Product Description

On 4 December 2008, just a few months before the new season was due to start, the Honda Racing F1 team, which Jenson Button had been driving for since 2006, pulled the plug on their involvement in Formula One. The media at the time reported that it was likely that the factory would be forced to shut, and it was unlikely that Jenson would be able to secure a drive at a top team at this late stage.

Yet incredibly, in October 2009, Jenson Button was crowned World Champion, and the new team that had risen from the ashes of the Honda Racing F1 team - Brawn GP - secured the constructors' championship in their first season, a feat never before achieved. If this were a movie script you wouldn't believe it possible, so how did it happen?

MY CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR tells Jenson's incredible story of the 2009 season, from being written off pre-season to winning six of the first seven races, and finally securing the championship in brilliant style at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Jenson's personal commentary on the races is combined with notes on strategy, on-board radio exchanges, quotes from the team and even text messages to recreate the atmosphere of each race weekend. With a foreword by Ross Brawn, it is a fascinating account of an extraordinary grand prix year, and shows just what it takes to become world champion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #152 in Books
• Published on: 2009-11-19
• Released on: 2009-11-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

About the Author
Jenson Button was born on 19 January 1980 in Frome, Somerset, and made his Grand Prix debut at the age of 20. In 2009, in his tenth season and driving for the newly-formed Brawn GP team, he became the Formula 1 world champion after a stunning drive in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant, intimate story of Button's amazing season
Brilliant! Diaries of a season are too often bland accounts, but Jenson's story of his championship winning season is intimate, insightful and a fascinating 'time-capsule' account of what has turned out to be a historic one-off year for a small independent team, Brawn GP, prior to its buy-out by Mercedes.

The opening section, detailing Jenson's dismay at Honda's withdrawal and the prospect that he may never fulfill his Formula One dreams, is a real page-turner. You get a real sense of what he's like: driven, emotional, a dedicated athlete. The race-by-race chapters make you feel like part of Jenson's gang. He relates what he does off the track as well as in the car, and includes text messages from friends and family. I was amazed by how cool he is, even when the pressure turned up. With technical updates and strategy summaries for the petrolheads, this is a brilliant, meaty read and a great Christmas present for Formula One fans of all ages. Highly recommended.