In 2000, English-born Jenson Button raced in his debut Formula One season.

Although the 20-year-old finished eighth following an impressive year, few thought that Button had the capabilities to become a Drivers' World Champion. In time, the former Honda racer proved the doubters wrong, winning his only title with Brawn GP in 2009. However, at the time, the Ross Brawn-led team were far better than many of their competitors, leaving some fans wondering if the car handed Button the championship. Well, let's see if there's any truth to that theory.

Needing to Outperform his Teammate

After Honda announced that it was quitting F1 before the 2009 season, both Button and Rubens Barrichello looked out of a seat. However, the late emergence of Brawn GP handed both drivers a much-needed lifeline and prolonged their top-tier open-wheel racing careers. After the opening seven races, there only looked to be one Championship winner in 2009. Across those events, Button finished on the top step of the podium on six occasions.

Unsurprisingly, the constructors' unrivalled pace saw their rivals protest their double diffuser. While there can be no doubts that the innovation handed Brawn the advantage, the FIA ruled that the system was legal, as per Bleacher Report.

Even though the BGP 001 was undoubtedly the best car on the grid, Button still had to beat Barrichello to the crown. Although Red Bull launched a comeback in the second half of the season, the Englishman finished 18 points ahead of his Brazilian teammate and 11 ahead of Sebastian Vettel. In the final ten races, Button didn't win a single race, which showcases that Brawn's advantage diminished over time. However, despite a dip in form, the 41-year-old had the ability to get the BGP 001 over the line and win his first Drivers' World Championship with the Brackley-based team.

Becoming the Tenth British Racer to Win the Drivers' World Championship

Among F1's British audience, the 2009 season will live long in the memory. According to research from this Betway Online Wetten blog post, Button became the tenth British Drivers' World Champion after beating Vettel to the title 11 years ago. However, things could have been different for the Englishman. To earn his seat in the Williams FW22, he won the duel against Bruno Junqueira to partner Ralf Schumacher. Powered by the BMW 3.0 V10 engine, Button recorded an unexpected eighth-place finish in the Drivers' Standings. Moreover, the ten-cylinder car took him to four fifth-place finishes in 2000.

In winning the title in 2009, Button ended a 13-year drought regarding British success. Before him, Damon Hill was that last Briton to lift the Driver's World Championship, as per the Yorkshire Times. Aside from Vettel's four-season dominance, English drivers have won eight of the last 13 F1 titles, with Hamilton claiming seven between 2008 and 2020. Interestingly, when Button joined McLaren in 2009, the pair became teammates.

More Luck Than Judgement?

Button's success in 2009 will always be a topic of contention. Eleven seasons after Brawn's success, the matter remains incredibly divisive among F1 fans. Although Button had the fastest car, he also battled inconsistency during the second half of the calendar. Because of that, it would be somewhat disrespectful to label his triumph as nothing more than a lucky year.