Somerset's Jenson Button has won the Formula One drivers' World Championship after coming fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Frome-born racing driver was crowned champion after he clinched enough points to take the title from his nearest rivals.

A combination of brilliant driving and dramatic incidents elevated Button into fifth place, with his title rivals Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello finishing fourth and eighth respectively.

Button now becomes the 10th British driver to claim motor sport’s greatest prize, inheriting the crown from last year’s winner Lewis Hamilton.

The 29-year-old may not have wrapped it up in the way he would have liked, having won six of the first seven races, but he is now world champion.

On a stunning day for Brawn GP, they also claimed the constructors’ title just over 10 months after they appeared to be on the scrapheap when Honda pulled out of the sport.

As Button crossed the line after 71 remarkable laps at Interlagos he broke into a rendition of Queen’s ’We Are The Champions,’ before repeating the boast ’We’re champions, we’re champions.’

Button told the cameras: "It's really amazing, especially after the last few races I've had. This makes up for it, it was such an awesome race and I'm world champion, baby!

"Twenty-one years ago I jumped in a car and I loved winning. I never expected to be world champion in F1 but we’ve done it today.”