JENSON Button insists he is more relaxed than he has felt for many races despite facing the most important grand prix of his career.

Button is certainly playing it cool, even shrugging off the latest stunt in an attempt to unsettle a British driver ahead of Sunday's showdown in Brazil.

Lewis Hamilton was the focus of fun for a Brazilian comedian a year ago when he was given a soft toy black cat, a symbol of bad luck in Brazil, during a promotional event.

A year on and Vesgo, one half of popular Brazilian double act Vesgo and Silvio, managed to catch Button unawares last night ahead of a dinner.

Just as Button entered the restaurant, a set of step ladders were opened, ensuring the 29-year-old had to walk underneath.

Fortunately for Button he is not superstitious, unlike one of his title rivals in Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel, who trails by 16 points, with Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello 14 adrift.

And if history is to be repeated, the joke will backfire and Button will go on to become champion here, just as Hamilton did.

Button, though, could not be more at ease as he said: "This weekend does feel very different to when we were in Japan a fortnight ago.

"I feel a lot more relaxed here than I did in Japan, and maybe the previous few races because it's a very different situation.

"Rubens has to beat me by four points at least, and Sebastian by six, and thats if I want to win the championship here.

"It's a good situation to be in, Interlagos is a circuit I always enjoy, and whilst Rubens is always fast here, I've had some very good results in the past.

"The only unknown is Red Bull. We don't know how competitive they are going to be around this type of circuit.

"But I feel happy. I'm really excited about the weekend, although we don't know what the weather is going to do.

"It looks as though it will be wet-dry-wet-dry all the way through, so it's about keeping it simple and not making it too complicated."

Button has shied away from attempting to work out the many possible permutations that could culminate in him being crowned.

Even when his race engineer, Teessider Andrew Shovlin attempted to draw him into a debate on the subject, Button shied away to ensure his mind did not become clogged with irrelevant thoughts.

"It is all part of staying calm," and he added: "I'm trying not to do the maths.

"My engineer told me about it a few days ago when I was on holiday, but I said, Shov, come on, let's get on with whatever we can do and see where we end up.

"I'm in an easier situation. I think if you know you have to go out and win the races it's a much more difficult situation than knowing you have to score points for example.

"I'm not coming here thinking how many points I can finish behind my two rivals. That's not the situation here.

"It's about me relaxing and enjoying the race, not doing anything too stupid, and about those two being aggressive and trying to get as many points as they can, which is the way it has to be for them.

"Obviously, I don't want to just finish in the points. That's never been my objective.

"But there are situations you don't want to put yourself into where you could have an accident.

"So you have to be a bit cautious in some areas, but in others you have to be aggressive otherwise you won't pick up any points.

"I think I've struck a reasonably good balance."

Button, who spent a few days in Hawaii where he watched an Ironman event before flying into Brazil, would naturally love to take this opportunity to grab motor sports biggest prize.

But even if the title race should go down to the wire on November 1 and the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where the pressure would likely be intense, Button would be unruffled.

"It would be better if we could win it here, but if we can't then we have another race in hand, which is the great thing," insisted Button.

"It's been a long time since it hasn't gone down to the wire, so we will see if we can make it different here."