From GMM

Jenson Button moved another step closer to the world championship by finishing fifth in Singapore with fading brakes.

Rubens Barrichello chased the ailing Briton hard in the closing laps but ultimately dropped another point behind Button with now just three races to run.

Barrichello's 15 point deficit means he needs to claw back more than 5 points to Button in each of the remaining rounds in Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

Button's other title rival Sebastian Vettel struggled in Singapore. Even though he was, at one point, pushing race winner Lewis Hamilton hard for the lead, he then served a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pitlane, and carried to the flag damage not only to his floor after running awkwardly over a kerb, but a missing side mirror.

The German did finish ahead of Button in fourth place, but his points deficit to the Brawn was reduced only to 25 points, leaving him with the unlikely task of clawing back more than 8 points at every one of the last three races in 2009.

The championship challenge of Vettel's Red Bull teammate Mark Webber ended definitively under the Marina Bay lights, as he crashed out of the race after 46 laps with brake failure.