Jenson Button has secured his maiden Formula One world championship for Brawn GP in the penultimate race of the season as Red Bull's Mark Webber won the Brazilian grand prix.
Button took fifth place as his team-mate and rival Rubens Barrichello finished eighth and Sebastian Vettel, the only other driver capable of winning the crown, finished fourth.
"It's really amazing," said Button. "That was just such an awesome race. I deserve the title after that race! 21 years ago I jumped in a car and I loved winning. I never expected to be world champion in Formula One but I've done it today."
Ross Brawn, who watched his team secure the constructors' title in its first season, said: "Jenson's a fantastic racer and he knew what he had to do today. He deserves everything he's got."
Webber, who had been running second in the early stages, took the lead after his first stop and did not relinquish it as the Red Bull proved the quickest car around Interlagos. Barrichello's grip on his home race was loosened when he lost places after his first stop, crucially to BMW's Robert Kubica, who finished second.
The Brazilian, who had started from pole position, lost third place with 10 laps to go as a storming Lewis Hamilton, who started from 18th after a disaster in the rain-hit qualifying session, benefited from an early safety car period. Barrichello then suffered further disappointment with a puncture in the closing laps, being forced into the pits and rejoining in eighth.
Button had also benefited from the safety car to make up places early on, showing his determination with a great move to pass Renault's Romain Grosjean, after which he also picked off Williams' Kazuki Nakajima.
Button made his first pit stop on lap 29, a clean routine bringing him out in 10th with two cars ahead still to come in. A fantastic move on Sébastien Buemi a few laps later, outbraking him into turn one, brought Button seventh place. Barrichello, lying fourth, had all the work to do but his race unravelled and he was unable to keep his title hopes alive.
Vettel had done his best to stay in the hunt by taking a very long first stint and would be satisfied with his fourth place, even though Button's finishing position meant the title was out of his grasp. Given Barrichello's bad luck, it meant the Red Bull driver overtook him for second in the standings with a race to go.
The opening laps of the grand prix were filled with incident as first an off-track fight almost erupted between Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil. Replays appeared to show Force India's Sutil forcing Trulli wide on to the grass, causing the Toyota to lose control and slide off into the barriers, tagging Sutil along the way. Sutil also ended up in the gravel trap and had to face a fuming Trulli in a confrontation that almost became physical.
A lap later Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was caught in a flash fire in the pit lane. The Finn had gone in to receive a new nose cone after tagging the back of Webber's Red Bull. Ahead of him an earlier spinner Heikki Kovalainen was leaving the pits but with the fuel hose still attached to his McLaren. Fuel sprayed over the hot Ferrari, which was briefly engulfed in flames, although Raikkonen was unhurt and carried on.
Points standings:
Jenson Button, 89
Sebastian Vettel, 74
Rubens Barrichello, 72