Jenson Button facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jenson Button MBE
Button at the 2024 6 Hours of Fuji
Born	Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (1980-01-19) 19 January 1980 (age 45) Frome, Somerset, England
Spouse(s)	Jessica Michibata ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2015)​ Brittny Ward ​ (m. 2022)​
Partner(s)	Louise Griffiths (2000–2005)
Children	2
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	British
Active years	2000–2017
Teams	Williams, Benetton, Renault, BAR, Honda, Brawn, McLaren
Car number	22
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
FIA World Endurance Championship career
Debut season	2018–19
Current team	Cadillac Hertz Team Jota
Racing licence	FIA Platinum
Former teams	SMP
Starts	17
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	2
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	15th in 2018–19 (LMP1)
Super GT career
Years active	2017–2019
Teams	Mugen, Kunimitsu
Starts	17
Championships	1 (2018)
Wins	1
Podiums	6
Poles	1
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	1st in 2018 (GT500)
NASCAR Cup Series career
3 races run over 1 year
Car no., team	No. 15 (Rick Ware Racing)
First race	2023 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Texas)
Last race	2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Indianapolis)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0

Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is a British racing driver. He is famous for competing in Formula One (F1) from 2000 to 2017. In 2009, he won the World Drivers' Championship with the Brawn team. Jenson won 15 Grand Prix races during his 18 seasons in F1.

After his F1 career, he became a champion in the Super GT Series in 2018. He also raced part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Currently, Button competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota.

Early Life and Racing Start

Jenson Button was born on 19 January 1980 in Frome, England. His father, John Button, was also a rallycross driver. Jenson loved racing from a young age. He watched Formula One with his dad when he was about five or six. He looked up to the famous driver Alain Prost.

Jenson's parents divorced when he was seven. His mother raised him and his three older sisters. He went to school in Frome but his karting career meant he focused more on racing. He left school with one GCSE.

Karting Adventures

Jenson's racing journey began with a 50cc bike for his seventh birthday. He quickly found it too slow! His father then bought him a go-kart for Christmas in 1987. Jenson started karting at Clay Pigeon Raceway in May 1988, at eight years old.

His father taught him how to control the kart on wet tracks. In 1989, at age nine, Jenson won the British Super Prix. By 1991, he won all 34 races in the British Cadet Kart Championship. He then decided his goal was to race in F1.

Jenson continued to succeed in karting. He won three British Open Kart Championship titles. At 15, he became the youngest runner-up in the Formula A World Championship. In 1997, he won the European Super A Championship, becoming the youngest British driver to do so.

Button (on the right) after finishing third at the 1996 Ayrton Senna Memorial Trophy

Moving to Car Racing

At 18, Jenson moved into single-seater car racing. He first joined Formula Ford in 1998. He won the British Formula Ford Championship with nine victories. He also won the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch.

After this, he won the Autosport BRDC Award. This prize included a test drive in a McLaren MP4/14 F1 car. In 1999, Jenson raced in the British Formula 3 Championship. He won three races and finished third overall. He also came second in the Macau Grand Prix.

Formula One Career

Starting with Williams (2000)

In 1999, Jenson tested for the Williams F1 team. He impressed the team's founder, Frank Williams. On 24 December 1999, Williams offered Jenson a spot on the team. This made him Britain's youngest F1 driver ever.

Button's Williams FW22 at the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition.

In his second race, the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix, he finished sixth. This made him the youngest driver to score a point in F1 history at the time. Jenson finished his first season in eighth place with 12 points.

Time with Benetton and Renault (2001–2002)

For 2001, Jenson joined the Benetton team. His car was not very competitive, and he struggled. He scored only two points that year.

Button at the 2001 French Grand Prix driving for Benetton.

In 2002, Benetton became the Renault team. Jenson's performance improved a lot. He finished fourth in Malaysia and showed strong race pace. Despite his good driving, Renault decided to replace him with Fernando Alonso for 2003. Jenson then signed a contract with British American Racing (BAR).

Years with BAR (2003–2005)

Jenson joined BAR in 2003. He had some challenges with his new teammate, Jacques Villeneuve. However, Jenson's performance improved throughout the season. He finished ninth in the Drivers' Championship.

Button driving for BAR at the 2004 United States Grand Prix.

The 2004 season was Jenson's best yet. He took his first pole position at the San Marino Grand Prix. He also achieved 10 podium finishes (top three results) in 18 races. He finished third in the Drivers' Championship, helping BAR to second place in the Constructors' Championship.

In 2005, Jenson faced some challenges with new rules. He was disqualified from a race due to a technical issue with his car. He still managed two third-place finishes and ended the season in ninth place.

Button at the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix, where he took pole position.

Driving for Honda (2006–2008)

In 2006, BAR became the Honda team. Jenson was confident in the new car. He scored points in many races and achieved his first F1 win at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. This was after 113 races, a long wait for his first victory! He finished the season in sixth place.

Button driving the Honda RA106 which he drove to victory at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 2007 and 2008 seasons were tough for Honda. Their cars were not very competitive. Jenson struggled to score points, finishing 15th in 2007 and 18th in 2008. In December 2008, Honda decided to leave F1. This left Jenson without a team for 2009.

Button driving for Honda at the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix.

Button driving for Honda at the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix.

Becoming a Champion with Brawn GP (2009)

In early 2009, Ross Brawn bought the Honda team and renamed it Brawn GP. Jenson signed to drive for them. Despite being an underdog, the Brawn BGP 001 car was surprisingly fast.

The Brawn BGP 001 car that Button drove to win the 2009 championship

Jenson won six of the first seven races of the 2009 season. This amazing start helped him secure the World Drivers' Championship at the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix. His success also helped Brawn GP win the Constructors' Championship.

Button at the 2009 Italian Grand Prix

Years with McLaren (2010–2017)

In 2010, Jenson moved to McLaren, partnering with fellow British driver Lewis Hamilton. He won two races in his first year with McLaren. He finished fifth in the championship.

Button's first race for McLaren was the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix.

In 2011, Jenson had a fantastic season. He won the exciting 2011 Canadian Grand Prix and two other races. He finished as the runner-up in the championship with 270 points.

Button took his first victory with McLaren at the 2010 Australian Grand Prix.

Button celebrating his win of the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix

Jenson won three more races in 2012, including the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. He finished fifth in the championship that year.

Button practicing for the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix

The 2013 and 2014 seasons were more challenging for McLaren. Jenson did not win any races during these years. He finished ninth in 2013 and eighth in 2014. In 2014, he achieved his final F1 podium finish, coming third at the Australian Grand Prix.

Button driving at the 2013 Italian Grand Prix

Button competing at the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix

In 2015, McLaren partnered with Honda again, but the car was not very fast. Jenson struggled and finished 16th in the championship. He continued with McLaren in 2016, where he finished 15th. He retired from full-time F1 racing at the end of 2016.

Button driving at the 2015 British Grand Prix

Button competing in the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

He made a one-off return at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix to fill in for Fernando Alonso. His contract with McLaren ended in late 2017.

Button's car at Indianapolis.

Life After Formula One

Super GT Champion

Jenson became interested in the Super GT series in Japan. In 2018, he drove for Team Kunimitsu alongside Naoki Yamamoto. They won a race and took two second-place finishes. They won the GT500 title by three points, making Jenson the first rookie champion since 2005.

The Honda NSX-GT that Button and Naoki Yamamoto drove to win the 2018 Super GT title.

He continued in Super GT in 2019, finishing eighth in the championship. He left the series after 2019 to explore other racing opportunities.

Sports Car Racing

Jenson has also competed in endurance sports car races. He made his debut at the 1999 24 Hours of Spa. In 2018, he raced in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with SMP Racing. He finished third at the 6 Hours of Shanghai.

The No. 24 Camaro ZL1 driven by Button, Johnson, and Rockenfeller at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans

In 2023, Jenson drove a special NASCAR Next Gen car at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. He also raced in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. For 2024, he returned to the WEC with Team Jota, driving a Porsche 963. He finished 19th in the championship.

The No. 38 Porsche 963 driven by Button, Hanson, and Rasmussen at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans

Jenson will continue with Jota in 2025, racing a Cadillac V-Series.R in the Hypercar category.

Other Racing Adventures

Jenson has participated in the Race of Champions six times. In 2019, he drove off-road races in a special truck. During the 2020 pandemic, he competed in eSports races.

In 2021, Jenson started his own team, JBXE, to race in the all-electric off-road series Extreme E. He drove in one round before focusing on managing his team. He also made his debut in historic racing at the 2021 Goodwood Revival.

In 2023, Jenson raced in three NASCAR Cup Series events for Rick Ware Racing. His best finish was 18th at the Circuit of the Americas.

Driving Style

Button driving a McLaren MP4-23 car through the streets of Manchester in August 2011.

Jenson Button is known for his smooth driving style. This means he makes small, precise movements with the steering wheel and pedals. This style helps him drive well in wet weather and also helps to save his tyres during a race.

He uses his left foot to brake, which helps him stop the car faster. Jenson likes a car that feels stable in corners. His smooth style means he is less likely to make mistakes during races.

His Car Number

For the 2014 F1 season, drivers could choose their own car numbers. Jenson picked number 22. This was the number he had when he won the championship in 2009.

Beyond Racing

Jenson has worked with many big brands like Head & Shoulders and Hugo Boss. He was listed as one of the world's top-earning drivers by Forbes between 2012 and 2013.

He is also involved in charity work through The Jenson Button Trust. He supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK and The Prince's Trust. After his father passed away, he started the 'Pink for Papa' campaign to raise money for the Henry Surtees Foundation.

Jenson has also been a TV analyst for Sky Sports F1 since 2018.

Personal Life

Jenson enjoys mountain biking, triathlons, and bodyboarding. He also collects cars. He was married to model Jessica Michibata from 2014 to 2015. He married American model Brittny Ward in 2022. They have a son and a daughter and live in Los Angeles. Jenson supports Bristol City Football Club.

In 2015, Jenson and his wife were burgled at a rented home in France. Belongings worth a lot of money were stolen.

Racing Records

Career Summary

^† As Button was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score championship points.
^* Season still in progress.

24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2018	SMP Racing	Mikhail Aleshin Vitaly Petrov	BR Engineering BR1-AER	LMP1	315	DNF	DNF
2023	Hendrick Motorsports	Jimmie Johnson Mike Rockenfeller	Chevrolet Camaro ZL1	Innovative	285	39th	–
2024	Hertz Team Jota	Phil Hanson Oliver Rasmussen	Porsche 963	Hypercar	311	9th	9th
2025	Cadillac Hertz Team Jota	Earl Bamber Sébastien Bourdais	Cadillac V-Series.R	Hypercar	386	7th	7th
Source:

See also

In Spanish: Jenson Button para niños