Jenson Button

Button's Williams FW22 at the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition.

In November 1999, Button had his McLaren test prize at the Silverstone club circuit in a MP4/13 car and impressed team owner Ron Dennis. He also tested for the Prost team at the Circuit 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's test 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 from Jaguar chairman Jackie Stewart.[41]

A vacant race seat became available at the Williams team following the departure of two-time CART champion Alessandro Zanardi. Other contenders for the seat included sports car driver Jörg Müller and Japanese Formula Three champion Darren Manning.[42] On 24 December 1999, team founder and principal Frank 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 director Gerhard Berger and a 'shoot-out' test was arranged between Button and F3000 racer and test driver Bruno Junqueira at Jerez in a Williams FW21B car modified by being fitted with an 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 by Stirling Moss.[45][14] Button did not hold a FIA Super Licence and the FIA president Max 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 in Brazil made him the youngest driver in history to score a point.[lower-alpha 4][36] In his first six races, he qualified higher than his teammate Ralf 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 rated Juan Pablo Montoya out of his contract at Chip Ganassi Racing.[52] A dip in Button's form, combined with Montoya's victory in the 2000 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 to Benetton Formula on a two-year loan.[53]

Button's best qualification of the season was third place in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps; and his best result was fourth in the German Grand Prix.[30] After concerns about his inexperience, he made a few errors during the season, the most notable coming in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Under safety 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 12 points.[36]

Button at the 2001 French Grand Prix driving for Benetton.

For 2001, Button partnered experienced driver Giancarlo Fisichella at Benetton, which had recently been purchased by Renault. His car was very uncompetitive due to a lack of power 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 17th in the Drivers' Championship with a total of two points scored; his best result was a fifth-place finish at the German Grand Prix.[30] His poor form led to speculation he would be replaced before the end of the year;[54] team principal Flavio 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]

Button competing for Renault at the 2002 British Grand Prix

In 2002, Benetton was re-branded as Renault, and Jarno 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 in Malaysia, 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 and launch 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 driver Fernando 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 with a two-year option for British American Racing (BAR) with the option for a further two years after that to replace the outgoing Olivier Panis,[64] partnering 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, after discussions with several teams fell through. An important factor in his decision was the chance to work with David Richards, the BAR team principal, and he was impressed with the team's long-term programme.[60][65] He finished the season seventh with 14 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 the first 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 the Austrian 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 in Monaco 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 in Montreal.[68] Button continued to outperform his teammate and this helped rebuild his previously faltering reputation.[69] Just before the final race in Japan, Villeneuve lost his seat at BAR, so Button was partnered with Takuma Sato; he took his second fourth place of the season,[67] and finished ninth in the Drivers' Championship with 17 points.[30]

Button driving for BAR at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.

The 2004 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 the Malaysian Grand Prix. He followed it up two weeks later with another third-place in Bahrain. In the next race at Imola, he took his first pole position and finished second behind Michael Schumacher.[71] He took 10 podiums in 18 races, and scored no points in three.[51][72] Button came third in the Drivers' Championship and helped BAR to take second in the Constructors' 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]

Button at the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix, where he took pole position.

Despite the feud, Button insisted he had BAR's backing,[79] and was optimistic for the 2005 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 the San 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 in Montreal, but crashed out after an error while running third.[82] After the United States Grand Prix, Button scored in all of the remaining races with two third-place finishes in Germany and Belgium to end the season in ninth place on 37 points.[30]

For the second year in a row, Button had contract disputes involving BAR and Williams. Button had signed a pre-contract to drive for Williams in 2006, 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.[lower-alpha 5][85] After several weeks of talks, Williams agreed to release Button in exchange for an estimated £18 million in compensation.[81][86]

Button driving the Honda RA106 which he drove to victory at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

BAR was renamed Honda prior to 2006 following a buyout by the Japanese manufacturer and Button was partnered by the experienced Rubens 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, the Malaysian Grand Prix, and pole position for the following Australian Grand Prix.[51] The first win of his career was at a rain-affected Hungarian Grand Prix from a 14th 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 in Brazil. Over the last six races of the season, he scored more points (35) than any other driver.[91]

Button driving for Honda at the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix.

In 2007, 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] His Honda RA107 car had an aerodynamic imbalance from lacking grip after Shuhei Nakamoto was appointed Senior Technical Director following the departure of Geoff 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 15th overall with a best finish of fifth at the rain-affected Chinese Grand Prix.[16][30]

Button driving for Honda at the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix.

Button stayed with Honda for 2008, and continued to be partnered by Barrichello. He and a group of friends went to Lanzarote to establish a base to train for the upcoming season. Button was confident since the technical director Ross 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] The Honda RA108 proved to be uncompetitive, and he scored three points that year because he finished sixth at the Spanish Grand Prix.[96]

On the morning of 4 December 2008, the global economic crisis caused Honda to withdraw from F1, leaving Button's chances of a drive in 2009 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 for Red Bull Racing's junior team Toro 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 as Brawn GP in early March 2009. Button signed a contract to drive for the team in 2009, 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's Brawn BGP 001 car was quick and reliable in pre-season testing in Europe due to an efficient aerodynamic package, a powerful Mercedes-Benz V8 engine and grippy slick tyres. The car's seat was lowered to make him comfortable.[101]

The Brawn BGP 001 car that Button drove to win the 2009 championship

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.[lower-alpha 6][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 the Brazilian 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.[lower-alpha 7][105] At the final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Button qualified behind Barrichello again, but was able to achieve a podium by coming third.[108]

In the off-season, Brawn and team principal Nick Fry informed Button they wanted him to sign an extension to his contract and be paired with Nico 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 said Mercedes 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]

Button's first race for McLaren was the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Goodard telephoned McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh to enquire about a drive for Button.[lower-alpha 8] 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 champion Lewis Hamilton appealed to Button. Discussions took place at the team's headquarters in Woking and a three-year deal was signed soon after.[110][111] Button said he moved because he wanted the motivation and challenge from competing alongside Hamilton,[112] but Whitmarsh cautioned the two before the start of the season he would observe any relationship problems between them.[113]

Button took his first victory with McLaren at the 2010 Australian Grand Prix.

Button won at the Australian Grand Prix and the Chinese Grand Prix in variable weather to take the lead of the Drivers' Championship.[30] He later finished second in Turkey 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.[114] Button retired at the Belgian Grand Prix after Vettel hit him and punctured the radiator of his car. Second at Monza was followed by a fourth place in both Singapore and Japan.[115] During the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, Button and his entourage were threatened by a number of criminals in the favelas on his way back from qualifying at Interlagos; nobody was harmed during the incident.[116] Button was mathematically eliminated from retaining the title with a fifth place in the race and took fifth in the championship with third in Abu Dhabi.[30][115]

Button celebrating his win of the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix

Button's MP4-26 car for 2011 was built around his taller frame from intra-team input in late 2010.[111][117] He believed the introduction of Pirelli 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.[118] Button began the season by finishing no lower than sixth in the first six races with three podium results.[119] He won the rain-affected Canadian 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.[120] Button then won the Hungarian Grand Prix, which was held in similar weather, and the Japanese 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 3 victories and 12 podium finishes to finish runner-up with 270 points.[30][121]

Button practicing for the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix

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.[122] Before the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix, he signed a three-year extension to his contract with McLaren.[lower-alpha 9][121] Button was satisfied with the new MP4-27 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-opening Australian Grand Prix and two-second-place finishes at the Chinese Grand Prix and the German Grand Prix were the highlights of his first half of the season.[123] 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.[124][125] Button changed the set-up of his car and adapted himself to the tyres to retain temperature for better performance.[126] The rest of Button's season saw him achieve wins in Belgium and Brazil and top-five finishes in five of the next seven rounds for fifth overall with 188 points.[127]

Button driving at the 2013 Italian Grand Prix

Button was joined at McLaren by Ferrari Driver Academy graduate Sergio Pérez for 2013 and their relationship was cooler because the latter entered the team hastily.[128] He was appointed a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) in March 2013.[8] McLaren built the MP4-28 car not in advance of regulation changes for 2014, but from scratch.[128] This caused Button to drive an unstable car with understeer, a lack of downforce and severe tyre degradation.[129] After finishing ninth at the season-opening Australian 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-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.[lower-alpha 10] He was ninth overall with 73 points. Button was involved in aggressive driving from his teammate Pérez early in the season in Bahrain and Monaco, annoying him.[128]

Button competing at the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix

He activated the terms of his contract to stay with McLaren for 2014 in September 2013,[130] but considered taking a sabbatical from F1 following the unexpected death of his father in Monaco in January 2014.[131] Button was joined by Kevin Magnussen, with whom he was able to build a rapport, and the MP4-29 car had an understeer from lacking front downforce and an unstable rear.[132] He finished third at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified for a fuel flow consumption infringement and his team lost a subsequent appeal against the decision.[133] 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.[134] Button qualified better than Magnussen ten times and scored twice as many points.[135]

Button driving at the 2015 British Grand Prix

Button became unenthusiastic over F1 and the press speculated on his future in the sport with rumors Alonso would be Magnussen's teammate in 2015. 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.[lower-alpha 11][132] Dennis did not want Button to drive for McLaren but fellow team shareholder Mansour Ojjeh told him Button should remain over Magnussen after reviewing the situation.[137] Negotiations between Button and McLaren racing director Éric Boullier and team owner Ron Dennis concluded with an agreement for Button to continue racing on 10 December.[135] Button agreed to take a pay cut,[138] 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.[lower-alpha 12][139] 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 the United States Grand Prix. He was rarely able to progress past the first qualifying session and took 16th in the Drivers' Championship with 16 points.[132]

Button competing in the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

He was retained by the McLaren team for 2016 following contractual discussions with Dennis and meetings with aerodynamics and engineers at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). Button received a 50 per cent pay rise by staying at McLaren for another year.[140] He had considered returning to the Williams team but decided against it.[141] 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 15 of the 21 races that year,[142] qualifying a season-high third at the Austrian Grand Prix, the highest start for the McLaren-Honda partnership. Button went on to finish the race a season-high sixth.[143] He was unable to finish higher than eighth thereafter and ended his full-time career with a suspension failure at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Button took 15th in the Drivers' Championship with 21 points finishing better than Alonso five times and qualifying higher on four occasions.[142]

Before the Belgian Grand Prix, he told Dennis he planned to retire after the season.[144] Dennis asked Button to wait before returning for discussion to which he said he had already decided.[145] He suggested Button take a sabbatical and mull over the decision to retire while resting and made Button an ambassador for McLaren.[144] He would work in the team's simulator at MTC, represent them at sponsor functions and attempt to help them in car development.[145] Button was retained by McLaren as reserve driver with the option to return to full-time racing for the team in 2018 if he and McLaren agreed to it.[146] He was replaced as a GPDA director by Romain Grosjean.[147] In April 2017, Boullier asked Button to drive in lieu of the Indianapolis 500-bound Alonso at the Monaco 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.[148] 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.[149] He retired late in the race following a collision with Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein that damaged his car.[150]

In November 2017, Button was replaced as McLaren reserve driver by 2017 FIA Formula Three European champion Lando Norris for 2018.[151] His contract with McLaren expired without renewal at the end of 2017 allowing him to focus on other racing ventures.[152]

In January 2021, Button rejoined Williams as a senior advisor on a multi-year deal. He will work with their race and Williams Academy drivers on-track and at the team's headquarters and conduct ambassadorial duties for the team.[153] Button focuses on the entire team and not one specific department but could not enter Williams' premises due to travel restrictions from the United States,[154] and COVID-19 protocols restricted his mixing with team since he was in the Sky Sports broadcasting bubble.[155]

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.[205]

^† As Button was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score championship points.

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; small number denotes the finishing position)

^‡ 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.

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; small number denotes the finishing position)

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; small number denotes the finishing position)

^† As Button was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score championship points.

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

† Not eligible for points.

(key)

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)