Britain’s 2009 F1 world champ Jenson Button is still putting pedal to the metal. The father of two may have driven his last grand prix in Monaco back in 2017 but the former World Champion is showing no signs of slowing down (no pun intended). From Super GT, DTM, the World Endurance Championship, Le Mans, NASCAR, and most recently racing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the Formula 1 champion’s racing resume speaks for itself.
Jenson Button and Keanu Reeves on set
So, rumour has it a full-time position in the World Endurance Championship is on the cards for next year?
Nothing is confirmed yet, but endurance is the place I want to be. Multiclass racing throws something else into the mix with traffic. There’s always a lot more action because of it. The way IMSA is run, you don’t know who is going to win until after the last safety car, basically. Endurance racing is where it’s at.
You seem to be doing more driving than ever post F1, when will you enough is enough?
I will race as long as I can. It never leaves you as a racing driver, that want for competition. As long as I still want to race and am still healthy and fit and my reactions are still there, there’s no reason to stop racing. When I get to a point where I’ve lost my edge, I won’t be doing so much serious racing. But for now, wow! I feel like I’ve got a lot of years ahead. I still feel like a 20-year-old when it comes to racing.
Is it true that Tom Cruise in Days Of Thunder inspired you to get involved with NASCAR.
Growing up in the UK we had four channels on TV back in the late 80s. And we didn’t get any real sport outside of European sport. So, yes it was actually Days of Thunder that first brought me to NASCAR, because it was the first time I got to see any NASCAR.
I mean, it was a movie. So as an ten year old I thought it was insane, I thought it was amazing — worlds away from European motorsport. But that kind of got me in the door of liking NASCAR. And I used to watch it with my old man. It’s so different to what it used to.
You’ve talked about how the sport has a family-friendly vibe in a way that F1 perhaps doesn’t, talk to us a little bit about this.
I don’t want to be negative about F1, because it is an amazing sport, And I’m an F1 World Champ, so I spent most of my life there. But you’re so focused, and your family doesn’t come to the races, because your teams don’t really want them to be there, because they know that your focus is so important. What I love about all the different series in NASCAR is that the atmosphere is great, the family atmosphere really got me. My kids are playing with everyone else's kids, it's that part of it that really adds to the interest for me.
Hacket Fragrance Ambassador Jenson Button
You’re a style ambassador for Hacket clothing and fragrance, how important is looking and smelling good?
I have a great relationship with Jeremy Hackett. I took him for a spin in a Jaguar at Goodwood this year in a Jaguar C-type that once belonged to F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio. That was a lot of fun. I’ve always like the brand for its classic aesthetic and British heritage. The days my style is more relaxed, I’m constantly on the move. A suit that fits perfectly gives you confidence. And wearing a fragrance you love does the same thing. We’ve just launched Absolute which is incredible. My wife and I went on date night recently and the perfume she wore took me back to our wedding day. Perfume evokes memories, special memories.
Any racing driving prowess in the Button junior camp? And would you encourage either of your kids to get into the sport?
We’ve got a boy that’s 4 and a girl that’s almost 3 and they both LOVE cars. My son knows every car on the road and he’s always pushing cars. It’s not the only thing he loves, he loves bugs as well. On reflection that direction might be cheaper than the car direction! But actually, if either of my children are going to be racing drivers it’s my daughter. Lenny Button, she’s a bit crazy, in a positive way. She’s pushing the boundaries the whole time and will always find the most dangerous way to walk anywhere. She’s amazing… and she’s sturdy as well. With my son Hendrik you think he’s going to fall over all the time but she’s like, I’ve got this!
Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story, produced and narrated by Keanu Reeves, documents the incredible story of the Brawn team (Ross Brawn famously bought Honda for a £1 in 2008 before securing both championships in 2009) and of course your Formula 1 win. What was it like being involved in a project like that?
It was a lot of fun. I spent three days with Keanu, on the couch for two of them and then the other one was up at Silverstone with the winning car. Keanu is such a nice guy and I really enjoyed working with him. The documentary is great, and we’ve come up with some ideas for the future, so watch this space.