Motorsport: Button wins dramatic Canadian GP

Jenson Button took advantage of a last-lap slide by Sebastian Vettel and passed the runaway points leader on the final trip down the backstretch to win the rain-soaked Canadian Grand Prix today.

Jenson had fallen to 21st in the field after being penalized for a speed limit violation, but he worked his way through the field and sat less than 1 second behind Vettel entering the final lap. The rear of Vettel's Red Bull slipped out from under him on the second half of a chicane, and Button sped past him to take the checkered flag for McLaren.

It was the first victory this season and the 10th of his career for Button, who finished second in Montreal last year.

Vettel had won five of the first six Formula One races this season, and he led almost all of the 70 laps at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit. Mark Webber was third in the other Red Bull car, and six-time world champion Michael Schumacher was fourth. Schumacher narrowly missed out on his first podium finish since coming out of retirement last year, sitting second behind Vettel near the end before he was overtaken by both Button and then Webber.

The race started under a slight drizzle, but the rain grew heavier and by the 25th lap it was a full-fledged downpour that drenched the track and made driving treacherous. Although the wet track caused some problems, the visibility was what drivers complained about and what brought out the red flag.

After a delay of 2 hours, 4 minutes, the cars were back on the track with mandatory wet weather tires.

It was the first time this year that Formula One drivers have had to drive in the rain, and the first time they have done so since the circuit switched from Bridgestone to Pirelli tires. Many teams went with the full "wet" tires early, but others gambled on an intermediate set that seemed to pay off before the race was red-flagged.

Vettel started from pole and early on was challenged only by the weather, which kept the safety car on the track at the start and again several times in the race as the drivers tried to contend with the wet track and poor visibility.

Button, who started in the fourth row, dropped to the back of the pack because of two minor collisions and a penalty for a speed limit violation. But, with the intermediate tires, he quickly moved up to 10th before racing was suspended.

Lewis Hamilton, who had won two of the last three races here - there was no event in 2009 - was knocked out after trying to pass Button near the start-finish line in the early part of the race. With the poor visibility, Button did not see him and he squeezed Hamilton into the wall.

Hamilton, who entered the day in second place in the championship standings, trailing Vettel 143-85, received zero points and fell further behind in the points race.

Fernando Alonso followed him to the garage in the 38th lap, tapping tires with Button and spinning backward toward the wall. His car was hung up on the curb and a brief effort was made to push it back onto the track before a track worker waved his arms; Alonso, who is fifth in the championship standings and second on the starting grid, was out of the race.

- AP