Jenson Button has received a sackful of awards over the past 24 hours following on from his success of becoming Formula One champion.

Button was initially honoured at the Autosport Awards ceremony last night when he was named as Competition Driver of the Year, and most significantly, International Racing Driver of the Year.

At today's BRDC Annual Awards, the 29-year-old from Frome, Somerset collected a further four accolades, including the prestigious Gold Star, as well as the ERA Trophy, Graham Hill Trophy and Richard Seaman Trophy.

Reflecting on a remarkable 12 months - as it was December 4 last year when he learned Honda were pulling out of F1 prior to their resurrection as Brawn GP - Button said: "It's been extraordinary.

"It's been a long fight to get here over the last 10 years of my Formula One career, especially the last year.

"We've been through a lot, and it's now well documented, but it was a very tough winter for Brawn, everyone at Honda that was working in the team last year, as well as Rubens (Barrichello) and myself.

"But I picked my head up, as did everyone else in the team, and we worked our backsides off, and we ended up building a monster, as I've previously said.

"I need to say a massive thank you to everyone at Brawn GP for what we've achieved this year, but also to everyone that's been involved with me these past few years, especially my family who stuck by me in the good times and bad, and knew exactly what to say.

"But to be a world champion is a very special feeling. After what happened in the winter, to be a world champion is what I've always dreamed of, something I've worked for for 21 years.

"It hasn't always been easy, and some of that is my fault, some not, but I've worked hard this year, as did the whole team.

"What we achieved is far greater than I ever expected, especially for a new team."

Attending the BRDC Awards, Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed Button as "a brilliant ambassador for British sport".

He added: "We have a world champion in whom we have so much pride, who fought back against all the odds, who achieved something when some people thought at the beginning of the season it was impossible: Jenson, the whole country is proud of you."