HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister Gordon Brown presents award to Jenson Button [December 2009]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 December 2009.

The Prime Minister has presented an award to Formula 1 driver Jenson Button recognising his championship-winning performance this year.

Gordon Brown told guests at the annual British Racing Drivers’ Club Awards that the driver was a “brilliant ambassador for British sport” before presenting him with the Richard Seaman Trophy, named after the pre-war Grand Prix driver.

Last year, the Prime Minister presented the same award to last year’s F1 champion Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking at this year’s ceremony, the PM said:

“What motor racing does is combine the great sporting talent of individuals, who are the drivers themselves, with the brilliant teamwork for which Britain is famous as well: the engineering and the team genius that makes up for a successful motor racing team. Jenson Button had probably one of the most difficult starts to a season that a driver could ever have had. He had to fight back against the loss of his team to start with. He took a salary cut. He fought back, and then had a brilliant start to the season, and then went on to win.”

The awards came on the day that it was announced that the British Grand Prix will remain at Silverstone for the next 17 years.

The PM said:

“I believe that all those who have contributed to that success and to that announcement today deserve our praise. It puts Britain right at the centre of world racing for seventeen years to come.”