Driver

If a world championship wasn't enough, Jenson Button proved his worth as a leading Formula 1 driver by establishing himself at McLaren. Expected to out-performed by Lewis Hamilton at the British team, Button ensured that he played his role in a characteristic cool and collected manner to score more points than his teammate in the three years they spent together. With Hamilton departing for Mercedes, the onus is now on Button to lead McLaren, just as he did in his championship winning year at Brawn in 2009. But before he achieved that, he spent his time in F1 as just another mid-field driver, unable to showcase his talents in mostly uncompetitive cars. Nevertheless, he pounced on every opportunity that was thrown at him, which included his season at BAR in 2004 and his first F1 win -after he contested in more than 100 Grands Prix - in 2006 in a Honda. He may lack the sheer speed the Hamilton possesses - Button clinched only one pole position in his first three years at McLaren - but his race craft has been his crowning glory. And this was highlighted by his epic win from the back of the field in Canada 2011. With a new teammate in Sergio Perez, Button has now earned his rightful place in the sport - as a frontrunner!