Former Formulation 1 driver Jenson Button has described his time as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate as the brand new problem he wanted after profitable the drivers’ championship.
Button joined the seven-time champion at McLaren in 2010, and whereas his former boss Ross Brawn suggested towards the transfer to the Woking outfit, the 46-year-old relished the problem of beating Hamilton in the identical equipment.
“Sure, I used to be team-mates with Lewis for 3 years. After I left Brawn in 2009 as a world champion, I used to be like, ‘I would like a brand new problem,’ and that problem was to go up towards Lewis Hamilton,” Button advised Sky Sports activities F1.
“And Ross Brawn even mentioned, ‘You are making a mistake.’ So then I used to be in with each toes, and actually loved the partnership we had. And I feel profitable a race and beating Lewis Hamilton in the identical automobile was nearly like profitable a world championship.
Jenson Button
Photograph by: Ahmad AlShehab / NurPhoto through Getty Pictures
“Did not occur sufficient, but it surely was very particular. So, no, I’ve loads of respect for him as I do Fernando Alonso, who I raced with for 2 years, and seeing the best way they work behind the scenes, not simply within the automobile, is basically spectacular.”
Button retired from racing on the finish of 2025 after finishing the World Endurance Championship season. “I left F1 in 2016. I used to be 36, and I used to be like, you recognize what, I consider myself as a racing driver, not simply an F1 driver,” he mentioned. “So, I went off and raced in Japan. I raced within the World Endurance Championship, 24-hour races.
“I raced on dust in Baja, NASCAR, and I’ve had such a tremendous profession. Very, very fortunate. And it was time to hold up my race boots, spend extra time with the household, and I’ve additionally acquired extra time for F1 now.”
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