Button deserves 2009 title - drivers

A number of formula one drivers insist that Jenson Button is a worthy winner of the 2009 world championship.

Briton Button, 29, won six grands prix this season until June, when his pace waned but he still managed to control his points lead through to the Abu Dhabi finale earlier this month.

"I think he's a good champion for formula one and he deserved it," said Fernando Alonso, the title winner in 2005 and 2006.

"Because he didn't score the points that people expected in the second half, you have the feeling that he stepped back a little bit, but I think he did a very good job.

"If you look at the overall view of the championship from race one to the final race, he was the best of us, so he deserved it," the Spaniard added.

Force India's Adrian Sutil, and Toyota's Jarno Trulli, agree.

"I think he always made the best of his possibilities and scored points, a few points, sometimes more points but it was definitely enough for the championship," said Sutil.

Trulli added: "Obviously he's had some ups and downs but he managed to handle the situation; when he had the best car he proved he was a race winner and when he had to defend he just drove well, always keeping his head cool."

2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen said: "Whoever gets the most points deserves it, so he's definitely the right man."

Like Rubens Barrichello and Mark Webber, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was one of Button's challengers, and he has admitted that his own title push was not consistent enough.

"Over the season they did the better job," said the German.