Button hails 'fairy tale' result for Brawn

Just weeks after the team's future was secured with an 11th-hour buyout, Button won in dominant fashion from pole position, leading team-mate Rubens Barrichello home as the Brackley-based squad enjoyed a dream result.

"This is a fairy tale ending to the first race of our career together and I hope that we can continue this way and I know we are going to fight every moment we can to keep this car competitive," said Button, who scored his second grand prix victory on Sunday.

"But with the limited resources we have to keep it at the front. The whole team has done a fantastic job and it has to continue. Thank you very much to the team and bring on Malaysia."

Button led from the start of the race and, despite an incident-filled event, the Briton stayed out trouble to kick-start his championship challenge in perfect style.

The race finished with the safety car on track after Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel tangled while fighting for second position.

Button admitted he did not care about the finish.

"I think it always looks easier than it is," he said. "The first few laps of the race were great, then I could settle in the pace. When the safety car came out I struggled massively to get heat into tyres and before it came in I flat-spotted the tyres, so I struggled with vibration.

"Being in front should be easy but it was not easy at all.

"An amazing day. Some people might say a pity it finished under the safety car but I don't care. I won the race today that's all I care about. "It has been a traumatic few months for us, can't say how tough it has been."

Button's only scare came during his second pitstop, when a mistake meant he lost a few seconds.

"I really made a mistake in my pitstop. It was frustrating because I was in second gear when I came into box and neutral didn't work.

"I was confused with Massa in front, and they got the nozzle in after tyres, so it was a mistake. There is something to come from me and something from the team, we made it difficult but we got there."

Button's win was the 200th for a British driver in Formula 1.