PRIME MINISTER LEADS TRIBUTES TO JENSON BUTTON

The 2009 BRDC Annual Awards ceremony was attended by motor racing’s finest and the Club was honoured to welcome The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, as a distinguished guest to present Jenson Button with one of his awards - the Richard Seaman Trophy.

On presenting Jenson with his award The Prime Minister said, “We have a world champion in whom we have so much pride, who fought back against all the odds, who achieved something when some people thought at the beginning of the season it was impossible: Jenson, the whole country is proud of you. You are a brilliant ambassador for British sport.”

Speaking on the day Silverstone and the BRDC announced a new 17-year deal to host the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the Prime Minster added, "It is a particular privilege for me to be here on the day when we are announcing that Silverstone, the first racing track to have a world championship race in 1950, will now have for another seventeen years the British Grand Prix. I believe that all those who have contributed to that success and to that announcement today deserve our praise. It puts Britain right at the centre of world racing for seventeen years to come. Thank you all for what you’ve achieved.”