Brawn GP's Jenson Button wins Turkish Formula One Grand Prix

The 29-year-old Briton clinched his sixth win in seven races this season with a virtually flawless demonstration of smooth and well-judged racing.

Gifted the lead on the opening lap, when pole-sitting German Sebastian Vettel made a mistake and ran off while leading, Button took control and measured his drive to perfection to record the seventh win of his reborn career.

"You have built me a monster of a car, you guys are absolute legends," Button was quoted by Reuters as saying as he yelled over the team radio. His voice wavered with emotion after the white and lime car crossed the finish line, the agency added.

Button's seventh career win, and fourth in a row, made him the first driver to win in Turkey without starting on pole position since the race made its debut at the Istanbul Park circuit in 2005.

It also ended Ferrari's Felipe Massa's run of three wins in a row at the track.

"Today the car was the best it felt all year. Today it was immense, it really was," Button added. "I wish I could have had all the guys up on the podium with me."

Australian Mark Webber was runner-up for Red Bull, taking the checkered flag 6.7 seconds behind the Briton's Brawn to equal his best ever finish, with his 21-year-old German team mate Sebastian Vettel third after starting on pole position.

Button stretched his championship lead over Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello, who failed to finish after a stalled start left him fighting way down the field, to 26 points with 10 races remaining.

The Briton has 61 points, Barrichello 35 and Vettel 29.

The result enlarged Brawn's lead in the constructor’s championship – they now lead with 96 points ahead of Red Bull on 56.5 points.

The next race is Button's and Brawn's home British Grand Prix at Silverstone on June 21.