Relaxed Button cool on title talk

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Jenson Button rejected suggestions that the world championship title is his to lose after he won the Monaco Grand Prix to take his fifth victory in six races.

The 29-year-old Englishman extended his lead to 16 points over Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who was second.

But Button, who drove an impeccable race, said: "You're putting in a bit of negative energy by saying I can't lose.

"I have an advantage over the others, but it's all to play for and not mine to lose. I wouldn't put it like that."

Button is only the seventh driver to win five of a season's first six races in the history of Formula 1, following in the footsteps of all-time greats Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher.

All those drivers won the championship in the season they started in that fashion. Button said: "I'm doing the best I can, and at the moment that's good enough, but we'll see what happens in the next few races."

He did allow, though, that his Monaco victory had put him in a strong position in the championship.

"We've proved that the package is good and I think we're looking very strong for the next few races. This race is massive for us.

"After winning five races I would have hoped to have had a little bit more of a lead.

"The good thing is in a way it makes it more exciting that there's only two points between first and second.

"If Rubens starts winning the next few, or someone else starts winning the next few races, I'll be happy there's just two points from first to second. It's just the way the points system is.

"To win five races in a season is different from most seasons in F1. It is a competitive season. Red Bull's up there, McLaren, Ferrari, Toyotas, we have a lot of different challengers, and in a way that's good because everyone's fighting over the points." Current world champion Lewis Hamilton thinks Button is well placed to take his title.

"Jenson's doing a fantastic job and clearly he's in the best position to win the championship. I'd definitely put my money on him," said Hamilton.

Button admitted that a win around the famous street track in the Mediterranean Principality had a special meaning.

"I crossed the line and I said to the boys, 'Yeah, Monaco baby.' This one means so much," the 29-year-old said.

"I said before the race it doesn't mean any more than any other race, but that might have been a little white lie. I didn't want to put any pressure on myself.

"We all know the truth - this circuit is fantastic. It's completely different to any other circuit we race on and to win here is a great feeling.

"It's very strange feeling because you start backing off a little bit but in reality it's the worst thing because when you lose concentration anything can happen. So much was going through my mind. You start thinking: 'If I get this to the end I'm going to win in Monaco'.

"I had to really concentrate. But the last two laps were very enjoyable - I knew I had a big enough gap and I could just enjoy it."

Button's position is all the more remarkable because for much of the winter the team were fighting for survival.