Button title hopes suffer grid blow

Jenson Button's hopes of wrapping up the world championship in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix have suffered another blow after the publication of the provisional grid for the race

With the FIA having worked out the application of the numerous penalties handed out after qualifying, the result is that Button will start the Suzuka race from 10th on the grid, four places behind Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello.

But worse than being so far adrift of his championship rival, is the fact that between Barrichello and Button are two one-stopping cars Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica.

Furthermore, Heikki Kovalainen's KERS-equipped McLaren will be starting alongside Button on the clean side of the circuit, so there is a chance that the Briton will lose a further place away from the grid.

Button needs to score five more points than Barrichello to clinch the title in Japan and prevent the battle being taken to the next race in Brazil.

The penalties handed out after qualifying are always applied in the order in which they were committed. The fact that Barrichello committed his offence of ignoring yellow flags before Button and Sutil means that he has lucked in to effectively losing just one place on the grid.

Pos  Driver                             Weight (kg)
 1.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault       658.5
 2.  Trulli       Toyota                 655.5
 3.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes       656.0
 4.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber             660.0
 5.  Raikkonen    Ferrari                661.0
 6.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes         660.5 *
 7.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota        684.5
 8.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes   650.0 *
 9.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber             686.0
10.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes         658.5 *
11.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes       675.0 **
12.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari     682.5
13.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari     665.4 *
14.  Fisichella   Ferrari                661.5
15.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota        695.7
16.  Alonso       Renault                689.5 *
17.  Grosjean     Renault                691.8
18.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes   682.5 **
19.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault       -     ***
20.  Glock        Toyota                 -     ****

*    Five-place grid penalty
**   Five-place grid penalty for changing gearbox
***  New chassis so will start from the pitlane
**** Will not start due to injury