clear after a safety car period and before the third stops.
Having defeated Vettel, Button's work was still not done. Alonso, whose Ferrari was kinder to its tyres than the McLaren or Red Bull and thus quicker at the end of stints, got ahead of Vettel after the final stops and started charging after the leader.
Button, weary of hurting his rubber and a marginal fuel load, allowed Alonso to get within a second, perilously close to DRS range. Then he let rip with three laps to go.
On the penultimate tour he set the fastest lap and his advantage went up to 1.8s.
While Vettel clinched his second consecutive title, Button's third win of arguably his most impressive F1 campaign ultimately helped him to second in the points, comfortably beating Hamilton.
"Once I got the lead I felt totally in control," said Button. "I had real confidence in that car around a circuit I love."
2012 BELGIAN GP
Button race #220
McLaren MP4-27
Started: 1st
Result: 1st
Spa 2012 is largely remembered for Romain Grosjean's Lotus vaulting over the back of Alonso's Ferrari at La Source after hitting Hamilton's McLaren. That's a shame because it was also one of Button's most impressive dry-weather drives.
Button qualified on pole - a whopping 0.8s faster than team-mate Hamilton in eighth (which caused Lewis to controversially tweet his telemetry sheet) - and made a decent start in the improved MP4-27.
That meant he was ahead of the chaos at the first corner. And he stayed ahead of the otherwise engaging battles behind thereafter.
Quite simply, nobody ever looked like challenging and Button led every lap on his way to a 13.6s victory over Vettel's Red Bull.
"The car felt very consistent, really good to drive and I could control the degradation of the tyres," said Button, who had struggled with balance earlier in the season.
In a 2014 interview he added: "It's probably the most dominant weekend I've had at McLaren. It was the easiest race for me."
2012 BRAZILIAN GP
Button race #228
McLaren MP4-27
Started: 2nd
Result: 1st
In a dramatic, rain-affected title showdown, in which Vettel recovered from a lap-one spin to secure his third crown, Button once again rose above the field.
The MP4-27 was quick in the dry around Interlagos, McLaren locking out the front row, with Hamilton 0.055s ahead of team-mate Button.
As Hamilton led from the start, in light drizzle, Button was jumped by Massa's Ferrari. But he forced Massa to defend into Turn 4 and shot back into second on the inside at Turn 5.
As the drizzle got heavier, Button increasingly threatened Hamilton. They swapped places several times before Button duplicated his Massa move on lap eight and drew away.
"The first few laps were awesome," said Button. "The sort of racing you don't normally get with a team-mate.
"That was the best part of that race, going wheel-to-wheel with Lewis and enjoying our racing."
Hamilton soon came in for intermediates. Others came in, but Button and Nico Hulkenberg - up to third early on in his Force India - decided to stay out.
As Button and Hulkenberg duelled for the lead - at one point dead-heating across the start/finish line - Hamilton started closing in on his intermediates, then lost ground again as the track dried.
Like much of the rest of the field, Hamilton soon peeled back into the pitlane for slicks. After 22 laps of the 71 the lead duo, now with Hulkenberg ahead, were thus three quarters of a minute clear of the field.
Then Rosberg's Mercedes picked up a puncture caused by debris, bringing out the safety car. Hulkenberg and Button took the opportunity to change tyres, but their big advantage had been wiped out.
After the restart, Button started suffering from front-tyre graining and dropped behind Hamilton.
As rain returned, Hulkenberg had a half-spin and Hamilton swept through to lead, with Button 4.2s behind his team-mate in third.
Starting lap 55, Hulkenberg got a run on Hamilton heading into the Esses, hit a wet patch and slid into the McLaren. Hamilton was out and Hulkenberg earned a drivethrough for the misdemeanour.
That left Button well clear at the front and, following a switch back to intermediates as the rain intensified, he built a lead of 20s over the now second-placed Alonso.
Then Paul di Resta crashed his Force India and the race finished behind the safety car. Button had secured his 15th - and so far final - GP victory.
"I think it's because I feel more through my body rather than through my eyes to get the feeling of the car on the circuit," said Button of his ability on slicks in the wet.
"When people see it's raining, they immediately get worried that there is going to be no grip.
"It's tricky, because every situation is different, every circuit's grip level is different and it works differently with the rain.
"It's about feeling it through the car rather than just looking at the rain, seeing it's wet and thinking you have to brake early and be steady through the corners."
AND 10 HONOURABLE MENTIONS
2000 German GP (4th)
Although he qualified 16th, Button actually started his first German GP from the back, his Williams-BMW having initially failed to fire up for the formation lap. He made slow progress in the dry and had only risen to 15th by the time a disgruntled ex-Mercedes employee decided to invade the track, bringing out the safety car. But then rain arrived, Williams pitted Button early and he did the rest, charging to fourth.
2004 Malaysian GP (3rd)
Following a number of near misses, Button finally got his first F1 podium. He had to regularly pump oil through the system to ensure his BAR-Honda's engine was not starved of oil in the closing stages, but managed the situation to hold off a charging Barrichello. "I was waiting for something bad to happen because it always does for me," said Button.
2009 Malaysian GP (1st)
Poleman Button fell to third at the start, but unleashed two laps way faster than anyone else once the pitstops began to move back to the front. Then it rained and Button's lead ballooned as he outpaced everyone on slicks in the wet, pulling 8.6s on second-placed Rosberg in one lap before the race was eventually curtailed early.
2010 Australian GP (1st)
Second race for McLaren, first victory. Wheel-banging with Alonso and losing out to Hamilton encouraged Button to pit for slicks on a drying track. Despite an off on his out-lap, it was a masterstroke and allowed Button to vault up the field. But he still required a wheel failure to halt Vettel's Red Bull before the win was secured.
2010 Turkish GP (2nd)
After the controversial clash between Red Bull 'team-mates' Vettel and Mark Webber, Hamilton and Button showed how an intra-team fight should be performed, with Hamilton coming out on top. "It was very heated, but good fun," said Button. "It was a good rivalry."
2010 Italian GP (2nd)
Button opted for a high-downforce set-up, qualified second and then took the fight to the faster Ferrari of Alonso by leading at Monza. Even Alonso, 6mph faster through the speed trap at the end of the main straight, was impressed by his defence: "Jenson drove superbly. He made not a single mistake for the whole lap in every lap. He did a fantastic drive." But it wasn't enough to win, the Ferrari jumping the McLaren at the stops.
2011 Canadian GP (1st)
Surprised this isn't on the main list? It's Button's most famous success, but this required a bit more luck than some of the others. First, there was the clash with team-mate Hamilton, then a drivethrough for exceeding the target speed during a safety car period, and then there was contact with Alonso that beached the Ferrari and brought out the safety car. That in turn allowed Button to tour around to the pits with a puncture without losing too much time. Nevertheless, he still had to charge from last to snatch victory from Vettel on the final lap.
2011 Belgian GP (3rd)
Confusion in a wet Q2 left Button 13th for the Belgian GP at Spa, despite the fact he topped Q1 by a second. That set up some fine overtaking and a fantastic charge to third in the dry race, beaten only by the Red Bulls. "Those on the team looking at the traces are convinced Button could potentially have been a dominant winner had it not been for the Saturday cock-up," said Autosport reporter Mark Hughes.
2011 Italian GP (2nd)
Having qualified just behind Hamilton, Button bogged down off the line and fell to sixth. He was also jumped by Webber at a restart, but did find a way by Schumacher's Mercedes much sooner than Hamilton did as he recovered to a fine second.
2016 Austrian GP (6th)
Button's level has remained high alongside current team-mate Alonso, despite McLaren-Honda's dismal form since the start of 2015. A stunning third in Button-esque tricky qualifying conditions was followed by a combative race to sixth. "Couldn't have done better," reckoned Ben Anderson after scoring Button 10 in our driver ratings.
Jenson Button's 10 greatest F1 drives
Jenson Button has been one of Formula 1's underrated drivers for many years now.
The 2009 world champion has made 296 starts (third in the all-time list), won 15 grands prix and scored 50 podiums in his 17-year career.
In that time, he has also come up against - and beaten - a string of top team-mates, including world champions Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Jacques Villeneuve.
Picking the 10 best races from his illustrious career is not an easy task, but here are the events, in chronological order, we think demonstrate the best of Button.
2002 MALAYSIAN GP
Button race #36
Renault R202
Started: 8th
Result: 4th
"This race possibly marked the first tangible foundation of the rebuilding of Button's career," reckoned Autosport reporter Mark Hughes after the second race of the 2002 season.
The year before had not gone well for Button. The Benetton-Renault B201 was not a good car and Button scored just two points, trounced by team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
That had undone a lot of Button's good work in his rookie season with Williams in 2000, which had included qualifying third at Spa.
Now partnered by Jarno Trulli, Button had to do a stronger job in 2002 and in Malaysia he qualified eighth (in the spare car), four spots ahead of Trulli, and made a good start.
Michael Schumacher's Ferrari and the Williams of Juan Pablo Montoya clashed at the first corner, heralding recovery charges from both, and Button moved into sixth.
He then displayed fine racecraft, battling with the recovering Montoya and using the R202's great traction to keep the faster Williams at bay.
Montoya made a move stick on lap seven but a controversial drivethrough penalty for the Schumacher clash meant he would need to pass Button again later on.
Before that, there was some good luck for Button. Remarkably, engine failures accounted for both McLarens and Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari.
Once the pitstops had played out, that meant the one-stopping Button - making the most of a Michelin advantage in the hot conditions - was up to second.
Montoya arrived on his gearbox on lap 41 of 56 and again Button put up a stout defence. At one point, the Williams dived by into Turn 1, only to find the Renault slipping back ahead at Turn 2.
The Colombian finally made second his own on lap 44, but the consistent Button still looked out of range of the still-charging Schumacher.
Then, just three laps away from his first F1 podium, Button began to slow. A link in the Renault's rear suspension had broken and Schumacher's Ferrari swept by on the final lap, Button nursing the car home fourth.
"I'm absolutely gutted," he said, but Autosport's Nigel Roebuck felt he had made a point: "Jenson drove a quite superb race, burying a lot of memories from 2001 in the process."
2004 GERMAN GP
Button race #78
BAR 006
Started: 13th
Result: 2nd
"Jenson: My greatest ever race," said Autosport's cover after Button stormed to second in an enthralling encounter at Hockenheim.
The performance came after a troubled weekend for BAR, which included its Front Torque Transfer system being banned and Button being relegated 10 places due to an engine change after qualifying third.
Button left his first stop until late, then unleashed the BAR's pace when in clean air. That got him to fifth.
A mistake from Montoya helped Button to fourth and more quick laps as others pitted meant he jumped David Coulthard's McLaren. Only the Ferrari of Schumacher and Fernando Alonso's Renault remained ahead.
After both his second and third (final) stops, Button found himself behind the Renault and the two future world champions put on a superb show of wheel-to-wheel racing.
Button's task was made harder by his helmet working loose, throttling him at high speeds and forcing him to hold it on the straights.
The battle with Alonso only ended when the Renault's left-hand bargeboard picked up some debris, robbing him of downforce and allowing Button to streak clear on lap 52 of 66.
"If we had started where we qualified we would have had a very good chance of challenging Michael," argued Button, who finished just 10s behind.
2006 HUNGARIAN GP
Button race #113
Honda RA106
Started: 14th
Result: 1st
Michael Schumacher 11th, Jenson Button 14th and Fernando Alonso 15th. For one reason or another (in Button's case a 10-place penalty for an engine change), the starting grid for the 2006 Hungarian GP was unusual.
But rain on race day brought some of the familiar names back into play, and finally the cards fell Button's way and he scored his first GP victory.
In tricky conditions, Button picked up three spots on the opening lap, passed Nick Heidfeld on lap two, Coulthard on lap three and Felipe Massa on the next tour.
Fisichella (Renault) and Schumacher were next and after just seven laps Button was up to fourth, behind the McLarens of Kimi Raikkonen and Pedro de la Rosa, and Alonso, the Renault having shot to sixth on the opening lap.
On a day the Michelin intermediates were superior to the harder Bridgestone offerings, Alonso and Button starred.
Alonso stayed out longer than many of the other frontrunners, only pitting under a safety car after Raikkonen crashed into Tonio Liuzzi's Toro Rosso. It meant that Alonso led Button at the restart.
Button lost time behind the lapped Massa initially, but once through closed on Alonso.
"Button is still the only driver who might be a match for Michael Schumacher in full wet conditions and there was a period where he was reeling in Alonso hand over fist in the greasy conditions," said our race report.
Nevertheless, with the earlier-stopping Button sticking with intermediates, Alonso took dries at his second (and final) stop and second looked the likely result for Honda.
But then a wheel parted company from the Renault and Button swept into the lead before making his own switch to dry rubber. From there, he went on to win by over half a minute.
"This is the way you dream of your first GP win - fighting your way through the field, picking people off," said Button.
Victory in Button's 113th F1 start also moved 1996 world champion Damon Hill to say: "If Jenson had a fully competitive car it's obvious that he would win on a regular basis."
2009 MONACO GP
Button race #159
Brawn BGP 001
Started: 1st
Result: 1st
That regular basis arrived in 2009. Against the odds, Honda became Brawn and the BGP 001 was the car to have at the start of a new rules cycle.
After struggling throughout Monaco practice, Button delivered when it mattered in qualifying, taking arguably the best of his eight career pole positions. He duly led from the off.
Second-placed Barrichello's super-soft rear tyres started graining from around lap 10. Team-mate Button was not so afflicted and thus the gap went from 3.2s after nine laps to over 12s before Barrichello pitted on lap 16 of 78.
Although turbulent air could have been part of it, Bridgestone's Hirohide Hamashima pointed to the driver factor: "Jenson is very, very easy on the tyres.
"He is super-smooth with his braking, steering and throttle. This helps a lot."
From then on, Button comfortably controlled proceedings to take his fifth win from six 2009 starts in what Autosport's Mark Hughes described as "copybook start-to-finish perfection".
Not, perhaps, his most exciting drive. But Button has four circuits he holds above the others - Suzuka, Spa, Monaco and Silverstone - and this was his first F1 victory that ticked one off the list.
2009 BRAZILIAN GP
Button race #169
Brawn BGP 001
Started: 14th
Result: 5th
After his stunning start to the 2009 campaign - six wins and a 26-point lead after seven races - Button suffered a mid-season wobble.
That was in part due to the pressure of his first world championship challenge, but also to Red Bull's RB5 becoming at least a match for the BGP 001 and tyre issues for Brawn.
Things didn't look very good for Button during a rain-affected and crash-strewn qualifying session in Interlagos either. Overheated rear wets left him 14th, with team-mate and title rival Barrichello on pole.
But come the race, Button again proved that racing is his strong suit. Ninth at the end of lap one, helped by a multi-car incident, he quickly gained two more places after the ensuing safety car period with some good racecraft.
He was trapped by Kamui Kobayashi's Toyota for several laps, but Button finally made a decisive move into the Esses. He then inherited another spot when Nico Rosberg suffered a gearbox problem on his Williams.
As Barrichello, who needed to outscore Button by five points to take the title fight to the Abu Dhabi finale, fell back Button's position looked ever stronger.
At the final stops, Sebastian Vettel leapfrogged Button, underlining the pace of the Red Bull, but the title looked to be going Button's way even before Barrichello pitted with a puncture.
That meant Button took fifth and, more importantly, the world championship in confident style.
"By the end of the season that was far from being the best car, but Jenson drove the drive of a champion," says experienced engineer Pat Symonds, who worked with Button at Renault.
"All the odds were stacked against him and he drove almost beyond his ability. That's what makes a champion."
2010 CHINESE GP
Button race #174
McLaren MP4-25
Started: 5th
Result: 1st
Many were sceptical about Button's move to McLaren after becoming world champion. Could he really stand up to the rapid Lewis Hamilton, long since established in the team?
The answer came quickly. Button won second time out in the 2010 Australian GP after a canny early switch to slicks, but his success in China was even more impressive.
Having qualified fifth, just ahead of Hamilton, Button held position at the start. Liuzzi then dropped his Force India under braking, removing two other cars and bringing out the safety car.
With rain developing many (including Hamilton) decided to pit for intermediates, but Button stayed out, rising to second behind the Mercedes of Rosberg.
It was the right call. The rain abated, the track dried, and the stoppers soon returned to the pits to switch back to slicks.
Button tracked Rosberg and when the rain returned the Mercedes ran wide in Turn 11, just before the back straight. Button pounced to take the lead before finally making a stop, fitting intermediates.
At this point Button was nearly a minute clear of his most likely rivals - the Red Bulls and Hamilton - but lost that advantage when Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso tripped over the HRT of Bruno Senna, bringing out the safety car.
It was Hamilton who made the most of the opportunity, charging to third within four laps of the restart. With the intermediates already going off, Hamilton dived into the pits for a new set on lap 37 of 56.
McLaren called Button in a lap later and, with Hamilton jumping Rosberg after the Mercedes too pitted, that left the #1 machine with just a 3.3s lead over the sister MP4-25.
"We were now set for 17 laps of what promised to be an enthralling contest: a straight wet-weather driving contest between two of the great rain aces in identical cars," said Autosport's report.
They traded lap times until Hamilton's tyres started to give up, Button extending his lead to 10s with seven laps to go.
But then Button's tyres went off and he ran wide at the hairpin, losing four seconds. Hamilton closed in, but never got within striking distance as Button took the flag 1.5s ahead.
2011 HUNGARIAN GP
Button race #200
McLaren MP4-26
Started: 3rd
Result: 1st
Vettel's Red Bull and Hamilton set the pace early at a damp Hungaroring, the McLaren tracking the Red Bull, with Button third. Vettel then slid wide at Turn 2 on lap five, allowing Hamilton into the lead.
After switching from intermediates to slicks - and with his McLaren on a saved set of new super-softs - Hamilton looked strong. Button passed Vettel after the stops to run second, but was 9.1s behind his acrobatic team-mate after 21 of the 70 laps.
Then Hamilton's front-left tyre started to wear out and Button relentlessly reduced the gap, only four seconds behind as Lewis pulled in for his second stop on lap 26.
Button pegged Hamilton early during this third stint, then closed in towards the end, again getting more life out of the rubber.
"I was looking after the tyres and the fuel early in each stint," said Button.
The same thing happened after their third stops and, as drizzle arrived, Hamilton spun at the chicane on lap 47, allowing Jenson by. But Button's harder rubber now started to lose temperature as the rain got worse, allowing his super-soft-shod team-mate to catch up.
The McLarens started battling, passing and repassing on the slippery surface.
If the race had stayed dry, Button would have won on account of being able to do one stop fewer than Hamilton, but the rain worsened and McLaren called its drivers in for intermediates. Hamilton obliged, Button did not.
"Jenson's skill on slicks in the wet means his changeover point can be considerably wetter than most, giving him a great bandwidth in such marginal conditions," said Mark Hughes in our report.
Button was more straightforward: "I had no intention of stopping."
Hamilton was beaten, a drivethrough for a spin-turn after his earlier moment dropping him to fourth but making no difference to the victorious Button.
"The better man won today," proffered Hamilton.
2011 JAPANESE GP
Button race #204
McLaren MP4-26
Started: 2nd
Result: 1st
Pipped to pole by Vettel's Red Bull by a mere 0.009s, Button was in sublime form around the sweeps of Suzuka.
He made a better start than the poleman, but Vettel moved across, edging Button towards the grass, notwithstanding the fact that Seb could secure the world crown with four races to spare.
Button thus lost a spot to team-mate Hamilton and was not amused. The McLarens nevertheless swapped again shortly afterwards as Lewis struggled with a slow puncture before pitting.
After the first stops, Vettel hit tyre degradation woes first and Button caught him. Red Bull pitted Vettel, but Button - who came in a lap later - was 1.4s quicker on his in-lap.
It was enough for Button to leapfrog Vettel. He then contained the Red Bull's early-stint pace advantage, then blitzed clear after a safety car period and before the third stops.
Having defeated Vettel, Button's work was still not done. Alonso, whose Ferrari was kinder to its tyres than the McLaren or Red Bull and thus quicker at the end of stints, got ahead of Vettel after the final stops and started charging after the leader.
Button, weary of hurting his rubber and a marginal fuel load, allowed Alonso to get within a second, perilously close to DRS range. Then he let rip with three laps to go.
On the penultimate tour he set the fastest lap and his advantage went up to 1.8s.
While Vettel clinched his second consecutive title, Button's third win of arguably his most impressive F1 campaign ultimately helped him to second in the points, comfortably beating Hamilton.
"Once I got the lead I felt totally in control," said Button. "I had real confidence in that car around a circuit I love."
2012 BELGIAN GP
Button race #220
McLaren MP4-27
Started: 1st
Result: 1st
Spa 2012 is largely remembered for Romain Grosjean's Lotus vaulting over the back of Alonso's Ferrari at La Source after hitting Hamilton's McLaren. That's a shame because it was also one of Button's most impressive dry-weather drives.
Button qualified on pole - a whopping 0.8s faster than team-mate Hamilton in eighth (which caused Lewis to controversially tweet his telemetry sheet) - and made a decent start in the improved MP4-27.
That meant he was ahead of the chaos at the first corner. And he stayed ahead of the otherwise engaging battles behind thereafter.
Quite simply, nobody ever looked like challenging and Button led every lap on his way to a 13.6s victory over Vettel's Red Bull.
"The car felt very consistent, really good to drive and I could control the degradation of the tyres," said Button, who had struggled with balance earlier in the season.
In a 2014 interview he added: "It's probably the most dominant weekend I've had at McLaren. It was the easiest race for me."
2012 BRAZILIAN GP
Button race #228
McLaren MP4-27
Started: 2nd
Result: 1st
In a dramatic, rain-affected title showdown, in which Vettel recovered from a lap-one spin to secure his third crown, Button once again rose above the field.
The MP4-27 was quick in the dry around Interlagos, McLaren locking out the front row, with Hamilton 0.055s ahead of team-mate Button.
As Hamilton led from the start, in light drizzle, Button was jumped by Massa's Ferrari. But he forced Massa to defend into Turn 4 and shot back into second on the inside at Turn 5.
As the drizzle got heavier, Button increasingly threatened Hamilton. They swapped places several times before Button duplicated his Massa move on lap eight and drew away.
"The first few laps were awesome," said Button. "The sort of racing you don't normally get with a team-mate.
"That was the best part of that race, going wheel-to-wheel with Lewis and enjoying our racing."
Hamilton soon came in for intermediates. Others came in, but Button and Nico Hulkenberg - up to third early on in his Force India - decided to stay out.
As Button and Hulkenberg duelled for the lead - at one point dead-heating across the start/finish line - Hamilton started closing in on his intermediates, then lost ground again as the track dried.
Like much of the rest of the field, Hamilton soon peeled back into the pitlane for slicks. After 22 laps of the 71 the lead duo, now with Hulkenberg ahead, were thus three quarters of a minute clear of the field.
Then Rosberg's Mercedes picked up a puncture caused by debris, bringing out the safety car. Hulkenberg and Button took the opportunity to change tyres, but their big advantage had been wiped out.
After the restart, Button started suffering from front-tyre graining and dropped behind Hamilton.
As rain returned, Hulkenberg had a half-spin and Hamilton swept through to lead, with Button 4.2s behind his team-mate in third.
Starting lap 55, Hulkenberg got a run on Hamilton heading into the Esses, hit a wet patch and slid into the McLaren. Hamilton was out and Hulkenberg earned a drivethrough for the misdemeanour.
That left Button well clear at the front and, following a switch back to intermediates as the rain intensified, he built a lead of 20s over the now second-placed Alonso.
Then Paul di Resta crashed his Force India and the race finished behind the safety car. Button had secured his 15th - and so far final - GP victory.
"I think it's because I feel more through my body rather than through my eyes to get the feeling of the car on the circuit," said Button of his ability on slicks in the wet.
"When people see it's raining, they immediately get worried that there is going to be no grip.
"It's tricky, because every situation is different, every circuit's grip level is different and it works differently with the rain.
"It's about feeling it through the car rather than just looking at the rain, seeing it's wet and thinking you have to brake early and be steady through the corners."
AND 10 HONOURABLE MENTIONS
2000 German GP (4th)
Although he qualified 16th, Button actually started his first German GP from the back, his Williams-BMW having initially failed to fire up for the formation lap. He made slow progress in the dry and had only risen to 15th by the time a disgruntled ex-Mercedes employee decided to invade the track, bringing out the safety car. But then rain arrived, Williams pitted Button early and he did the rest, charging to fourth.
2004 Malaysian GP (3rd)
Following a number of near misses, Button finally got his first F1 podium. He had to regularly pump oil through the system to ensure his BAR-Honda's engine was not starved of oil in the closing stages, but managed the situation to hold off a charging Barrichello. "I was waiting for something bad to happen because it always does for me," said Button.
2009 Malaysian GP (1st)
Poleman Button fell to third at the start, but unleashed two laps way faster than anyone else once the pitstops began to move back to the front. Then it rained and Button's lead ballooned as he outpaced everyone on slicks in the wet, pulling 8.6s on second-placed Rosberg in one lap before the race was eventually curtailed early.
2010 Australian GP (1st)
Second race for McLaren, first victory. Wheel-banging with Alonso and losing out to Hamilton encouraged Button to pit for slicks on a drying track. Despite an off on his out-lap, it was a masterstroke and allowed Button to vault up the field. But he still required a wheel failure to halt Vettel's Red Bull before the win was secured.
2010 Turkish GP (2nd)
After the controversial clash between Red Bull 'team-mates' Vettel and Mark Webber, Hamilton and Button showed how an intra-team fight should be performed, with Hamilton coming out on top. "It was very heated, but good fun," said Button. "It was a good rivalry."
2010 Italian GP (2nd)
Button opted for a high-downforce set-up, qualified second and then took the fight to the faster Ferrari of Alonso by leading at Monza. Even Alonso, 6mph faster through the speed trap at the end of the main straight, was impressed by his defence: "Jenson drove superbly. He made not a single mistake for the whole lap in every lap. He did a fantastic drive." But it wasn't enough to win, the Ferrari jumping the McLaren at the stops.
2011 Canadian GP (1st)
Surprised this isn't on the main list? It's Button's most famous success, but this required a bit more luck than some of the others. First, there was the clash with team-mate Hamilton, then a drivethrough for exceeding the target speed during a safety car period, and then there was contact with Alonso that beached the Ferrari and brought out the safety car. That in turn allowed Button to tour around to the pits with a puncture without losing too much time. Nevertheless, he still had to charge from last to snatch victory from Vettel on the final lap.
2011 Belgian GP (3rd)
Confusion in a wet Q2 left Button 13th for the Belgian GP at Spa, despite the fact he topped Q1 by a second. That set up some fine overtaking and a fantastic charge to third in the dry race, beaten only by the Red Bulls. "Those on the team looking at the traces are convinced Button could potentially have been a dominant winner had it not been for the Saturday cock-up," said Autosport reporter Mark Hughes.
2011 Italian GP (2nd)
Having qualified just behind Hamilton, Button bogged down off the line and fell to sixth. He was also jumped by Webber at a restart, but did find a way by Schumacher's Mercedes much sooner than Hamilton did as he recovered to a fine second.
2016 Austrian GP (6th)
Button's level has remained high alongside current team-mate Alonso, despite McLaren-Honda's dismal form since the start of 2015. A stunning third in Button-esque tricky qualifying conditions was followed by a combative race to sixth. "Couldn't have done better," reckoned Ben Anderson after scoring Button 10 in our driver ratings.
