Button repeats at Australian Grand Prix

MELBOURNE, March 28 (UPI) -- Jenson Button defended his Australian Grand Prix title, holding the lead through the second half of Sunday's race and picking up his first victory of 2010.

Button, driving for McLaren, moved into the lead when pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel was forced out of the race with brake problems. Vettel had led the first 25 laps of the 58-lap event but Button took over from there.

Button finished first, 12 seconds ahead of Robert Kubica, a member of the Renault team. Felipe Massa, driving a Ferrari, was third about 14.5 seconds behind Button.

"I don't know what to say, really, because it's very difficult to put into words," Button said. "It's a very special feeling and we'll take a lot from this. I feel that I am just building in confidence and hopefully when we get to the next race (April 4 in Malaysia), we can do something similar because this feels so good."

It was the eighth Formula One victory of Button's career. Last year, he won the Australian Grand Prix, which opened the 2009 schedule, and then took five of the next six races en route to winning the driving championship.