After nearly three decades behind the wheel, former F1 World Champion Jenson Button has officially confirmed that his professional racing career will come to a close at the 8 Hours of Bahrain.
The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion announced that this final endurance race will be the end of his time as a full-time competitor, bringing an extraordinary journey through multiple racing series to a well-earned finish.
Jenson Button, who made his F1 debut with Williams back in 2000, went on to contest an incredible 306 Grands Prix — the sixth-highest tally in F1 history (as of writing this 30 October 2025). Along the way, the Brit claimed 15 victories, 50 podium finishes, and eight pole positions.
Of course, the crowning glory came in 2009, when Button and the newly formed Brawn GP team stunned the motorsport world by winning both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in a season that remains one of Formula 1’s greatest fairytales. Rising from the ashes of the defunct Honda outfit, Brawn’s improbable success made Button a household name.
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Jenson
Button
2000 Australian Grand Prix F1 Debut
McLaren Current/Last Team
Formula One World Championship Career
| F1 Career | 2000-2017 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Williams, Benetton, Renault, BAR, Honda, Brawn, McLaren |
| Entries | 309 (306 starts) |
| Championships | 1 (2009) |
| Wins | 15 |
| Podiums | 50 |
| Career points | 1235 |
| Pole positions | 8 |
| Fastest laps | 8 |
| First entry | 2000 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2017 Monaco Grand Prix |
After leaving Formula 1 at the end of 2016 (with a one-off return in 2017 for his former team, McLaren, as Fernando Alonso contested the Indy 500), Button didn’t simply hang up his helmet. He threw himself into new adventures across the racing spectrum, competing in Japan’s Super GT, sportscar events, Extreme E, and no fewer than three editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In recent years, Button has been part of the World Endurance Championship grid with JOTA, but the 45-year-old has decided it’s finally time to shift gears. The upcoming 8 Hours of Bahrain, scheduled for 8 November 2025, will be his last race as a professional driver.
Speaking to the press, Button explained his decision with trademark honesty and warmth.
“This will be my last race,” he said. “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.
“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. 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.”
While Button is saying goodbye to professional competition, he’s not planning to stop driving altogether. His passion for cars — and particularly for the classics — remains as strong as ever.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
So, while the curtain is falling on Jenson Button’s professional career, the racing spirit that defined his life isn’t going anywhere. It’s simply shifting into a new gear — one powered by the simple joy of driving for its own sake.
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