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Turkish delight- Jenson Button wins a sixth 2009 Formula One race

The Turkish Grand Prix was the first 2009 race not won by a pole sitter. From AP-

Brawn GP’s Jenson Button won the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday for his sixth victory in seven Formula One races.

Button overtook pole sitter Sebastian Vettel on the first lap following a mistake by the Red Bull driver and held on for a 6.7-second win over Red Bull’s Mark Webber.

Vettel, the first driver not to win from the pole in five races at Istanbul, finished third after opting for a three-stop strategy.

Button leads the standings with 61 points. Teammate Rubens Barrichello, who retired after starting third, has 35 points. Vettel has 29 and Webber 27.5.

“[It's] the first race where the car has been absolutely perfect,” Button said. “This car is just outrageous. Before this, I really believed the Red Bulls were on our pace, but today we were a step ahead.”

Button’s fourth straight win — the best streak by a Briton in 17 years — makes him the fifth driver to achieve six victories in a season so quickly. The previous four — Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark and Michael Schumacher — all went on to win the championship.

Nigel Mansell was the last British driver to win four straight in one season when he took the title in 1992. Button joined Mansell, Damon Hill, Clark, Jackie Stewart and James Hunt as the only Britons to win six races in a season.

How does a perennial also ran go to the top of his sport in such a short period of time? I don’t know, but commenters feel free to give your own theories.

 
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