Why nice guys sometimes do finish first

More often than not, big occasions in motorsport can end up a let-down. There are so many variables; reliability, right place right time, weather and quite simply a whole lot of luck.

I remember being both sad and annoyed when David Coulthard didn't see the chequered flag in his final Formula 1 race at Interlagos in 2008. He had barely got started in Brazil when his career came to an abrupt halt, and after thousands of F1 laps, he was denied just a few more.

It was the same for Rubens Barrichello last year at Spa when he notched up his 300th grand prix. Once again the memory he took away from Belgium was not the dream he arrived with. There were drinks and speeches and anecdotes on the Saturday, but on the Sunday, he was out of the race after a collision on lap one.

That's why what happened at the Hungaroring with Jenson Button was so special.

Since the euphoria of Canada it seemed that Button had left his luck in Montreal. A couple of tricky qualifying performances and two DNFs had taken a bit of the spring from his long stride. Hungary though, has proved a happy hunting ground in previous years and it was there where he took his first grand prix win on an equally drizzly Sunday almost five years ago to the day.

So much has happened to Button in his career; from the big arrival of Britian's newest star in 2000, the Monaco 'playboy' years played out in media, the dark days of Honda and BAR and when the dream came true at Brawn in 2009. Throughout all the highs and lows, he has always enjoyed respect and friendship throughout the paddock.

The number of drivers, engineers and bosses from teams up and down the paddock who turned up at the Saturday night get-together in celebration of his 200th grand prix was as fitting a moment as it was when Button crossed the line first.

I have worked with Button for several years and it is always a pleasure to interview or film with him. His honesty about himself and others is refreshing and you never feel he is churning out a corporate line, unless it is one that he also believes in.

Last year I went back to Frome to film with him as he was awarded the 'Freedom' of the town and in the morning we went back to his school. The children were so excited but I promise you, there was no one more excited than the man himself. He was moved so much by the little kids singing, their drawings and general enthusiasm, his old teachers' pride and the number of people who lined the streets to welcome him 'home', even though he had not lived there for a decade.

F1 fans and sports fans like him because he is the kind of guy you could have a chat with, you could meet in a pub and come away thinking 'he's a decent grounded bloke for a world champion'. The reality is he's probably up at 6am to cycle 80 miles training for some world class triathlon which keeps him fit and focused for racing.

Jenson Button and his mates celebrate the Briton's 200 races © LAT

We on the other hand would wake at 6am, contemplate the gym and probably hit snooze 'for just 10 more minutes!' And that in a nutshell is why Jenson Button is not a normal bloke.

He has the friendliness and openness of 'the man on the street' but also a commitment and attitude that sets him apart from others. So don't be surprised that Lewis Hamilton, after having lost the race, was happy to congratulate and praise him or that even Fernando Alonso braved a return to the McLaren motorhome on Saturday night in order to be there to help celebrate the 200th milestone.

Drivers can divide opinions but there are very few who meet with universal approval. Jenson Button is one of the latter. I defy you to find anyone in the F1 paddock or watching their television on Sunday who would have denied Jenson that victory.