FORMULA ONE
Jenson Button was "numb" with joy after ending an agonising wait for his first victory by winning a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old braved a sodden Hungaroring to scythe through the pack from 14th on the grid and finally win his first grand prix, at his 113th attempt.
He kept his head as chaos reigned around him, emerging unscathed after 70 mesmerising, manic laps which saw world championship rivals Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso fail to finish.
"I feel so numb," he said. "Wow - what a day. It has been amazing. If my voice sounds funny it is because I have been screaming so much.
"The weather conditions made the race very, very difficult for every one but coming through from 14th and winning the race, I couldn't have done it in a better way.
"It is great to get that first win after so long, it's a great feeling for myself and the team."
For Button, the feeling of relief was as great as his obvious joy, after years of questions and several near misses.
Talk of a first win rapidly wore thin so was delighted to finally banish any doubts for good.
"It is so good I don't have to do those interviews any more -now I can say I have a win I will feel a lot better," he said. "It's nice to get that first win and to get all that off my shoulders."
Button saluted his Honda team on the podium after giving the Japanese manufacturer their first win since 1967, and the first for the team formerly known as BAR.
His father John wiped a tear from his eye as 'God Save the Queen' rang out from the podium in honour of a winning driver for the first time since 2003.
Despite the joyous reception he knew was beckoning from his Honda team, the Frome-born driver revealed he did not want his greatest race to end.
With a half-minute cushion over the opposition, Button's win was assured and he took it easy, savouring a win which was as long-awaited as it was unlikely this weekend.
"They were the best laps of my career," he added. "I just sat there relaxed. I knew I didn't have to push too hard. I let it sink in and enjoyed it.
"I wasn't pushing the car, I knew we were going to get home safely and I was just thinking what I was going to say in the press conference."
Button's remarkable triumph was just one facet of an extraordinary race at a Hungarian track renowned as the dullest on the calendar.
He picked off car after car on the opening few laps to move into the points but it was not until midway through the race that a Button win looked a possibility.
By that time Kimi Raikkonen had smashed into Vitantonio Liuzzi after leading the early stages while Button's pace on a drying track swiftly brought Alonso into his grasp.
The Renault driver was second best as Button ate into his lead, eventually taking over at the front when Alonso pitted for more fuel.
Button looked certain to hold the advantage even after his own final stop but that became academic when a failure pitched Alonso into the barriers.
Schumacher briefly threatened to spoil Button's day but his challenge faded away and he eventually retired three laps from the end with broken steering.
He was classified anyway and took a point for eighth when Robert Kubica was dis-qualified from seventh on his debut due to an under-weight BMW-Sauber.
The minor positions were of little interest to Button who serenely cruised towards victory.
McLaren driver Pedro de la Rosa was his closest rival, half a lap away in second on his way to a first-ever podium after overtaking Schumacher late in the race.
On a day of firsts, Nick Heidfeld gave BMW-Sauber their maiden podium with third.
Button's Honda team-mate Rubens Barrichello was fourth while David Coulthard was an impressive fifth for Red Bull. Ralf Schumacher took sixth after a difficult race for Toyota while Felipe Massa was lifted to seventh by Kubica's problem.
RESULTS AND STANDINGS
1 Jenson Button (Gbr) Honda 1hr 52mins 20.941secs, 2 Pedro de la Rosa (Spa) McLaren 1:52:51.798, 3 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:53:04.763, 4 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 1:53:06.146, 5 David Coulthard (Gbr) Red Bull at 1 lap, 6 Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota at 1 lap, 7 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari at 1 lap, 8 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari at 3 laps, 9 Tiago Monteiro (Por) Midland at 3 laps, 10 Christijan Albers (Ned) Midland at 3 laps, 11 Scott Speed (USA) Scuderia Toro Rosso at 4 laps, 12 Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri at 5 laps.
Not Classified: 13 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 65 laps completed, 14 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 51 laps completed, 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Scuderia Toro Rosso 25 laps completed, 16 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 25 laps completed, 17 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 19 laps completed, 18 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 18 laps completed, 19 Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull 6 laps completed, 20 Mark Webber (Aus) Williams 1 lap completed, 21 Sakon Yamamoto (Jpn) Super Aguri 0 laps completed.
Disqualified: 22 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber. Car underweight.
Drivers' Championship
1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 100pts, 2 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 90, 3 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 52, 4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 49, 5 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 49, 6 Jenson Button (Gbr) Honda 31, 7 Juan Montoya (Col) McLaren 26, 8 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 21, 9 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 19, 10 Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 16, 11 David Coulthard (Gbr) Red Bull 14, 12 Pedro de la Rosa (Spa) McLaren 10, 13 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 10, 14 Jacques Villeneuve (Can) BMW Sauber 7, 15 Mark Webber (Aus) Williams 6, 16 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 4, 17 Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull 2, 18 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1
Manufacturers' Championship
1 Renault 149pts, 2 Ferrari 142, 3 McLaren 85, 4 Honda 52, 5 BMW Sauber 26, 6 Toyota 26, 7 Red Bull 16, 8 Williams 10, 9 Scuderia Toro Rosso 1
