Jenson ButtonTOKYO – McLaren's Jenson Button will take a five-place penalty on the Japanese Grand Prix starting grid this weekend due to an unscheduled gearbox change, his Formula One team said Tuesday. The Briton finished second in Singapore but McLaren discovered after the race that his car's gearbox had the same problem that forced teammate Lewis Hamilton to retire while leading. Button is a long shot for the title, currently sixth overall and 75 points adrift of Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso with six races remaining. Hamilton, the 2008 champion who has announced his departure for Mercedes at the end of the season, will also have a new gearbox but escapes any penalty due to his failure to finish in Singapore. Schumi still motivated Michael Schumacher looked forward to one of his favorite race weekends Tuesday despite knowing it could be the last Japanese Grand Prix of his Formula One career. The German also arrives at Suzuka with a 10-place penalty on the starting grid hanging over him for a careless collision with the Toro Rosso of Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne at the previous Singapore Grand Prix. “My motivation is completely intact after the news last week, especially because Suzuka is one of the season's highlights for me," Schumacher said in a team preview. “I enjoy the circuit, it has sections that challenge you as a driver like almost nowhere else. Then there are the fans: They love motor racing and it is fun to feel their passion." Schumacher clinched two of his titles at Suzuka, in 2000 and 2003, while another with Benetton in 1995 was secured at Japan's Aida track. The German has also won six times at Suzuka. Although he has no seat at Mercedes next year, after making his comeback with them in 2010 following his retirement from Ferrari in 2006, Schumacher has yet to declare time on his Formula One career. Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn told Reuters Television last week that he expected his friend to take time considering his options. — Agencies
