Jenson Button: Retiring from professional racing “sadder” than F1 career end

Jenson Button says his retirement as a racing driver, following last weekend’s World Endurance Championship finale, is “sadder” than his final Formula 1 season.

The 45-year-old told Crash.net during June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans that 2025 would be his last full-time season in motorsport.

However, in the build-up to the WEC season finale at the Bahrain 8 Hours last weekend, Jenson Button announced that he would be stepping away from professional competition for good.

Button made his debut in F1 in 2000 with Williams, and served stints with Team Enstone, BAR, Honda, Brawn GP and McLaren, before calling time on his career at the end of 2016.

He won the 2009 world title with Brawn GP, after Ross Brawn took over the defunct Honda project in the winter following the Japanese brand’s withdrawal from F1.

Button competed in Super GT full-time in 2018 and 2019, before scaling back to race part-time, taking in sportscars, rallycross and NASCAR.

He returned to full-time competition in 2024 in the WEC with Jota, achieving a best of second this year at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo in the Cadillac.

In the No.38 car alongside Sebastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber, Button was 16th in his final race at the Bahrain 8 Hours.

“Different feeling” to F1 retirement, says Jenson Button

Reflecting on his final professional race, Button - who also serves as a TV pundit for Sky F1 and a Rolex ambassador - said it had a “different feeling” to his last grand prix as a full-time driver.

“This final race was very emotional,” he said in an interview with Rolex that has been passed on to Crash.

“I’ve had a very long career in professional racing, and I'm still enjoying it and happy that I'm still able to give it my all and be competitive - even at 45 years old.

“But life has become too busy.

“When I retired from Formula 1, it was a different feeling; it was excitement because I knew there were lots of other motorsport categories that I had a chance to compete in.

“This moment was more emotional, it was sadder, but also great as I'm able to reflect.”

Button also noted that he will still race here and there at classic car events, such as the Goodwood Revival.

In a quote published by the BBC, Button added: “I don't feel like I've left anything on the table. I'm content with what I've achieved.”