Following the withdrawal of Honda from the sport in December 2008, Button was left without a team for the 2009 season. In February 2009,Ross Brawn led amanagement buyout of Honda, creating Brawn GP and recruiting Button as a driver. Button went on to win a record-equalling six of the first seven races of the 2009 season, securing theDrivers' Championship at theBrazilian Grand Prix, having led on points all season; his success also helped Brawn GP to secure that year'sConstructors' Championship.
At the start of the2010 season, Button moved toMcLaren, partnering fellow British racerLewis Hamilton. After finishing fifth for the team in 2010, Button ended the2011 season as runner-up, before falling to fifth in the2012 championship. Four more seasons with McLaren resulted in no further victories and he retired from Formula One at the end of 2016, making a one-off return at the2017 Monaco Grand Prix to deputise forFernando Alonso. From the 306 races that Button started, he won fifteen, qualified onpole position eight times, took fifty podium finishes and scored 1,235championship points.
Button was born on 19 January 1980 inFrome, Somerset and brought up in nearbyVobster, Mells.[1] He is the fourth child of the half-South African Simone Lyons and formerrallycross driverJohn Button fromLondon's East End, who was well known in the United Kingdom during most of the 1970s for racing hisVolkswagen Type 1, which was nicknamed theColorado Beetle.[2] Jenson's parents met inNewquay at a young age and were reunited after a musical concert atLongleat. According to John, Jenson was named after his Danish friend and rallycross opponent Erling Jensen, changing the "e" to an "o" to differentiate it fromJensen Motors, while Simone recalls that she named him Jenson after noticing a Jensen sports car and thought the change of spelling would be "more mannish".[3]
Button enjoyed racing from an early age, racing aBMX bike with friends after school,[4] and began watchingFormula One races with his father around the age of five. He idolised four-time world championAlain Prost for his calm personality and intellectual approach to driving.[5] After his parents divorced when he was seven, he and his three elder sisters were brought up by their mother in Frome.[6] Button was educated at Vallis First School, Selwood Middle School andFrome Community College.[7] His karting career limited his studying and he left school with oneGCSE. Button failed his first driving test for driving between two cars on a narrow road.[8]
Button's father gave him a 50cc bike for his seventh birthday; he discarded it after half an hour because it lacked speed, which would have required his father to remove itsrestrictor,[9] and he disliked his father's idea of progressing to the 80cc category. John talked to rallycross driver and Ripspeed car accessories owner Keith Ripp at anEarl's Court racing car show about his son; Ripp recommended the purchase of a Zipgo-kart suited for the newly formed Cadets class for eight to twelve year-old karters for the young boy. Button received the kart as a Christmas present in 1987 and he begankarting at the Clay Pigeon Raceway in May 1988 aged eight following repeated questions by club members to his father on when Button would start racing.[a][12]
Button (on the right) after finishing third at the 1996 Ayrton Senna Memorial Trophy
Button was required to drive onslick tyres on a wet track because his father wanted him to learn car control on a sodden surface and taught him basic driving techniques by standing at a corner and pointing to where his son should brake.[13] In 1989, aged nine, Button won the British Super Prix.[14] Midway through the year, his father spoke to him about progressing to the club level since others noticed he was competitive, which Button was interested in.[15] He won all 34 races of the 1991 British Cadet Kart Championship and the title with team Wright Karts.[16] Afterwards Button told his father his objective was to compete in F1 and he was given a map to chart his progress in karting. The two agreed to give each other more autonomy and Button was mentored by mechanic Dave Spencer in moving from the Cadets to Juniors class. Spencer told him to be more aggressive and less smooth driving Junior karts because they have more power than a Cadet kart. Button was also required to manage the condition of his tyres to retaingrip.[17]
Further successes followed, including three British Open Kart Championship wins.[18] A series of sub-par performances in 1992 gave Button doubts over his ability to win races and he told his father he wanted to continue racing after dismissing the suggestion of two months away from karting. The family telephoned Spencer for advice; he and Button's father constructed the young boy's karts and influenced his school headteacher to change his fitness regime and had to eschew unhealthy beverages.[19] Spencer helped him to observe and concentrate on how others drove their karts, and continued to coach Button until his youngest son Danny died in a multi-kart accident at the Hunts Kart Racing Club inKimbolton, Cambridgeshire in December 1994.[20][21]
Button was fourth in the 1994 RAC British Junior Championship after losing the opportunity to claim the title through a series of accidents. He joined the Birel team for that year's Junior Intercontinental A European Championship and raced as a professional in the Junior Intercontinental A Italian Winter Championship.[22][23] He was the youngest runner-up of theFormula A World Championship at age 15.[24] Button was signed to drive Tecno-Rotax karts for Team GKS, coming fifth in the 1996 European Formula A Championship, third in the Formula A World Cup,[22][25] and third in the American Championship.[23] In 1997, he was moved to the top-level of karting Formula Super A by his team.[22] Button won theAyrton Senna Memorial Cup for finishing second in the 1997 Japanese World Cup,[22][26] and became the youngest driver and first Briton to claim theEuropean Super A Championship.[14][26] He also was runner-up in the Winter Cup before the European Super A Championship.[23]
Aged eighteen, Button moved intosingle seater car racing after his mentor Paul Lemmens spoke to racing manager and former driverHarald Huysman about him.[25] He was signed to businessman David Robertson and Huysman's managerial stable, who found him sponsorship to continue driving.[b][28] Robertson wanted Button to test aCarlin MotorsportDallara F3Mugen-Honda car at thePembrey Circuit and quickly became acclimated with a more powerful vehicle and extradownforce. Huysman and Robertson wanted Button to enterFormula Three (F3) but Button said he could not do so with his inexperience in car racing and did not want to enter the category for fear of immediately being uncompetitive. Button instead moved toFormula Ford for the 1998 season.[29] He took theBritish Formula Ford Championship in a Haywood Racing Mygale SJ98 car with nine victories and won the season-endingFormula Ford Festival atBrands Hatch.[24][30] Button also finished runner-up in theEuropean Formula Ford Championship with one victory from four races.[31]
At the end of 1998, Button won the annualAutosport BRDC Award, which included a test in aMcLaren MP4/14 F1 car that he received in November 1999.[32][33] Huysman and Robertson sought a seat for him in F3 and spoke toPromatecme team owner Serge Saulnier, who did not want to sign Button because he was not part ofRenault's driver academy. Additional lobbying from Mygale and Lemmens convinced Saulnier to give Button a test at theCircuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France. He impressed Saulnier and accepted his offer to drive at Promatecme. Saulnier taught Button on the downforce of F3 cars and how to maintain it.[34]
In November 1999, Button had his McLaren test prize at the Silverstone club circuit in aMP4/13 car and impressed team ownerRon Dennis. He also tested for theProst team at theCircuit de Catalunya after the team owner Alain Prost was impressed by Button's ability and asked him to test.[9][28][32] Prost offered Button a drive at his F3000 squad before becoming his F1 team'stest driver for one season to prepare for competitive driving. He did not commit because Prost had not prepared to fulfill the promise of a F1 seat.[40] Huysman and Robertson declined Dennis' offer for Button to join the McLaren team and a seat fromJaguar chairmanJackie Stewart.[41]
A vacant race seat became available at theWilliams team following the departure of two-timeCART championAlessandro Zanardi. Other contenders for the seat included sports car driverJörg Müller andJapanese Formula Three championDarren Manning.[42] On 24 December 1999, team founder and principalFrank Williams telephoned Button,[43] who first thought it a joke,[42] and asked whether he was ready to drive in F1 to which he said no. Button's father instructed him to tell Williams he was indeed ready.[43] Button talked with Williams and BMW motorsport directorGerhard Berger and a 'shoot-out' test was arranged between Button and F3000 racer and test driverBruno Junqueira at Jerez in aWilliams FW21B car modified by being fitted with a BMW engine.[44][44][43] with Button securing the drive, even though the majority of the team's engineers preferred Junqueira.[42][32] This made him Britain's youngest ever F1 driver, beating the previous record held byStirling Moss.[45][14] Button did not hold aFIA Super Licence and the FIA presidentMax Mosley required him to complete 300 km (190 mi) on two consecutive days of testing and support from 18 of the 26 members of the F1 Commission.[46] The FIA chose to issue him with a super licence regardless.[47] Button worked with a physiotherapist to help build his strength to drive an F1 car.[48]
A sixth-place finish at the season's second race inBrazil made him theyoungest driver in history to score a point.[d][36] In his first six races, he qualified higher than his teammateRalf Schumacher twice, and was consistently close in pace.[50][51] However, Williams had intended to use Button only until they could exercise their option to buy the highly ratedJuan Pablo Montoya out of his contract atChip Ganassi Racing.[52] A dip in Button's form, combined with Montoya's victory in the2000 Indianapolis 500, led to Montoya being announced as his replacement midway through the season. Williams chose not to sell Button's contract, keeping the right to recall him in 2003. He went toBenetton Formula on a two-year loan.[53]
Button's best qualification of the season was third place in theBelgian Grand Prix atSpa-Francorchamps; and his best result was fourth in theGerman Grand Prix.[30] After concerns about his inexperience, he made a few errors during the season, the most notable coming in theItalian Grand Prix atMonza. Undersafety car conditions Button swerved to avoid the pack which had bunched up, and crashed into a barrier.[42] Button finished his debut season in eighth place with twelve points.[36]
For2001, Button partnered experienced driverGiancarlo Fisichella at Benetton, which had recently been purchased byRenault. His car was very uncompetitive due to a lack ofpower steering and horsepower to the faster teams coupled with a lack of pre-season testing and he was consistently outperformed by his teammate.[54][55] He finished seventeenth in theDrivers' Championship with a total of two points scored; his best result was a fifth-place finish at theGerman Grand Prix.[30] His poor form led to speculation he would be replaced before the end of the year;[54] team principalFlavio Briatore said, "Either he shows he's super-good or he leaves the top echelon of drivers",[56] and reportedly offered him the chance to leave.[57] Briatore believed Button's inexperience showed as he struggled to help his team set up a competitive car.[57] His lack of success combined with an extravagant lifestyle led some press publications to dub him a "playboy".[58]
In2002, Benetton was re-branded as Renault, andJarno Trulli joined the team to partner Button.[56] In a bid to improve his public image over the pre-season interval,[59] he changed his social life habits, spending more time training, and separating from Robertson and Huysman to join John Byfield's sport managerial stable after Briatore talked to Button about Byfield.[60][61] In late 2001, Briatore invited Button to spend ten days at a ranch in Kenya,[60] to become acquainted with his peers and do physical training to eliminate a shoulder and back problem that had hindered him in 2001.[59][62] Button spent a lot of time working with his engineering team and felt there was an improved understanding between them; Button described himself as "very confident" for the season.[56]
At the season's second race inMalaysia, he was set for his first podium before a rear suspension problem on the final lap dropped him to fourth place. Button's performances were greatly improved from 2001 because his car had power steering andlaunch control; although often outqualified by Trulli, he showed the faster race pace to outscore his more experienced teammate. Despite Button's performances, and his desire to stay with Renault, he was told by Briatore by telephone that test driverFernando Alonso would replace him in 2003.[63] Briatore faced criticism for his decision, but stated "time will tell if I am wrong";[63] he would also accuse Button of being a "lazy playboy".[10] In July, Button signed a two-year contract withBritish American Racing (BAR) with the option for a further two years after that to replace the outgoingOlivier Panis,[64] partnering 1997 world championJacques Villeneuve, after discussions with several teams fell through. An important factor in his decision was the chance to work withDavid Richards, the BAR team principal, and he was impressed with the team's long-term programme.[60][65] He finished the season seventh with fourteen points.[36]
Button faced early hostility from new teammate Villeneuve, who said Button "should be in a boy band" and was not on speaking terms with him.[66] Their relationship did not improve after thefirst race in Australia: Villeneuve was due to pit, but stayed out an extra lap and made a pit stop when Button was due in, leaving Button waiting in the pit lane while Villeneuve's car was serviced. Villeneuve blamed it on "radio problems", but both Button and Richards hinted that they did not believe him. Button scored eight points in the first six races, including a fourth place at theAustrian Grand Prix.[67] His relationship with Villeneuve improved thereafter because of his better performance and said the comments were caused by inter-team changes.[66] A high speed crash for Button during Saturday qualifying inMonaco briefly knocked him unconscious, and he was detained in hospital overnight. Despite the accident Button still wanted to race, but was withdrawn by his team on medical advice. He was cleared to race for the following Grand Prix inMontreal.[68] Button continued to outperform his teammate and this helped rebuild his previously faltering reputation.[69] Just before the final race inJapan, Villeneuve lost his seat at BAR, so Button was partnered withTakuma Sato; he took his second fourth place of the season,[67] and finished ninth in the Drivers' Championship with seventeen points.[30]
The2004 season was the first in which Button was the more experienced driver in his team. He was ambitious for the season, saying he wanted to challenge consistently for points and podium finishes.[70] He took his first podium in the second race of the year—third-place at theMalaysian Grand Prix. He followed it up two weeks later with another third-place inBahrain. In the next race atImola, he took his first pole position and finished second behindMichael Schumacher.[71] He took ten podiums in eighteen races, and scored no points in three.[51][72] Button came third in the Drivers' Championship and helped BAR to take second in theConstructors' Championship.[36]
In August, Button became embroiled in a contract dispute. On 5 August, Button chose to leave BAR and signed a two-year contract to return to Williams.[73] He did so because BAR were not a works manufacturer team but Williams were in a partnership with BMW and felt they could help him win the Drivers' Championship.[74] This was surprising, as Button was enjoying his best season to date, while Williams had been struggling.[73] BAR insisted they had the right to exercise their option to retain Button. His management argued that the BAR option was not valid because it contained a clause allowing him to leave if BAR risked losing their Honda engines. They felt the new contract signed mid-year for Honda to supply engines to BAR was not definitive, and thus Button was free to move.[75][76] The dispute went to F1's Contract Recognition Board, who ruled in favour of BAR on 20 October, forcing Button to stay with the team.[76] Button separated from his manager John Byfield as a result, saying he had been badly advised.[77] He asked his friend Richard Goodard to manage him,[74] and employed a personal assistant in restructuring his organisation.[78]
Despite the feud, Button insisted he had BAR's backing,[79] and was optimistic for the2005 season.[80] He was unable to deal with regulation changes concerning aerodynamics and his car lacked pace as a result.[81] Button was disqualified from third place at theSan Marino Grand Prix after race scrutineers found his car had a second fuel tank inside the main one, that when drained, made his car underweight. The FIA International Court of Appeal banned Button and his team from the next two races as a result. Following his return, he took the second pole position of his career inMontreal, but crashed out after an error while running third.[82] After theUnited States Grand Prix, Button scored in all of the remaining races with two third-place finishes inGermany andBelgium to end the season in ninth place on 37 points.[30]
For the second consecutive year, Button had contract disputes involving BAR and Williams. Button had signed a pre-contract to drive for Williams in2006, but he now believed his prospects of achieving his maiden Grand Prix victory would be better at BAR, and that his Williams contract was not binding.[83] Frank Williams insisted the contract was fully binding, and that there would be "absolutely no turning back"; his team required Button to fulfill some contractual obligations with sponsors.[e][85] After several weeks of talks, Williams agreed to release Button in exchange for an estimated £18 million in compensation.[81][86]
BAR was renamedHonda prior to 2006 following a buyout by the Japanese manufacturer and Button was partnered by the experiencedRubens Barrichello.[87] Honda granted Button equal status and he would receive no preferential treatment alongside Barrichello.[88] The new team performed well in testing, helped by the extra resources now available from Honda, and Button was confident in the car.[87] He had been frustrated by not converting his increasing experience and confidence in his driving into success in 2005 and was excited about Honda's car and engine development enabling race victory challenges.[89] Button scored points in five of the first eleven races, finishing third at the second round, theMalaysian Grand Prix, and pole position for the followingAustralian Grand Prix.[51] The first win of his career was at a rain-affectedHungarian Grand Prix from a fourteenth position start – the 113th Grand Prix start of his career.[90] Button finished fourth or fifth at each of the next five races and ended the season with a podium finish at the final round inBrazil. Over the last six races of the season, he scored more points (35) than any other driver.[91]
In2007, Button again drove with Honda alongside Barrichello. He was unable to partake in pre-season testing because of two hairline fractures to his ribs, sustained in a karting incident in late 2006.[92] HisHonda RA107 car had anaerodynamic imbalance from lacking grip afterShuhei Nakamoto was appointed Senior Technical Director following the departure ofGeoff Willis.[93][94][95] His year was worse than in 2006, driving within the middle of the field and usually qualifying outside of the top ten. He scored six points over the course of the season for fifteenth overall with a best finish of fifth at the rain-affectedChinese Grand Prix.[16][30]
Button stayed with Honda for2008, and continued to be partnered by Barrichello. He and a group of friends went toLanzarote to establish a base to train for the upcoming season. Button was confident since the technical directorRoss Brawn became Honda's team principal and noticed wind tunnel designs of the car.[96] Button began working with human performance coach Michael Collier that year.[72] TheHonda RA108 proved to be uncompetitive, and he scored three points that year because he finished sixth at theSpanish Grand Prix.[96]
On the morning of 4 December 2008, the2008 financial crisis caused Honda to withdraw from F1, leaving Button's chances of a drive in2009 dependent on the team finding a buyer.[97][98][99] He was informed of the news by Goodard the day before and Button changed his plans to discuss the withdrawal with colleagues and not the performance of his 2009 car.[99] He declined an offer to drive forRed Bull Racing's junior teamToro Rosso because they would not give him a podium-winning car and they wanted sponsorship funding.[100]
Brawn purchased the Honda team for a nominal fee and renamed it asBrawn GP in early March 2009. Button signed a contract to drive for the team in2009, and took a pay cut as part of the agreement. Although he was installed by bookmakers as a 100–1 outsider for the championship, Button'sBrawn BGP 001 car was quick and reliable in pre-season testing in Europe due to an efficient aerodynamic package, a powerfulMercedes-Benz V8 engine and grippyslick tyres. The car's seat was lowered to make him comfortable.[101]
Button won six of the first seven races with four pole positions,[102] having benefited from a double diffuser design making him and the Toyota and Williams teams faster than others.[f][104][105] Once the major teams had introduced their own reconfigured diffusers Button's dominance ended, averaging sixth position in the following ten races and scoring 35 points after accumulating 61 in the first seven.[102] This was due to the team spending 10 per cent of its allocated £7 million budget on developing the car and Button's smooth driving style preventing him from generating heat into its tyres in cold weather.[106] At theBrazilian Grand Prix, Button was hampered in qualifying by a poor choice of tyres in the wet weather and could achieve 14th position. His championship campaign was boosted by Vettel qualifying 16th, but team-mate and closest rival Barrichello qualified on pole. In the race, Button finished fifth, taking enough points to secure the championship with one round remaining.[g][105] At the final race of the season, theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix, Button qualified behind Barrichello again, but finished on the podium in third position.[108]
In the off-season, Brawn and team principalNick Fry informed Button they wanted him to sign an extension to his contract and be paired withNico Rosberg. Button asked for a commitment to car development for 2010 and a close to a repeat performance of the 2009 season. Brawn and Fry saidMercedes would buy-out Brawn GP without locating potential sponsors, which Button found unappealing and told his manager Richard Goodard he desired a new challenge.[109]
Goodard telephoned McLaren team principalMartin Whitmarsh to enquire about a drive for Button.[h] Whitmarsh did not believe Button would leave Brawn GP since they had won the Championship; Goodard mentioned McLaren's competitiveness at the end of 2009 and partnering 2008 world championLewis Hamilton appealed to Button. Discussions took place at the team's headquarters inWoking and a three-year deal was signed soon after Kimi Raikkonen had declined a proposal to rejoin to Woking team from Ferrari to go rallying for 2010 instead.[110][111][112] Button said he moved because he wanted the motivation and challenge from competing alongside Hamilton,[113] but Whitmarsh cautioned the two before the start of the season he would observe any relationship problems between them.[114]
Button won at theAustralian Grand Prix and theChinese Grand Prix in variable weather to take the lead of the Drivers' Championship.[30] He later finished second inTurkey after a miscommunication with his team caused him to battle Hamilton for the victory. This cooled his relationship with Hamilton who believed McLaren favoured Button. He followed with two podium finishes and a trio of points scoring finishes to remain in contention for the championship.[115] Button retired at theBelgian Grand Prix after Vettel hit him and punctured the radiator of his car. Second atMonza was followed by a fourth place in bothSingapore andJapan.[116] During theBrazilian Grand Prix weekend, Button and his entourage were threatened by a number of criminals in thefavelas on his way back from qualifying atInterlagos; nobody was harmed during the incident.[117] Button was mathematically eliminated from retaining the title with a fifth place in the race and took fifth in the championship with third inAbu Dhabi.[30][116]
Button'sMP4-26 car for2011 was built around his taller frame from intra-team input in late 2010.[112][118] He believed the introduction ofPirelli tyres that season would suit his smooth driving style and said a world championship victory would make it difficult for him to retire from F1.[119] Button began the season by finishing no lower than sixth in the first six races with three podium results.[120] He won the rain-affectedCanadian Grand Prix after two collisions dropped him to the back of the field and overtaking Vettel when the latter ran wide on the slippery track on the final lap.[121] Button then won theHungarian Grand Prix, which was held in similar weather, and theJapanese Grand Prix, but his results over the course of the season mathematically eliminated him from championship contention when Vettel took the title in Japan. Button took three victories and twelve podium finishes to finish runner-up with 270 points.[30][122]
Whitmarsh wanted Button to remain at McLaren for the next three years while the latter held talks with Ferrari about a race seat in 2013.[123] Before the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix, he signed a three-year extension to his contract with McLaren.[i][122] Button was satisfied with the newMP4-27 car due to McLaren finding a regulation loophole banning the blowing of exhaust gases over parts of the vehicle to improve downforce. A victory in the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix and two-second-place finishes at theChinese Grand Prix and theGerman Grand Prix were the highlights of his first half of the season.[124] His overall performance in the first seven races fell due to difficulty in generating temperature and the correct amount of grip into the new Pirelli short-life front tyres due to his smooth driving style and him switching brake materials multiple times to try and fix the issue made it worse.[125][126] Button changed theset-up of his car and adapted himself to the tyres to retain temperature for better performance.[127] The rest of Button's season saw him achieve wins inBelgium andBrazil and top-five finishes in five of the next seven rounds for fifth overall with 188 points.[128]
Button was joined at McLaren byFerrari Driver Academy graduateSergio Pérez for2013 and their relationship was cooler because the latter entered the team hastily.[129] He was appointed a director of theGrand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) in March 2013.[8] McLaren built theMP4-28 car not in advance of regulation changes for2014, but from scratch.[129] This caused Button to drive an unstable car with understeer, a lack of downforce and severe tyre degradation.[130] After finishing ninth at the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix, McLaren introduced components from the MP4-27 onto the MP4-28, which had no significant effect and Button continued to attain sub-par results throughout the season with a best of fourth at the season-endingBrazilian Grand Prix.[j] He was ninth overall with 73 points. Button was involved in aggressive driving from his teammate Pérez early in the season inBahrain andMonaco, annoying him.[129]
Button activated the terms of his contract to stay with McLaren for 2014 in September 2013,[131] but considered taking a sabbatical from F1 following the unexpected death of his father in Monaco in January 2014.[132] Button was joined byKevin Magnussen, with whom he was able to build a rapport, and theMP4-29 car had an understeer from lacking front downforce and an unstable rear.[133] He finished third at the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix after Red Bull Racing driverDaniel Ricciardo was disqualified for a fuel flow consumption infringement and his team lost a subsequent appeal against the decision.[134] It would turn out to be his final career podium. Button achieved a quartet of fourth-place finishes and scored points seven more times for eighth in the Drivers' Championship and 126 points.[135] Button qualified better than Magnussen ten times and scored twice as many points.[136]
Button became unenthusiastic over F1 and the press speculated on his future in the sport with rumors Alonso would be Magnussen's teammate in2015. He wanted to remain at McLaren but was made insecure about his career and told himself to concentrate on the present and not be concerned about the future.[k][133] Dennis did not want Button to drive for McLaren but fellow team shareholderMansour Ojjeh told him Button should remain over Magnussen after reviewing the situation.[138] Negotiations between Button and McLaren racing directorÉric Boullier and team owner Ron Dennis concluded with an agreement for Button to continue racing on 10 December.[136] Button agreed to take a pay cut,[139] with his contract containing the option for a second year; McLaren or Button were able to activate clauses to break the contract after the season if one of the parties desired it.[l][140] Button struggled in 2015 due to an unreliable and an underpowered Honda engine lacking straightline speed,[30] securing four top-ten finishes and a best result of sixth at theUnited States Grand Prix. He was rarely able to progress past the first qualifying session and took sixteenth in the Drivers' Championship with sixteen points.[133]
Button was retained by the McLaren team for2016 following contractual discussions with Dennis and meetings with aerodynamics and engineers at theMcLaren Technology Centre (MTC). Button received a 50 per cent pay rise by staying at McLaren for another year.[141] He had considered returning to the Williams team but decided against it.[142] His car's new Honda engine was more powerful and allowed him to challenge for points-scoring finishes but reliability continued to hinder him and McLaren.[16] He finished fifteen of the 21 races that year,[143] qualifying a season-high third at theAustrian Grand Prix, the highest start for the McLaren-Honda partnership. Button went on to finish the race a season-high sixth.[144] He was unable to finish higher than eighth thereafter and ended his full-time career with a suspension failure at the season-endingAbu Dhabi Grand Prix. Button took fifteenth in the Drivers' Championship with 21 points finishing better than Alonso five times and qualifying higher on four occasions.[143]
Before theBelgian Grand Prix, Button told Dennis he planned to retire after the season.[145] Dennis asked Button to wait before returning for discussion to which he said he had already decided.[146] He suggested Button take a sabbatical and mull over the decision to retire while resting and made Button an ambassador for McLaren.[145] He would work in the team's simulator at MTC, represent them at sponsor functions and attempt to help them in car development.[146] Button was retained by McLaren as reserve driver with the option to return to full-time racing for the team in2018 if he and McLaren agreed to it.[147] He was replaced as a GPDA director byRomain Grosjean.[148] In April 2017, Boullier asked Button to drive in lieu of theIndianapolis 500-bound Alonso at theMonaco Grand Prix and agreed after Goodard told him there was no way to get out of the commitment because he was contractually bound to drive.[149] He prepared in the team's simulator instead of testing in Bahrain because he would learn nothing by not driving on a narrow street circuit.[150] He retired late in the race following a collision with Sauber driverPascal Wehrlein that damaged his car.[151]
In November 2017, Button was replaced as McLaren reserve driver by2017 FIA Formula 3 European championLando Norris for 2018.[152] His contract with McLaren expired without renewal at the end of 2017 allowing him to focus on other racing ventures.[153]
In January 2021, Button rejoined Williams as a senior advisor on a multi-year deal. He assisted their race andWilliams Academy drivers on-track and at the team's headquarters and conducted ambassadorial duties for the team.[154] It was expected that Button would focus on the entire team and not one specific department, but he could not enter Williams' premises due to travel restrictions from the United States.[155] Forthwith, COVID-19 protocols restricted his bonding with the team since he was in the Sky Sports broadcasting bubble.[156]
For the2019 season, Button remained at Team Kunimitsu alongside Yamamoto in the renumbered No. 1 Honda.[165] In an incident-filled season, Button and Yamamoto were taken out of the lead in the opening round at Okayama,[166] a mistimed safety car at the second Fuji race and a poor tyre choice in the rain at Sugo cost the team possible victories.[167] The pair achieved two podium finishes at both Fuji rounds and a sixth place at Motegi to finish eighth in the GT500 Drivers' Championship with 37 points.[168] In October 2019, he drove the final two races of the season-endingDeutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) round at theHockenheimring in his Team Kunimitsu NSX car as Honda'swild card entry.[169] He finished 9th in the first race and 16th in the second.[170] Button did not enter the "Super GT × DTM Dream Race" at Fuji Speedway because his contract did not oblige him to do so,[171] and decided to leave Super GT after 2019 because he did not want to fly frequently from the United States to Japan and wanted to explore other racing series.[172][173]
Button remained at Jota for the2025 FIA World Endurance Championship and shared the No. 38Cadillac V-Series.R withEarl Bamber andSébastien Bourdais in theHypercar category after the team changed manufacturers fromPorsche toCadillac.[193][194] His teammates helped him in making suggesting adjustments to adapt his driving style to the Cadillac,[195] which better suited him.[173] In eight races, Button finished in the top ten four times,[51] including a WEC career-best second-place result at the6 Hours of São Paulo.[196] He was 10th in the World Endurance Drivers' Championship, scoring 46 points.[51] Button's professional racing career came to end after the8 Hours of Bahrain. He cited a lack of time to commit to another full WEC season while raising a family.[173]
Button was invited to theRace of Champions six times:[o] in2007,2008,2009,2011,2015 and2017, reaching the semi-finals of the Nations Cup withAndy Priaulx for Team Autosport in 2007 and 2008 and finishing second in 2009. His best performance in the Race of Champions were the semi-finals in 2009.[198] In 2019, Button drove off-road races in a Rocket Motorsports-entered Brenthel Industries Spec 6100 TT class truck with Buncombe and managing director Mazen Fawaz his co-drivers.[199] This came about when Button told Buncombe they would race theBaja 1000 as Buncombe's 40th birthday present and sought vehicle components.[200] Navigated by Terry Madden, he finished no higher than the top 20 in theMint 400 with retirements in the Vegas to Reno and the Baja 1000.[201]
In 2020, while motor racing was suspended due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Button participated in eSports races.[202] In January 2021, Button launchedJBXE to compete in the all-electric SUV off-road racing seriesExtreme E from the 2021 season on.[p][204][205] He stopped driving after one round to focus on managing his team and replaced himself withKevin Hansen.[206] Button made his first foray into historic racing at the 2021 Goodwood Revival, partaking in the Stirling Moss Trophy and the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration races.[207] He was set to drive an FC1-X car for the Xite Energy Racing team in the all-electric Group E category for the2022–23 season of the off-roadNitro Rallycross series.[208] However, he withdrew from the rest of the season after one round.[209]
Button has a smooth driving style;[102] journalistMark Hughes wrote in 2009:
Button has a fantastic feel for how much momentum can be taken into a corner and this allows him to be minimal in his inputs—his steering and throttle movements in particular tend to be graceful and beautifully co-ordinated.[211]
This allows him to perform well in wet-weather where the front of the car tends to slide more than the rear,[72] and many believe his smooth style better preserves the tyres during a race.[212] He adapted his style in go-karts and transferred it to more powerful machinery.[213] Since 2000, Button has braked with his left foot,[50] by dragging the brake pedal and stopping the car in less time to control and modulate power.[214][215] He likes to turn into a corner early under braking and balance the car on pedal application and steering,[216] creating more strain in tyre loads for a longer physical lap but allowing for a higher minimum corner entry speed and allowing Button to adapt to a changeable or slippery track.[214]
He is comfortable driving a car with understeer,[213] prefers the rear to be stable into corners and on which he is able to lean on leaving them,[217] and rarely locks the inside of his front tyres.[214] His smooth driving also means he cannot generate the necessary tyre temperature on a cool track.[211] Button occasionally cannot get his tyres to operate efficiently over a single lap in qualifying because his gentle steering produces less energy into the wheel.[72][213] His driving gave him additional thought time and be less prone to making an error for improved consistency in races and notices events without the team necessarily instructing him on what to do.[72] Button accurately exploits grip on a damp corner to adapt to his limits earlier than other drivers. During 2001 and 2007, whentraction control was legal in F1, he was able to control the throttle pedal to preventwheelspin, allowing him to be as fast due to his feel for grip exiting a turn.[216]
For the 2014 season, the FIA created a new sporting regulation allowing a driver to select a unique car number for use throughout their F1 career. Button chose the number 22, which was the one he was assigned in his 2009 championship season.[218]
The BBC signed Button to promote itsBBCi digital television interactive service from December 2003 to January 2004.[219] He is a brand ambassador forHead & Shoulders, and appeared in advertising campaigns for the company.[220] Other companies that Button has done business with areHilton,Hugo Boss,Santander Bank,Tag Heuer,Vodafone,[220] Baylis & Harding,[221]Mobil 1,[191] andHackett London.[222] As a result of Button's endorsement money and Mercedes salary, he was listed as one of the world's top-earning drivers in motorsports byForbes between June 2012 and June 2013.[223] He and multi-sport brand Dare 2b collaborated on a men's ski range of clothing and accessories called AW20 in 2020.[224] Button worked with car builderAnt Anstead, designer Mark Stubbs and business adviser Roger Behle to relaunch luxury coach makerRadford in early 2021.[225] That same year, he co-founded the Coachbilt Whiskey premium blended scotch whisky brand with whisky consultant George Koutsakis.[226][227]
Button is also involved in charitable work through the creation of The Jenson Button Trust. Established in March 2010, the Trust selects and nominates a number of charitable beneficiaries that receive funding.[228] He is a patron ofMake-A-Wish Foundation UK granting the wishes of terminally ill children and young persons,[229] a sport ambassador for bothThe Prince's Trust and the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation,[230][231] and supports the Sean Edwards Foundation.[232] Button is part ofJohnnie Walker'sJoin The Pact initiative to promote responsible drinking,[233] and began thePink for Papa campaign in 2014 following the death of his father to raise funding for theHenry Surtees Foundation.[234]
Button ran a restaurant, Victus, inHarrogate from 2011 to 2012.[8] In 2012, he, Goodard and public relations officer James Williamson founded sports agency The Sports Partnership to provide public relations services and management to the sporting industry.[235] Button, Buncombe and team principal Bob Neville founded sports car team Jenson Team Rocket RJN in late 2018.[236] He was on the judging panel of the 2003 UK F1 Drivers' Challenge broadcast on theFive television programmeBe A Grand Prix Driver,[237] voiced his own character in the animated cartoon seriesTooned,[124] and since the2018 British Grand Prix, has analysed select races forSky Sports F1.[q][239]
Button has received a varying amount of press coverage from minor to extensive on his F1 career and personal life;[50][240][11] this effect has been labelled "Buttonmania".[233][241] Prior to winning the 2009 championship, his lack of success led critics to label him "a nearly man" and "a pin-up and lightweight" for his photogenic appearance,[11] but it ceased following his success.[242] Ben Anderson ofAutosport notes that the driver "is rarely picked as one of grand prix racing's true elite drivers" and is not "discussed in the same breath as those, such as Schumacher and Ayrton Senna" due to "a lack of absolute dynamism behind the wheel in difficult technical circumstances – perhaps holds him back from being regarded as among the true elite."[72] Writing forThe New York Times,Brad Spurgeon said that Button's F1 debut began a trend of teams signing young drivers and how they would cope with pressure, performance and the media in the championship.[243]BBC Sport's Andrew Benson called him "urbane and eloquent. Good-looking and charismatic, he is a marketing person's dream, and has a ready wit that can edge into sarcasm if he is impatient or uncomfortable with a situation."[217]
On 3 August 2015, Button and his then wife Jessica were burgled at a rentedSaint-Tropez home while staying with friends when robbers looted the house and stole belongings worth £300,000, including his wife's £250,000 engagement ring. Reports suggested that the couple might have been gassed through the air-conditioning system prior to the burglars' entry into the building.[268]
‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed. † Button did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.
^Button drove go-karts for fun before someone suggested he race competitively.[10] His father sold most of his possessions and opened a shop to fund his son's karting career.[11]
^Huysman and Roberston agreed to finance Button's career on the condition he paid 35 per cent of his future income to both men.[27]
^He declined offers from two F3 teams to race in the1998 Macau Grand Prix because he thought it an overly optimistic move to make early in his career.[37]
^Button's contract with Williams stipulated he had to score less than 75 per cent of points accumulated by the leader of the Drivers' Championship before theTurkish Grand Prix to join the team for 2006.[84]
^With 169 starts, Button made the second-highest number of race starts before becoming World Champion. OnlyNigel Mansell (with 176 starts) had competed in more races than Button before winning the World Championship.[107]
^Whitmarsh noted discord between Button and Brawn from disputes over payment of bonuses from the driver's championship win and spoke to Button about his status after the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix.[8]
^Although the press reported that the contract extension would earn Button £85 million, he states in his autobiographyLife to the Limit that this was not the case.[122]
^Button broke his knuckle at a party before theJapanese Grand Prix attended by figures from the motor racing community. He drove the race in a strap, leaving the services of simulator driverOliver Turvey andKevin Magnussen unneeded.[129]
^Button's manager Richard Goodard received calls from several teams inquiring about Button.[137]
^An option for a long-term contract was more complicated for Button because of the team's results from the 2014 season led to debate on each driver's strengths and weaknesses.[136]
^Hohenstein, Emma (12 June 2015)."Vuture Weekly Newsletter".Vuture Group. Emma Hohenstein. Archived fromthe original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved14 September 2015.
^abKnuston, Dan (November 2002)."Pushing All The Right Buttons".Auto Racing Digest.30 (6): 56.Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved14 December 2019 – via Gale General OneFile.
^abcKabanovsky, Alexander (October 2002). "Один на один: Переходный возраст" [One on One: Adolescent Age].Formula 1 Magazine (in Russian):79–80.
^abcConstanduros, Bob (Winter 2009)."Push the Button"(PDF).BRDC Bulletin.30 (4):22–23.Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved7 May 2020.
^Rowlinson, Anthony (May 2013). "Button: the slings and arrows of F1 fortune have hit Jenson Button harder and sharper than almost any of his peers. yet entering his 14th season, he's standing stronger than ever. JB chatted to F1 racing about life, lycra, and being McLaren's out-and-out number one".F1 Racing (207):48–50.ISSN1361-4487.
^Thurkal, Rachit; Simmons, Marcus (8 November 2018)."Button's Super GT title showdown".Autosport:4–5.Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved5 May 2020 – via PressReader.
^"Jenson Button". Sean Edwards Foundation.Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved6 May 2020.
^abLibaire, Jardine; O'Brien, Kristen (2014)."Track Star".Austin Way (2):89–90.Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved13 August 2020 – viaIssuu.
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