QUICKSAND KILLERS; Rain and desert combine to benefit Vettel and Button.(NEWS)

Byline: ADAM COOPER

With four of 17 races in the books, the Formula One championship is developing into a battle between Brawn GP and Red Bull Racingmore specifically, between Jenson Button and mercurial talent Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel scored a fabulous win in the wet in China on April 19, and just eight days later in Bahrain, he was the only man to worry Button as the English-man scored his third win of the year.

In Shanghai, Vettel repeated last year's performance from Italy, taking pole position and putting in a faultless, dominating performance in a soaking-wet race. Having given Scuderia Toro Rosso its first victory in Italy, he did the same for parent team Red Bull in China.

Only three driversStirling Moss, Dan Gurney and Jackie Stewarthave done better than that, earning the first wins for three different marques. It seems highly unlikely that Vettel will ever again find himself on a team that's searching for its first win, but he may one day be regarded as among the all-time greats.

Conditions were so bad in China that the first eight laps were run behind the safety car. Vettel quickly opened up a lead, followed by teammate Mark Webber. He made an early pit stop, and when the safety car reappeared after a collision left debris on the track, he eased back into the lead. He stayed there for the duration, managing his advantage over Webber.

Brawn was not as quick as Red Bull in the wet conditions, but Button nevertheless came home a safe third with the sort of performance that wins championships. Teammate Rubens Barrichello was fourth, ahead of the McLarens of Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton, the latter having survived two spins. Ferrari had another terrible day as Kimi Raikkonen trudged around well out of the points, and Felipe Massa retired early with an electronic problem after initially putting himself in contention for a podium.