The 2009 F1 champion still intends to dabble in a more manual form of racing in the future
FORMULA ONE world champion Jenson Button has announced his retirement from motorsport.
Currently competing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), the British driver, 45, will call it quits after next weekend’s eighth and final race in Bahrain.
Jenson Button will quit racing to spend more time with wife Brittny WardCredit: Getty
Button married Brittny in 2022 and the pair have two childrenCredit: Getty
Button won the Formula One world championship in 2009Credit: ImageForum
Button – who stormed the title in 2009 in a miracle year with Brawn GP – quit racing in F1 back in 2017.
He is now a regular face on Sky Sports’ television coverage of the sport.
But Button has also been competing with Team Jota in endurance races over the past two years.
However, he confirmed this weekend will see him hang up his racing gloves for good.
Button told BBC Radio Somerset: “This will be my last race, I’ve always liked Bahrain, I think it’s a fun track, and I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can because this will be the end of my professional racing career.”
After leaving F1, Button married wife Brittny Ward in 2022.
They have son Hendrix, six, and four-year-old daughter Lenny.
And Button admitted that he did not have the energy to pull off another season in the cockpit.
He added: “I’ve really enjoyed my time with Jota in WEC but my life has got way too busy and it’s not fair on the team or on myself to go into 2026 and think that I’m going to have enough time for it.
“My kids are four and six and you’re away for a week and you miss so much, you don’t get this time back.
Button has continued racing in endurance events since his retirement from F1Credit: Getty
Button has been a regular on Sly Sports since quitting F1Credit: Alamy
“I feel like I’ve missed a lot the last couple of years, which has been fine because I knew that would happen, but I’m not willing to do that again for another season.”
Across a decorated racing career spanning more than two decades, Button raced in 18 F1 seasons, winning 15 races from 306 starts.
Most of his victories came with Brawn GP in 2009, before he moved to McLaren to partner seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
While the latter is widely recognised as Britain’s greatest driver, Button outscored Hamilton during their three years as team-mates.
After stepping aside from F1 in 2017, Button also competed in Japan’s Super GT Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans before entering the WEC.
Button still hopes to dabble in a more manual form of racing in the future.
He said: “I’ve got classic cars I love to race and for me that’s exciting because it’s mine – a car that I own – and I love the mechanical aspect.
“It’s very different to the cars I race in WEC and F1, you’re really connected to it which I love, having to heel and toe, getting the gear shift just right, no aero, it’s all mechanical.”
