McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says that Jenson Button has now done enough to secure the drivers championship for this season, after picking up a fifth place finish at the Singapore GP to leave him 15 points ahead with three rounds to go.
Whitmarsh, whose driver Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore race, believes that the 15 point advantage that Button now has over his team mate Rubens Barrichello will be enough to see that he clinches the championship this year, despite there still being 30 points to play for across the Japanese, Brazilian and Abu Dhabi grands prix.
"It is not the most exciting way to win the championship, but I think you have got to score the points," Whitmarsh mused about Button's latest 5th place finish in Singapore, meaning thst it is now nearly four months since he last won a grand prix.
"Jenson is under a lot of pressure and when you have not won a world championship there is enormous pressure there, especially if it is your team-mate who is challenging you. I think he did a solid job here and one has to say, I don't think it is mathematically done yet, but it looks like he has got the championship, which is a fantastic achievement."
He went on to say that: "It is not easy to win a championship, whatever advantage you start with by way of a car. He obviously had a decent flying start to the season, but he did a real solid job to make sure he was in a position to take that championship."
Button has come under criticism recently for his slightly naff stagger to the end of the season, with his recent run of form seeing him more often than not outraced by his team mate Barrichello, who should have finished ahead of the Brit even in Singapore, had he not been hit by a grid penalty for changing his gearbox and then suffered delays during his second pit stop.
Button's cause hasn't been helped by chronic issues with the Brawn car's development, including problems with the car getting heat into it's tyres.
But given the hugely dominant position Button found himself in after the Turkish race in June, when he had won six of the opening seven events, Whitmarsh said that even though his form has wavered, he still deserves his expected title success because of his early season form.
"I think he has wavered a little bit in truth, but I think he has been around some time, he is a very smooth driver, an intelligent driver and all he had to do was keep his head and he was going to win the championship given the start he had," Whitmarsh offered.
"I am sure he will go away from this event feeling more relaxed. He will still have some tension, as it is very easy to crash out at the next event with Rubens winning, which will be a 10-point swing - and we've been there, the last two seasons have been like that for us. He just has to stay calm, and if he does not make any mistakes he will win, but that in itself brings tension to you."
He added that given the incredible start to the season the Brawn man had, it was no surprise that he had wavered slightly in the second half of the season.
"With a championship, particularly for someone like Jenson who has been around a long time and may feel that this is his one opportunity ever in his life to fulfil his childhood ambition, that is enormous, enormous pressure," he platituded, "I am pleased for him, it will be great for him to relax and I am sure he can cruise to the championship win."
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