Following a successful Championship in 2009, Jenson Button would take the prized #1 to McLaren for 2010. In his first race for the silver arrows in Bahrain, the Brit finished seventh: a solid start, though not quite as impressive as his result twelve months earlier.

Having taken both pole position and victory in style at the first two Grand Prix in Australia and Malaysia, Button bizarrely could do no better than fifth on the grid in Sakhir, while Toyota duo Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock astonishingly locked out the front row. Glock led Trulli in the early stages, though some questionable Toyota strategy meant the team ultimately walked away with third (Trulli) and seventh (Glock) places from a race they looked set to dominate. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was mixing it up at the front after a great start, while Sebastien Vettel kept his Red Bull in the mix, despite the heavy fuel load.

Ultimately though, with Brawn team-mate Rubens Barrichello struggling further down the order, the sheer pace – plus some impressive racecraft – meant it was Button who secured victory and his 2009 hat-trick after battling past Hamilton and the slower-lapping Toyotas and waltzing home 7s ahead of nearest rival Vettel.

The opening race is Australia hinted at a great season for Button. His pace in Bahrain confirmed it >>>