ABU DHABI // Jenson Button will be a worthy world champion should he take this year's Formula One title, according to the former Grand Prix winner David Coulthard. Despite Button's recent lacklustre form, Coulthard hit back at critics who suggested Button, 29, would not be a worthy title winner
The Scot said the Brawn GP driver had been constrained by an uncompetitive car in the second half of this year's campaign. Coulthard's honest prediction is remarkable in the fact that he is a former driver for Brawn's closest rival Red Bull, a team he is still involved with as an adviser. Speaking in Abu Dhabi shortly after driving a Formula One car round the Yas Marina Circuit, Coulthard said Button had done "an amazing job".
"This is especially in the first half of the season when he had a car advantage," said the Scot, referring to Button's run of six wins in the season's opening seven races. "The second half has been a struggle." In the past eight races Button has scored just one podium finish, a second place in last month's Italian Grand Prix, and has regularly been outpaced by his teammate Rubens Barrichello. As a result Coulthard admitted "a lot of people have been saying" to him that Button would be a less-than-deserving champion. However the winner of 13 Grands Prix said critics were being unfair.
"He's already won more Grands Prix this season than Lewis Hamilton did [when he won the 2008 title]," he said. "If it's about wins, he's a winning driver. You can only perform with the car you've got. "I think the Brawn car is not developing as much as others.If you look at this half of the season he's not been the most successful but the champ- ionship is decided over 17 races. He will be a very good champion."
Coulthard was in Abu Dhabi to film a report from the Yas Marina Circuit for the BBC and to speak to Emirati university students at a conference organised as part of the Yasalam series of events that showcase career opportunities in motorsport. While he gave Button his support as a worthy potential title winner, Coulthard said he hoped the championship would remain open until the season's final race at the capital's Yas Marina Circuit on November 1.
"Hopefully the championship will stay open so you can have an amazing experience here. There's nothing like it all depending on one race," he said. "Hundreds of millions of people will be watching from around the world." With two races to go and 20 points up for grabs, Button's tally of 85 points puts him 14 ahead of his teammate Barrichello. After he won last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel, 16 points behind Button, could prove to be the biggest danger to the championship leader.
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