THE Brawn racing team completed a Cinderella story yesterday after clinching the opening grand prix of the season with nothing more than millions and millions of pounds.
The victory in Australia marked a stunning turnaround in fortunes for the humble, soot-covered team, created just months ago after a management buy-out involving fairy dust and money.
Winning driver Jensen Button said: "I suppose it's a bit like David beating Goliath if David and Goliath had been roughly the same size."
Like many of the characters in Cinderella, the senior members of the Brawn GP team live in large, comfortable houses and have domestic staff. They also attend lavish parties in expensive vehicles and own footwear made from a variety of exotic substances.
The team has also recently acquired a bearded fairy-godmother with her own fleet of Boeing 747s, a train company and an island in the Caribbean.
Meanwhile Jensen Button lives in a luxury apartment in Monte Carlo so he doesn't have to pay income tax on his multi-million pound salary, exactly like Cinderella.
A Brawn GP spokesman said: "We made this car with nothing more than lollipop sticks, elastic bands and an enormous amount of money.
"But we have had to tighten our belts which has meant using private jets, helicopters and five star hotels like some band of travelling gypsies."
He added: "It's a fairytale come true for a group of dedicated people whose lives were already a fairytale come true and have been for a number of years."
