Previews

Singapore next for Button

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 25/09/2009
Formula One betting

The 2009 Formula One season is getting close to an exciting climax and this weekend the action returns to the track in Singapore where Renault sparked controversy last season.

Renault are now shorn of the services of Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds after the pair were banned from the sport for their part in last year's fiasco which saw Nelson Piquet Jr ordered to crash to allow team-mate Fernando Alonso to take advantage of the safety car to clinch victory.

Alonso had pitted earlier than almost the whole of the rest of the field and was able to benefit when the other runners went in to change tyres and take on more fuel.

Off-track ructions surrounding Renault have dominated the talk in the pit-lane, but championship leader and online betting favourite Jenson Button will be hoping to grab the headlines

The Brawn GP ace currently leads the standings by 14 points from team-mate Rubens Barrichello, with the Brazilian having come out on top at the Italian Grand Prix.

Button will have been delighted by his drive in Italy, having failed to make the podium in any of the previous five races despite opening the season with six wins out of seven.

Can Jenson Button edge closer to the F1 crown? - Latest Formula One Betting

The action at Monza also saw Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber struggle, with their title hopes fading with just four races to go.

Vettel is the closest challenger to the Brawn pair, but he now trails Button by 26 points and Barrichello by 12 points.

That leaves a straight shoot-out between Button and Barrichello on the cards, with team boss Ross Brawn looking forward to a good, clean fight.

He commented: "I ask only that they compete openly and fairly. They have got to work together and it all has to be on top of the table.

"We will just leave them to it. They are old enough to deal with it.

"You have just got to make sure the atmosphere is calm, consistent and open and that there are no distractions."

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is likely to be one of Brawn's main rivals in Singapore, with the Finn having won in Belgium before finishing in third place last time out.

Also expected to run well is reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who showed up well at Monza before spinning out on the final lap of the race and losing out on third place.

Hamilton has endured a torrid campaign in defence of his crown, although a win in Hungary and a second place in Valencia have at least brought some crumbs of comfort to a struggling McLaren team.

BET NOW