Button makes title defence pledge

Highlights - Korean Grand Prix

McLaren's Jenson Button says he would not forgive himself if he did not try to defend his Formula 1 crown at next weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Button, who clinched the 2009 title in Brazil, trails Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso by 42 points with only 50 points up for grabs.

"It is a long shot but I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I chose not to go for it," said Button.

"I've always said I'll fight until it's mathematically impossible for me."

Alonso, the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Button are all still in the title hunt with only two races to go in Brazil and Abu Dhabi on 14 November.

Button needs to finish at least second at Brazil's Interlagos circuit and hope other results go his way.

Two-time champion Alonso, who leads the standings by 11 points from Webber, is the only driver who can clinch the 2010 crown in Brazil.

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Asked by BBC Sport if he was still in contention after finishing 12th at the Korean Grand Prix, Button said: "Not really."

But the 30-year-old Englishman has now vowed to fight on, saying: "It's totally possible I could win at Interlagos, take home maximum points and have none of the other title contenders finish.

"If it's another wet race, that could easily happen. In Formula 1 you never know; you learn early on in this sport that it's not over until it's over."

With just two races left to settle both the drivers and constructors' titles, McLaren and Red Bull find themselves in the unusual situation of having both their drivers still in the hunt.

Hamilton is 21 points behind Alonso but Button told the BBC in Korea that he will not yet be asked to support Hamilton's bid to retake the title he won in Brazil in 2008.

Button on his title hopes

Button added: "For Brazil, we're bringing more updates to the car. The pace of development is just incessant, and everybody is so determined to make the car faster.

"We haven't backed off the development stream just yet, so again we're hopeful of another step forward in performance for Brazil.

"In Korea, we looked extremely quick during the practice sessions, only to see that pace narrow in qualifying and the race, so I think we have every reason to still feel optimistic.

"It's a track that should suit us, so I'm already looking forward to it."

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