Button: Team orders would tarnish Alonso title

Jenson Button is beyond caring who inherits his Formula One world title, although fears Fernando Alonso prospering from the furore over team orders earlier this year.

Button relinquished his crown yesterday, his reign effectively over after finishing fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix as the miracle he needed failed to materialise.

Standing 47 points adrift, all Button can do now is look on as four other drivers fight it out for motor sport's biggest prize ahead of Sunday's climax in Abu Dhabi.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso leads by eight and 15 points respectively over Red Bull duo Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, whilst Button's McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton is a forlorn 24 points down.

Although it is the first time in Formula One history four drivers have had a shot of being champion going into the final race, only three are realistically in contention.

Button, though, is now indifferent to it all as he said: "I don't care.

"(Jaime) Alguersuari, maybe him, or (Kamui) Kobayashi, he's great fun to watch.

"To be honest it really doesn't make any difference to me.

"All I'll say is that it is exciting there are three guys fighting it out for the championship at the last race.

"I know Lewis still has an opportunity, but it's going to be very tough for him now."

But as a staunch critic of team orders, the one scenario Button is dreading unfolding concerns Alonso taking the title by seven points or less.

Those seven points are the additional ones Alonso collected for his race win in Germany after team-mate Felipe Massa allowed him by via coded messages, with the team fined £100,000 for flouting the rules.

Pushed as to his personal preference, who he felt deserved it, a dismissive Button added: "I wouldn't pick any of them.

"It is whoever wins it deserves it, but I don't know who it will be because it is very close. Looking at it you would say it is between Mark and Fernando.

"Fernando is an exceptional driver, but some will be disappointed with what happened at Hockenheim and question whether he deserves it or not.

"I don't know. He is a world champion, so we will have to wait and see what happens - but I just hope he wins it by more than seven points."

Unlike Ferrari's hand they showed early on, McLaren and Red Bull have refused to play their game and instead allowed their drivers to race.

After Red Bull clinched the constructors' championship yesterday, boss Christian Horner again insisted there will be no team orders in Abu Dhabi, instead putting the onus on his drivers to resolve and potential scenarios between themselves.

Button firmly sides with Horner on the issue, believing that is the way to go in motor racing.

"I have to say congratulations to Red Bull for clinching the constructors, although I'm surprised they didn't do it a lot earlier," said Button.

"But I like the way Red Bull have let their drivers fight. That is the way it should be.

"You fight all the way through your career to get into Formula One, to get into a good car, to win races.

"If you still have a chance of winning the world championship then you should be given equal opportunities, and it is good to see that they have that. It is important."