Jenson Button

Jenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE (born 19 January 1980) is a British former racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2000 to 2017, winning the 2009 World Drivers' Championship with Brawn GP in one of Formula One's most dramatic and unlikely title victories. Born in Frome, Somerset, Button came from a motorsport family, with his father John Button being a former rallycross driver who supported Jenson's racing ambitions from childhood. Button began karting at an early age and quickly demonstrated exceptional natural talent, winning the British Cadet Kart Championship in 1991 at age 11. He progressed through various karting categories, winning multiple titles before transitioning to car racing.

Button's car racing career began in Formula Ford in 1998, where he dominated the British Formula Ford Championship, winning the title in his debut season. He progressed immediately to Formula 3 for 1999, finishing third in the British Formula 3 Championship behind future Formula One drivers Marc Hynes and Luciano Burti. His rapid progression and consistent front-running results attracted Formula One attention. In 2000, at just 20 years old, Button made his Formula One debut with Williams, replacing the departing Alessandro Zanardi.

His Williams debut season showed promise, with Button regularly outqualifying more experienced teammate Ralf Schumacher and demonstrating maturity beyond his years. However, Williams replaced Button with Juan Pablo Montoya for 2001, ending his tenure with the championship-contending team just as he was establishing himself. Button joined Benetton for 2001, staying with the team when it was rebranded as Renault for 2002. During 2002-2003 with Renault, Button struggled with uncompetitive machinery and was released from his Renault contract, joining BAR (British American Racing) for 2003.

His move to BAR proved career-defining, as the team steadily improved through 2003-2004. In 2004, Button achieved his breakthrough season, finishing third in the World Championship with ten podium finishes, though victory still eluded him. Button finally took his maiden Formula One victory at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix driving for Honda (BAR's successor), ending a wait of 113 race starts—demonstrating the determination that characterized his entire career. However, Honda's competitiveness declined through 2007-2008, and by late 2008 Honda announced its withdrawal from Formula One due to the global financial crisis.

The team's collapse left Button's career in jeopardy. In one of Formula One's most remarkable stories, team principal Ross Brawn led a management buyout of Honda, creating Brawn GP for 2009. Button was retained as lead driver, and the Brawn BGP 001-Mercedes proved devastatingly fast in the new 2009 regulations. Button won a record-equalling six of the first seven races, building a commanding championship lead.

Though Red Bull's development caught and eventually surpassed Brawn, Button's early-season dominance proved sufficient to clinch the World Drivers' Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix, leading on points all season. His success helped Brawn GP secure the Constructors' Championship—the first team to win the title in their debut season. For 2010, Mercedes purchased Brawn GP, but Button joined McLaren alongside 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton in one of Formula One's most highly anticipated teammate pairings. Button remained at McLaren through 2017 (with a brief 2017 hiatus), winning eight more races to bring his career total to 15 victories.

His 2011 season proved his second-best championship result, finishing runner-up to Sebastian Vettel. Button's McLaren tenure included memorable victories like the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix—winning from last place after multiple incidents in changing conditions, widely regarded as one of Formula One's greatest drives. After an increasingly difficult 2016 season with unreliable Honda engines, Button announced his Formula One retirement, though he returned for a one-off substitution at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix when Fernando Alonso competed at the Indianapolis 500. Over 306 Formula One races—second-most starts in history at his retirement—Button scored 15 victories, 8 pole positions, 50 podiums, and 1,235 championship points.

Beyond statistics, Button earned universal respect for his smooth driving style, exceptional racecraft in changing conditions, and professionalism throughout 17 seasons. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to motorsport. After retiring, Button competed in various racing series including Super GT in Japan and occasional appearances at special events. He remains involved in motorsport as an ambassador and commentator, while also pursuing interests in triathlons, demonstrating the fitness obsession that kept him competitive into his late thirties.

Jenson Button's legacy rests on his 2009 World Championship—one of Formula One's most unlikely and dramatic title victories—and his 15 Grand Prix wins across 17 seasons. His smooth style, tire management expertise, and racecraft in mixed conditions made him one of Britain's most accomplished Formula One drivers and a worthy World Champion.