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Donald McRae — 2010-02-23 07:00:02 GMT

After years of parental pressure the two-time title-winner has arrived at the most famous team of all

At the end of another draining day Fernando Alonso has one last gauntlet to face. As the winter sun fades across an empty track at Jerez, an hour south of Seville, a chattering throng of men and women huddle outside the Ferrari garage. They are Italian and Spanish; and their fervour is uniform.

When the door finally opens, and the two-time world champion and new star of Ferrari emerges, they engulf him. Alonso has worked relentlessly all day, completing 132 laps of testing in a car that has encouraged many bookmakers to install him as a narrow favourite to win this year's drivers' championship. Yet his walk to the Ferrari motorhome looks more taxing.

The 28-year-old smiles politely, stopping every few steps to accept an embrace from a Spanish supporter or to have his photograph taken alongside an entranced Italian fan, but his relief is obvious when he escapes. In an office tucked away at the back of Ferrari's gleaming enclave, Alonso shakes his head. He might have won successive titles for Renault – in 2005 and 2006 – and been subsequently embroiled in the "Spygate" and "Crashgate" controversies that scarred Formula One, but driving for Ferrari is an unusually intense experience.

"My father always told me this would happen," Alonso remembers. "He said, 'If you race for Ferrari then you can retire. Your life is complete.' So after I won my two championships for Renault I said, 'I'm happy now – my career is complete.' And he said, 'No, no, if you drive for Ferrari people will forget the championships. They will remember you as a Ferrari driver.' I said, 'OK, Papa, we'll see.' Now I think he was right. Ferrari gives you a special feeling."

A low-key day of testing offers only a fleeting snapshot of all that awaits Alonso when the new season starts two weeks on Sunday in Bahrain. At least he is suitably equipped to withstand the scrutiny, for he has galvanised a previously non-existent Spanish zeal for Formula One. His fame now prevents him from living in Spain but Alonso derives real pride from the fact that 36,400 fans watched him dominate a routine practice day at Valencia this month, outnumbering those who had attended last year's Turkish grand prix.

"It was a hard battle when I started," Alonso says. "There was nothing. When I raced at Minardi in my first year [2001] my family had to watch me on German TV. In Spain there were no TV rights for Formula One. Now I think the attention on me here will go up even more. But the biggest difficulty will be outside Spain. When I race in Australia or Korea or Japan I know it will be a big change for me because Ferrari fans are worldwide. It's very nice if you win but it's not so good if you lose. All this is part of being a Ferrari driver."

Alonso believes his bruising experience in 2007, when partnering an apparently favoured rookie in Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, will help him to adapt to Ferrari's pressurised environment. "2007 was very difficult but I learnt a lot personally. It was good for my career to take that step of joining them and growing up. I learnt how to work with a team and also to withstand the media pressure. The difficulties I had were coming from the team and the media. Now I am much more prepared for everything in Formula One – and in life as well.

"But at the time McLaren and Ferrari were fighting each other and it was very close. In the end I think we had the better car but we finished second and third [with Hamilton and Alonso both just one point behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen]. Unfortunately we did something wrong."

Bitter infighting cost McLaren the championship, while an engineer's appropriation of technical data from Ferrari almost brought down the entire company. "With the spy history I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Alonso says. "But I was very happy to help the FIA discover everything."

As a result McLaren were excluded from that season's constructors' championship and were fined a record $100m. And last year, even more damagingly, it was proved that Alonso's team-mate at Renault, Nelson Piquet Jr, had crashed his car deliberately at the 2008 Singapore grand prix. That blatant cheating forced the introduction of a safety car, and Alonso was the unwitting beneficiary as he went on to win the race.

Alonso's position was muddied further by the fact that Flavio Briatore, Renault's team principal, was his manager. Briatore has just won an appeal against his permanent expulsion from the sport but Alonso agrees that "it was a bad season for F1 last year". He adds: "Crashgate was not easy. Flavio is a friend. I have been working with him many years now. So for all the [legal] decisions that go well for him I am happy. But I don't know everything about his case."

Does he expect Briatore to return to the sport? Alonso looks down and shrugs. "I have no idea." Surely he was shocked that Briatore, Renault's chief engineer, Pat Symonds, and Piquet could resort to such squalid and dangerous tactics? "It is in the past," Alonso murmurs evasively.

But Felipe Massa, his new team-mate at Ferrari, remains mortified that the debacle cost him the 2008 drivers' title by a single point. Has he discussed the implications of Crashgate with Massa? "No," Alonso says. That answer is predictable – especially against a typically gossipy Formula One backdrop which implies that the relationship between Alonso and Massa is strained. "People are only writing these things because they know we are very strong. Felipe and I work for the team."

They have, however, had many fierce battles in the past. "I have the same with everybody else," he smiles. "After so many years of course I have battled with Felipe. It's the way it is – and we'll keep having these fights. But Michael Schumacher and [Nico] Rosberg will have fights at Mercedes. I am sure Lewis and Jenson Button will have fights. Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel will have fights at Red Bull – in fact they were fighting last year already. But no one talks about this. They talk about it with Ferrari because we are in a good position."

Button, like Alonso, arrived at McLaren as the reigning world champion and it is easy to imagine tensions between him and Hamilton. "We'll see," Alonso says. "Obviously I don't know how McLaren is now but if he arrived in my time then, for sure, it would be very tough for him. But, hopefully, it's now better for Jenson because I learned a lot from that season and McLaren did as well."

The return of Schumacher will be as intriguing a sub-plot as the rivalries within McLaren and Ferrari. "I was very surprised when I first heard Michael was coming back. But our lives are so intense that when you are at home it's difficult to get used to a normal life. So if you get an opportunity to come back after three years maybe you can't say no. And it's true that since Michael left I haven't won any championships. So hopefully this is a good sign for me. Maybe there is some relationship between Michael and my success."

Alonso's good humour can be attributed to the fact that he believes his Ferrari is the best car he has ever driven – and that he has escaped a dispiriting situation at Renault where, last year, he finished a distant ninth in the championship. "I knew I was only fighting for seventh or eighth but it was important to learn from that. I have no doubt I am a better driver now."

He is also stimulated by his outside interest in creating a new Tour de France team with his friend Alberto Contador, who won the race in 2007 and 2009. "It's a project for me – a kind of dream I have because I love cycling. Creating a top team and being in a position to win the Tour de France will give me a nice feeling. But I know it is not easy to create a top team from zero. You need good riders, good staff, a lot of preparation and, most important, a lot of sponsors. So I don't think we are in the right moment to start a project like this, because of the world economy."

Would he wait until he has retired from Formula One before he attempts to fulfil his Tour fantasy? "No, it can happen at the same time. It is something Alberto and I can work on. As I said I'm very open. I know this year he is with Astana but from next year onwards, for sure, if there is an opportunity I will be very interested. I think he will be interested as well."

Did he train alongside the remorseless Contador in the winter? "He invited me to train with him a couple of times but I was always trying to have something else to do that day! I trained with the Olympic champion Samuel Sánchez, who is from my city [Ovideo], and with some of Alberto's team‑mates from Astana."

Before he can chase down a possible Tour triumph as a team director, Alonso looks ready for the most absorbing Formula One season in years. "I expect Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull to be big contenders. But we are very happy where we are at Ferrari."

Even some British bookmakers have made him favourite for the title, ahead of the last two world champions in Hamilton and Button. Would it be wise to put a bet on him? Alonso laughs and stretches out his hand. "Put the money on me now…"

Donald McRae

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Yahoo! News Search Results for Shanghai

2010-02-17 16:02:23 GMT

March 14 -- Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir March 28 -- Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne April 4 -- Malaysian Grand Prix, Kuala Lumpur April 18 -- Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai May 9 -- Spanish Grand Prix, Cataluyna May 16 -- Monaco Grand Prix, Monte Carlo May 30 -- Turkish Grand Prix, Istanbul June 13 -- Canada Grand Prix, Montreal June 27 -- European Grand Prix, Valencia, Spain July 11 -- British ...

Sport: Motor sport | guardian.co.uk

Maurice Hamilton — 2010-02-03 20:06:00 GMT

• Alonso sets fastest time at Valencia
• Button stresses it is early days for McLaren

Jenson Button and McLaren were overshadowed in Valencia today when Ferrari rounded off their complete domination of the opening Formula One test session by being fastest on the third and final day. A crowd of 36,400 – more than attended the 2009 Turkish grand prix – gave their noisy support as Fernando Alonso celebrated his first appearance in a Ferrari by being convincingly quicker than anyone else and following the trend set by Felipe Massa on Monday and Tuesday.

Much of Button's first morning with the McLaren-Mercedes was spent in the garage as the 2009 world champion was made comfortable in the car after it had been driven by Lewis Hamilton on Tuesday. Button's relative lack of running meant he was more than half a second slower than the 2008 champion.

Button made the valid point that these are early days in a month of pre-season testing and teams are experimenting with different fuel loads now that refuelling has been banned in the races, starting with the opening grand prix in Bahrain on 14 March. "I think you can say that Ferrari are fast, but we don't know how fast," Button said. "You never know what fuel they are running when they do that time. Their slower runs, which I'm guessing were using a lot higher fuel, were still reasonably good, so I guess they are fast.

"But this is the wrong place for us to be thinking about who is quick and who isn't. With the difference in fuel loads it is difficult to read into it. At the moment it is important for us to put our blinkers on and work with our car and improve it."

Button added that he was getting comfortable with the team, as well as a car he had never sat in before. "We have done a lot of work today and it has been really useful," said the 30-year-old, whose manner was in contrast to Hamilton, who was relaxed and smiling after his opening day in the new McLaren. "It's been a long day. I finished about one o'clock in the morning trying to get the seat right in the car. This morning was then tough because we had to change a lot within the car. But I feel good now, I feel comfortable with the height in the car, which is always important for your confidence.

"This afternoon we were able to do some laps, but then it was about me getting used to all the systems in the car and working with my engineer."

Alonso, meanwhile, played down Ferrari's early pace after the double world champion's first run for the Italian team following his move from Renault. "No, I don't think I would say I'm favourite [to win the first race]," Alonso said.

"It was my first time in a Ferrari, so a very emotional day. For me the priority was getting completely comfortable. But the support of the fans was great, and the feeling, atmosphere, passion of everybody within Ferrari is unbelievable.

"Of course, expectations are always high, and this year being with Ferrari, people will expect a lot from us. But there is nothing we can do, other than our maximum, to try to be competitive, professional and quick."

Michael Schumacher returned to the cockpit after handing over his Mercedes to Nico Rosberg on Tuesday – teams can run only one car per day. The seven-times world champion completed 82 laps, working on the car's set-up in the morning and concentrating on long runs with a heavy fuel load in the afternoon. Schumacher improved on his Monday time but a hydraulics problem brought his running to a halt an hour before the finish. His best time was a second off the Ferrari pace.

"I wouldn't expect to be winning right from the beginning," Schumacher said. "It wasn't something that I was aiming for and expecting to be the case. But we need to be strong enough on development."

Earlier in the day, Ross Brawn had hinted that the handling and balance of the new car was not as expected but the Mercedes technical chief was confident the problem could be corrected in time for next week's test at Jerez.

Best times (set on Wednesday unless otherwise stated)

Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m 11.470s, Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m 11.722s (Tues), Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m 12.056s (Tues), Pedro de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1m 12.094s, Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1m 12.256s (Tues), Robert Kubica Renault 1m 12.426s (Tues), Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m 12.438s, Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1m 12.576s, Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m 12.899s (Tues), Jenson Button McLaren 1m 12.951s, Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m 13.097s, Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m 13.377s (Tues), Nico Hulkenberg Williams 1m 13.669s, Sébastien Buemi Toro Rosso 1m 13.823s (Tues), Gary Paffett McLaren 1m 13.846s (Mon)

Maurice Hamilton

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Formula One (F1) News - TweetMeme

twitter:@zcott — 2010-01-23 18:08:30 GMT

@nickovey http://bit.ly/6HLWGh May try to get the next one done before I've to leave in a bit.

0 comments Source: theracingline.net

formula 1 - Google News

2009-12-22 06:56:21 GMT

Telegraph.co.uk

Rome to host Formula 1 street race
ASEAN Automotive News
Staying on the topic of Formula 1, there's more for fans to look forward to as rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has agreed a deal that would bring the F1 ...
Rome targets street race in 2012autosport.com
Ecclestone doubles the Turkish GP hosting feeBusiness in Berkshire (press release)
Turkish Grand Prix F1 future again in doubtcrash.net
Telegraph.co.uk -ITV.com -Drivesouth
all 95 news articles »

formula 1 - Google News

2009-12-21 19:53:37 GMT

Telegraph.co.uk

Rome targets street race in 2012
autosport.com
Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, says that the event has no intention of replacing Monza on the F1 calendar, but would hope to be a second race in Italy. ...
Ecclestone doubles the Turkish GP hosting feeBusiness in Berkshire (press release)
Turkish Grand Prix F1 future again in doubtcrash.net
Bernie Ecclestone agrees deal to launch a Formula 1 grand prix in streets of RomeTelegraph.co.uk
ITV.com -Deseret News -Racer
all 91 news articles »

TotalF1.com : Formula 1 News Feed - Recent News

2009-12-21 17:30:17 GMT

(Forumula1.net) The 2010 Turkish Grand Prix could be the last time that Turkey hosts an F1 race. According to local media, Bernie Ecclestone has doubled the price of the contract to keep the Turkish Grand Prix to $26 million in 2011, nearly double the cost of the 2010 race. With the Turkish Grand Prix already struggling to

formula 1 - Google News

2009-12-21 17:24:40 GMT

Telegraph.co.uk

Ecclestone doubles the Turkish GP hosting fee
Business in Berkshire (press release)
Questions marks surround the future of the Turkish Grand Prix on Friday after Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone elected to almost double ...
Turkish Grand Prix F1 future again in doubtcrash.net
Bernie Ecclestone agrees deal to launch a Formula 1 grand prix in streets of RomeTelegraph.co.uk
Turkish GP faces uncertain futureITV.com
Deseret News -Racer -PaddockTalk
all 76 news articles »

formula 1 - Google News

2009-12-21 01:40:21 GMT

New Zealand Herald

Bernie Ecclestone agrees deal to launch a Formula 1 grand prix in streets of Rome
Telegraph.co.uk
Bernie Ecclestone has agreed a deal that will see Formula 1 come to Rome's streets, says course planner Maurizio Flammini. By Telegraph staff Bernie ...
Turkish Grand Prix F1 future again in doubtcrash.net
Turkish GP faces uncertain futureITV.com
Turkish GP in jeopardy after 2010Racer

all 52 news articles »

formula 1 - Google News

2009-12-20 02:42:58 GMT

Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish Grand Prix F1 future again in doubt
crash.net
The future of the Turkish Grand Prix is again looking precarious – after F1 commercial rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone reportedly told organisers that the ...
Turkish GP faces uncertain futureITV.com
Turkish GP in jeopardy after 2010Racer

all 13 news articles »

Crash.Net Motorsports Newsfeed

2009-12-19 21:35:24 GMT

The Turkish Grand Prix again finds itself under threat from the chop from the annual F1 calendar - as Bernie Ecclestone vows to almost double the race-hosting fee from 2011.

TweetMeme - Autos

twitter:@auto123_racing — 2009-12-19 18:07:22 GMT

F1: Bernie Ecclestone doubles fee for 2011 Turkish Grand Prix http://bit.ly/7zelsD

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F1 Minute : Bytesize Formula 1 News

me — 2009-12-18 16:19:17 GMT

Sebastien Buemi heads round the circuit at Istanbul during the Turkish Grand Prix weekend. The future of the race in Turkey is looking uncertain after reports suggest Bernie has doubled the cost of hosting the event. Organisers are not impressed, but will make a decision by the end of the month.

An Expensive Place to Race

Home

alvinvw@f1complete.com (Administrator) — 2009-12-18 21:14:39 GMT

Dec.18 (GMM) The last Turkish grand prix could be held in 2010, after Bernie Ecclestone told organisers the race promotion fee will be almost doubled for 2011.

TotalF1.com : Formula 1 News Feed - Recent News

2009-12-18 21:15:10 GMT

(F1Complete.com) Dec.18 (GMM) The last Turkish grand prix could be held in 2010, after Bernie Ecclestone told organisers the race promotion fee will be almost doubled for 2011.

F1 Minute : Bytesize Formula 1 News

Christine — 2009-12-18 20:36:11 GMT

Bernie hikes up his prices again, whilst Kimi ponders the future.

18-Dec-09: Turkish Grand Prix Faces Uncertain Future

Motorsport.com: F1 news

Motorsport.com/GMM — 2009-12-18 12:30:00 GMT

The last Turkish Grand Prix could be held in 2010, after Bernie Ecclestone told organisers the race promotion fee will be almost doubled for 2011. The Istanbul based Hurriyet daily said on Friday the F1 chief executive has in a letter demanded $$;26 million per race from the Turkish government beginning in 2011, up from a previous $$;13.5m. The newspaper said Ecclestone wants a decision by the end of December. It is reported that the 79-year-old said in his letter to sports minister Faruk Nafiz Ozak that countries like India are offering as much as $$;30m per ...

TotalF1.com : Formula 1 News Feed - Recent News

2009-12-18 12:45:04 GMT

(PlanetF1.com) The future of the Turkish Grand Prix has been cast into doubt following reports that Bernie Ecclestone has upped his financial demands.

TotalF1.com : Formula 1 News Feed - Recent News

2009-12-18 11:30:01 GMT

(GPUpdate.net) Questions marks surround the future of the Turkish Grand Prix on Friday after Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone elected to almost double the race's hosting fee from next season onwards. The Istanbul event has already received much criticism this season after local attendance figures dropped dramatically.

TotalF1.com : Formula 1 News Feed - Recent News

2009-12-18 11:45:03 GMT

(espnF1.com) The Turkish Grand Prix could lose its place on the Formula One calendar in 2011 after F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone doubled the price of hosting the event, according to a local newspaper

Racing news from en.espnf1.com

2009-12-18 11:29:59 GMT

The Turkish Grand Prix could lose its place on the Formula One calendar in 2011 after F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone doubled the price of hosting the event, according to a local newspaper

GPUpdate.net

2009-12-18 11:14:00 GMT

Questions marks surround the future of the Turkish Grand Prix on Friday after Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone elected to almost double the race's hosting fee from next season onwards. The Istanbul event has already received much criticism this season after local attendance figures dropped dramatically.

GPUpdate.net

2009-12-18 11:14:00 GMT

Formula One (F1) News - TweetMeme

twitter:@cubejam — 2009-12-18 09:05:56 GMT

The 2010 Turkish Grand Prix could be the final one in Istanbul after Bernie Ecclestone doubled the price of the contract to keep the race after next year, according to local media.

0 comments Source: www.autosport.com

TweetMeme - Motorsport

twitter:@cubejam — 2009-12-18 09:05:56 GMT

The 2010 Turkish Grand Prix could be the final one in Istanbul after Bernie Ecclestone doubled the price of the contract to keep the race after next year, according to local media.

0 comments Source: www.autosport.com

TotalF1.com : Formula 1 News Feed - Recent News

2009-12-18 10:15:10 GMT

(AutoSport.com) The 2010 Turkish Grand Prix could be the final one in Istanbul after Bernie Ecclestone doubled the price of the contract to keep the race after next year, according to local media.

MOTORSPORTS news - autosport.com

2009-12-18 09:56:24 GMT

The 2010 Turkish Grand Prix could be the final one in Istanbul after Bernie Ecclestone doubled the price of the contract to keep the race after next year, according to local media.

Grand Prix - Twitter Search

miketbh (Michael Williams) — 2009-11-06 23:18:52 GMT

Apparently Brawn gave up development on the 2009 car as early as the Turkish grand prix? Except for one week in the wind tunnel. Wow. #f1

Grand Prix - Twitter Search

JamieBF2iLL (Naomi Mills) — 2009-11-05 20:04:31 GMT

Well, Jenson won the Turkish Grand Prix. Hes untouchable this season. A good drive for the Redbull cars again too.

Grand Prix - Twitter Search

fofassociation (FOFA) — 2009-11-03 09:16:39 GMT

@realMrsAlonso If Turkish Grand Prix organizers could at least fill the grandstands with fans, I'd appreciate that.

Sport: Motor sport | guardian.co.uk

Maurice Hamilton — 2009-10-15 18:10:43 GMT

• 'I go out to try and win every race I compete in' Button says
• Brawn driver feels 'a lot more relaxed here than I did in Japan'

Jenson Button needs to finish third in Sunday's Brazilian grand prix to wrap up the Formula One world championship but the British driver says he is approaching the penultimate race with the same determination to win he has always had.

"I haven't purposely gone out to finish in the points and not win races," Button said, referring to his failure to win a race since the Turkish grand prix in June. "I go out to try and win every race I compete in and I have led championship all the way through the season."

Button leads his Brawn-Mercedes team-mate, Rubens Barrichello, by 14 points with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel a further two points behind the Brazilian. "It's a different situation for the people who are chasing," Button said. "They need to be more aggressive than I am. I don't just want to finish in the points, that has never been my objective, but there are situations you don't want to put yourself into. I think I've had a reasonably good balance."

Button, who finished eighth two weeks ago at Suzuka, says the pressure has been reduced as the season heads towards its final race in Abu Dhabi on 1 November. "I feel lot more relaxed here than I did in Japan," he said. "With just two races to go, this is a very different situation. Rubens has to do me by at least four points and Sebastian has to beat me by six – and that's if I want to win the championship here. It's a good situation to be in."

Vettel argues that he is in a stronger position after staying in contention by leading from start to finish in Japan. "The only thing I can do is win; the pressure is on the two in front of me," he said. "You don't have to be a genius to know that I have to win the races and those two mess it up."

Button did not agree with Vettel's assessment even though the Red Bull driver has scored 16 more points than Button in the second half of the season. "Sebastian saying the pressure is on us is not quite the case; it's the same for all of us," Button said. "It's an exciting situation to be in – but I am the one with the lead. We are all fighting for something that is far greater than anything we have achieved in the past."

Button spent a few days in Hawaii between races, in contrast to Barrichello who flew straight to his home city of São Paulo and switched off from racing by running his two children to and from school.

"I wasn't intending to go to Hawaii, but I'm really glad I did," Button said. "I was able to relax and get away from it all. I spoke on the phone to my engineer [Andrew Shovlin] about some changes we're making to the car. We have new aero parts for here, which should help us on change of direction, where we were weak in Japan. It should work.

"I try not to think about the maths [of the championship]. When Shove started to discuss this on the phone, I said: 'Shove! Come on, we're going to do whatever we can and then count the points on the slowing down lap and see where we end up.' I'm not coming here thinking how many points I need to get and how many points I can finish behind my two rivals. It's about me relaxing and enjoying the race and not doing anything too stupid.

"Obviously it would be better if we won it here but we have another race in hand, which is the great thing. Saying that, it's been a long time since the championship hasn't gone down to the wire, so let's see if we can change that here."

Maurice Hamilton

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Maurice Hamilton — 2009-10-16 21:00:03 GMT

Formula One championship leader believes not all drivers are fit enough to tackle the São Paulo circuit

Jenson Button today claimed that not all Formula One drivers are fit enough to tackle the São Paulo circuit, one of the most physically demanding on the calendar and host to the second-last race of a gruelling season. Interlagos, an undulating and bumpy track and one of just four on the calendar run in an anticlockwise direction, places high demands on a driver's neck muscles.

"I don't care what drivers say," said Button before taking part in today's practice sessions. "They think they're fit enough, but I don't think we are all fit enough to drive 100% every lap of this race. It's pretty tough physically at Interlagos even though there aren't many high-speed corners."

Button's views on fitness were brought into perspective last week when he attended the Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii. Button, who has taken part in the London triathlon, was impressed by the strength and resilience of elite competitors.

"Seeing the fitness, and also the pain they put themselves through, was inspirational," said Button. "It was the world championship; all the best people in the world. It was actually quite emotional, seeing what they go through to reach their goals. It's quite different to motor sport. When you get into the training side of the things which you need to do as a racing driver, you push yourself a little bit harder and know you're fit. But, physically, you really feel it round here. It's going to be quite a test for some drivers."

Button was proved correct during morning practice when Vitantonio Liuzzi, short on Formula One race experience after being drafted into the Force India team four races ago, could be seen lolling his head to the right in left-hand corners after just 25 laps. Button, meanwhile, was dealing with brake problems and working on the handling of his Brawn while setting the seventh fastest time in the first 90-minute session. His championship rivals, Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel, were second and third fastest behind the Red Bull of Mark Webber.

Morning practice was interrupted by occasional light showers which made the track even more treacherous than usual. Barrichello spun without harm, Sébastien Buemi damaged his Toro Rosso after spinning backwards into a barrier and Renault's Romain Grosjean brought practice to a temporary halt when he ran wide and destroyed a polystyrene marker board. Further rain affected the latter stages of the afternoon session, in which Fernando Alonso set the fastest time ahead of Buemi in his repaired car, with Rubens Barrichello third and Button fifth.

If Button finishes on the podium after 71 laps on Sunday, the Brawn driver will become world champion by scoring more points than his team-mate Barrichello and Vettel of Red Bull. Button rejects the claim that he ought to take the title in champion style by winning the race at any price.

"Winning it like a champion is winning the championship," said Button. "Driving like a champion in this race would be to finish within a certain amount of points of my two title rivals. My intention is to win the race, as it always is. But winning the championship is about getting more points than anyone else over 17 races. Driving like a race winner is winning the race. I've won more races than anyone; no one can win more races this year. But the championship is what it's all about."

Button won six of the first seven races but has not reached the top of the podium since the Turkish grand prix on 7 June. "I've not really lost any points since the Monaco grand prix [on 24 May]," he said . "You can say that people have done a better job than me from Monaco to now but when you look at the points, no one has really caught me in the championship and my lead has always been pretty much the same. Speak to any of the champions in the past; it's never a walk in the park unless you've got a much more superior car, like Michael Schumacher's Ferrari in 2004. But if you look back at the start of the season, the Red Bulls were just as competitive as us in Bahrain, Barcelona and a few other races, but we did a better job each time."

Maurice Hamilton

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