Enlarge imageBy Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) - Jenson Button would be well advised to listen to the words of Lewis Hamilton after Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix left the Brawn driver on the brink of Formula One glory.
The Briton may be only days away from seizing a longed-for first title but the 24-year-old compatriot he would replace as world champion suggested he keep his foot down and take nothing for granted.
"I was leading by 17 points with two races to go and I lost it," the McLaren driver said after taking his second race win of the season.
"It's very, very, very tough, right up until the last moment, so I just suggest that they all keep pushing and we will see over the next few races. But he's done a fantastic job up until now, so I wish him all the best."
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Hamilton won the title last year by a single point after losing it the previous season by the same margin to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who clawed back a 17-point deficit by winning the last two races.
Button finished fifth in Singapore to stretch his lead to 15 points over Brawn team mate Rubens Barrichello with three races remaining.
There are various permutations, but Button needs to score five points more than the Brazilian in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix to be sure of the crown.
If the title had been awarded on race wins, as Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone had desired before the season started, Button would be champion already with six victories to his nearest rival's two.
WEBBER OUT
As it is, only Barrichello and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel remain in contention after Australian Mark Webber drew a blank for the fourth race in a row and fell mathematically out of the reckoning.
Button can now head to Suzuka with a considerable burden lifted from his shoulders.
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh suspected his compatriot had the title in the bag.
"It is not the most exciting way to win the championship but I think you have got to score the points," he told reporters after a weekend that saw Button again make heavy weather of scoring.
"I think he did a solid job here and one has to say, I don't think it is mathematically done yet but it looks like he has got the championship, which is a fantastic achievement.
"He just has to stay calm and if he does not make any mistakes, he will win," said Whitmarsh.
Button has not won since Turkey in June, and has only once been on the podium in the last seven races, but his rivals have failed to cash in on his problems and let him off the hook time and again.
"My aim is to win the championship, not win next weekend," Button said Sunday.
"Obviously the sooner the better but I am not going to go out purposely just to win it in Japan. This is the biggest and hardest battle of my life."
(Editing by Alison Wildey)
