Jenson Button

Jenson Button was born in Frome, England, in 1980 and grew up around motorsport through his father, John, a rallycross racer. After success in karting and junior single-seaters, he entered Formula 1 with Williams in 2000 at only 20 years old. His early career moved through Benetton, Renault, BAR and Honda, where flashes of speed were often hidden by inconsistent machinery and team changes. Button’s breakthrough came with Honda, where he took his first win at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. When Honda withdrew and the team became Brawn GP in 2009, he seized a rare opportunity perfectly, winning six of the first seven races and becoming World Champion. At McLaren, alongside Lewis Hamilton, he proved his race craft, especially in changeable conditions and tyre-sensitive races. After leaving full-time Formula 1, Button continued racing in Super GT, endurance events and NASCAR appearances, while also working in broadcasting and advisory roles. He is remembered as a smooth, intelligent driver whose greatest strength was making difficult races look calm. His 2009 title remains one of F1’s most remarkable underdog championship stories.