Jenson’s back and is looking serious – can he make the Le Mans top step?

Born on January 19, 1980, in Frome, Somerset, Button was the son of a former rallycross driver, which exposed him to motorsport from an early age. His career would come to be defined by talent, perseverance, and success.

Button started karting at the age of eight, and by 11, he won the 1991 British Cadet Karting Championship, claiming victory in all 34 races of the season. An unprecedented achievement. Rising through the national and European karting ranks, he transitioned to single-seater racing at 18, competing in the Formula Ford Championship. He won the championship in his debut season, dominating the field. This feat earned him the prestigious McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award, marking him as one of Britain’s most promising racing talents.

From there, his rise was rapid. In 1999, Button moved up to Formula 3, impressing enough to earn a Formula 1 test with Williams that same year. His performance was so strong that Williams signed him for the 2000 F1 season, replacing American driver Alessandro Zanardi. While his ascent to F1 had been swift, his progress within the sport was more gradual.

Over the next eight years, Button raced for four different teams, enduring seasons of struggle and inconsistency. His career reached a crossroads at the end of 2008 when Honda abruptly pulled out of Formula 1, leaving him without a drive. However, from what looked to be a career-ending setback, an extraordinary opportunity emerged. Honda’s former team principal, Ross Brawn, led a management buyout, forming Brawn GP and what followed was one of the greatest underdog stories in F1 history.

Despite low expectations, the team had produced a technical masterpiece. Button won six of the first seven races of the 2009 season, building an unassailable lead in the championship. Though he faced challenges in the latter half of the season, he secured the Formula 1 World Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix, achieving his lifelong dream.

After winning the title, Button moved to McLaren in 2010, where he spent the remainder of his F1 career. He partnered Lewis Hamilton (2010–12), Sergio Perez (2013), Kevin Magnussen (2014), and Fernando Alonso (2015–16) before stepping away from full-time racing at the end of 2016. His final F1 appearance came as a one-off substitute for Alonso at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, marking the official end of his F1 tenure.

However, as a self-confessed racing enthusiast, retirement from F1 did not mean the end of Button’s competitive career. With close ties to Honda, he moved into the Super GT Series in Japan, winning the 2018 championship in his first season. This period also marked his first foray into the Le Mans 24 Hours.

In the years that followed, Button dabbled in various motorsport disciplines, including NASCAR, IMSA, sports car racing, and Extreme E. He also established his own racing team, competing in GT and off-road events, while becoming a respected F1 pundit. However, it wasn’t until 2024, after settling down in the USA and starting a family, that he fully committed to racing again, joining Team Jota for a full assault on the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Now in his second full-time WEC season (2025), Button continues with Team Jota, but this time in a Cadillac. After racing the Porsche 963 in 2024, he now shares the #38 Cadillac V-Series R alongside Sebastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber. The oldest pairing in the Hypercar class, but together, the trio brings an F1 title, 333 Grand Prix starts, 4 Champ Car titles, 10 Indy 500 appearances, 1 Daytona 24 Hours victory, and 3 Sebring 12 Hours wins to the table. Their experience could prove invaluable.

Button’s Cadillac V-Series R, designed by Cadillac and built by Dallara, is now in its third year at Le Mans. Under the stewardship of Hertz Team Jota, the team aims to build on its first two years of experience and challenge for victory.

Button is driven by the intense competition of the Hypercar class, he is hoping to join an illustrious group of just five drivers who have won both Le Mans and a Formula 1 World Championship – Fernando Alonso, Graham Hill, Phil Hill, Mike Hawthorn, and Jochen Rindt.

The 2025 Le Mans race presents one of the most competitive Hypercar fields in history, with 18 cars from eight major manufacturers fighting for glory. Ferrari aiming for a third straight victory, while Toyota and Porsche (with a combined seven wins between them) lurk as perennial contenders. With Alpine, BMW, and Peugeot all in the mix too, there are many drivers with their eyes on the prize.

For Button, this could be his biggest challenge yet, but if he can pull it off, it will cement his name in endurance and wider motorsport history. Only time will tell.

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