Jenson Button and Brawn GP triumph in Bahrain

Jenson Button and Brawn GP took a stranglehold on the Formula 1 season with a comprehensive and somewhat unexpected victory in Bahrain.

After three races in the wet this was the first Grand Prix to take place in dry conditions, a factor that was expected to aid Brawn GP's rivals, who had already begun eating into the team's early season dominance.

However, Button, starting from fourth on the grid drove an almost flawless race to claim his third victory of the season, while his team's strategy helped him consolidate his position.

It was the first time that the British driver has taken the chequered flag at full tilt, after winning behind the safety car in Australia and as race leader when the Malaysian Grand Prix was cut short - and he was obviously delighted with his performance and that of the car.

Toyota drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock were on the front row but were put under immediate pressure by Red Bull's Sebastien Vettel who started in third, Button, and the rapidly improving Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton took advantage of the McClaren's Kers system to leap past Vettel on the first corner, and Button also skipped past the Red Bull.

The crucial move came at the start of the second lap when Button overtook Hamilton, giving himself the chance to work on overhauling the Toyotas while leaving Vettel trapped behind the slightly slower McLaren.

"The first lap was so important today because I knew Vettel was going long - but I made it work and I was up to third by the end of that lap so I was delighted," explained Button.

Thanks to Russ Brawn's tactical nous, Button emerged in the lead after the first round of pit stops and never looked back, while Vettel eventually made his way through the field to claim second ahead of pole sitter Trulli.  

Hamilton finished in fourth ahead of Rubens Barrichello's Brawn, and there was finally some good news for Ferrari, who claimed their first points of the campaign thanks to Kimi Raikkonen's sixth placed finish. Glock was a disappointing seventh ahead of Fernando Alonso.

It was a day to forget for BMW whose two drivers finished in 18th and 19th places.

The result leaves Button 12 points clear of his nearest rival, team mate Barrichello, in the drivers championship, while the Brawn team is 23.5 points clear in the constructors race. ·