AUTOSPORT Awards British Competition Driver: Jenson Button
Jenson Button has won the 2011 British Competition Driver of the Year Award at the AUTOSPORT Awards in London
Autosport Awards
The Autosport Awards are a series of awards presented by motor racing magazine Autosport to drivers that have achieved significant milestones each season. Some of the presentations are selected by the general public via a reader's poll.
Button finished runner-up in the Formula 1 World Championship with three wins for the McLaren team, becoming the first of Lewis Hamilton's team-mates to outscore him in a grand prix season.
He beat fellow F1 racer Paul di Resta, IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, World Touring Car Championship runner-up Rob Huff, Porsche Carrera Cup Germany title-winner Nick Tandy and the late Dan Wheldon, the winner of this year's Indianapolis 500, to win the award.
Button, who previously won the accolade in 2003 and 2009, received his award from Tour de France green jersey winner and world road race champion cyclist Mark Cavendish.
"The 2010 season was a new experience for me with a new team, and I feel I really improved the team in 2011 as we worked well together," Button said.
"I've enjoyed myself, and after winning the title in 2009, I always said that would be the most important thing. It was a good year, but not perfect. One guy, Seb [Vettel] did an amazing job and we weren't able to beat him. The aim is to beat him next year."
Button's 2011 season did not start as well as he might have liked with just a single podium finish coming his way from the opening four races.
The year began to turn in his favour, however, with a sensational drive to victory at the wet Canadian Grand Prix, during which he came from last place after a front wing change, to overtake Vettel's Red Bull on the final lap.
He then won at the Hungaroring - again in the wet - and at a much drier Suzuka, and secured a total of 12 podium finishes during the year.
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