Jenson Button
Button at the 2012 Bahrain Grand Prix
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| Born | Jenson Alexander Lyons Button 19 January 1980 Frome, Somerset, England |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  British |
| Team | McLaren-Honda |
| Car number | 22[1] |
| Entries | 279 (276 starts) |
| Championships | 1 (2009) |
| Wins | 15 |
| Podiums | 50 |
| Career points | 1,204 |
| Pole positions | 8 |
| Fastest laps | 8 |
| First entry | 2000 Australian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Latest entry | 2015 Belgian Grand Prix |
| 2014 position | 8th (126 pts) |
Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British Formula Three Championship. He first drove in Formula One with Williams F1 for the 2000 season. The following year he switched to Benetton, which in 2002 became Renault, and then for the 2003 season he moved to BAR. In 2004 he finished 3rd in the World Drivers' Championship, with only the two Ferraris ahead of him. BAR were subsequently renamed Honda for the 2006 season, during which Button won his first Grand Prix in Hungary, after 113 races.[2]
Following the withdrawal of Honda from the sport in December 2008, he was left without a drive for the 2009 season, until Ross Brawn led a management buyout of the team in February 2009, and Button suddenly found himself in a highly competitive, Mercedes-engined car. He went on to win a record-equalling six of the first seven races of the 2009 season, securing the World Drivers' Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix, having led on points all season; his success also helped Brawn GP to secure the World Constructors' Championship.
For 2010, he moved to McLaren, partnering fellow British racer and former World Champion Lewis Hamilton. After finishing fifth for the team in 2010, Button finished the 2011 season as runner-up. In 2012 he took his first pole for McLaren at the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix. He spent a fifth season with the McLaren team in 2014, his 15th in Formula One. From the 276 races that Button has started he has won 15, with a total of 50 podium finishes. Button was named one of the "Men of the Year" in both 2009 and 2011 by Top Gear.
Contents
Early life and career
Button was born on 19 January 1980 in Frome, Somerset and brought up in nearby Vobster.[3] He was named after his father's Danish friend and rallycross opponent Erling Jensen, changing the "e" to an "o" to differentiate it from Jensen Motors.[4] He was educated at Vallis First School, Selwood Middle School and Frome Community College.[5] He is the fourth child of Simone Lyons and former Rallycross driver John Button, who was well known in the UK during most of the 1970s for his so-called Colorado Beetle Volkswagen, before switching to a VW Golf Mk1 in 1978. After his parents divorced when he was seven, he and his three elder sisters were brought up by their mother in Frome.[4] He failed his first driving test for getting too close to a parked vehicle.[5]Button enjoyed racing from an early age, racing his BMX bike with friends after school,[6] he began karting at the age of eight, after his father bought him his first kart, and made an extraordinarily successful start. In 1989, aged nine, he came first in the British Super Prix.[7] He won all 34 races of the 1991 British Cadet Kart Championship, along with the title.[8] Further successes followed, including three triumphs in the British Open Kart Championship. In 1997, he won the Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup, and also became the youngest driver ever to win the European Super A Championship.[7]
Aged 18, Button moved into car racing, winning the British Formula Ford Championship with Haywood Racing; he also triumphed in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch.[9] At the end of 1998, he won the annual McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award. His prize included a test in a McLaren Formula One car, which he received at the end of the following year.[10] Button entered the British Formula Three Championship in 1999, with the Promatecme team. He won three times —at Thruxton, Pembrey and Silverstone—and finished the season as the top rookie driver, and third overall.[9] He finished fifth and second respectively in the Marlboro Masters and Macau Grand Prix, losing out by 0.035 seconds to winner Darren Manning in the latter.[9]
Formula One career
Williams (2000)
Making his début in Australia, Button crashed during practice and qualified second-last on the grid. However, he performed strongly in the race and was set to score a point before his engine failed 11 laps from the finish.[13][14] A sixth-place finish at the next race in Brazil made him, at the time, the youngest driver ever to score a point.[15] In his first six races, he outqualified his teammate Ralf Schumacher twice, and was consistently close in pace; journalist David Tremayne described Button's start as "the stuff of any team owner's wildest dreams".[15] However, Williams had intended to use Button only until they could exercise their option to buy the highly rated Juan Pablo Montoya out of his contract at Ganassi Racing.[16] A dip in Button's form, combined with Montoya's victory in that year's Indianapolis 500, led to Montoya being announced as his replacement midway through the season. Williams chose not to sell Button's contract, keeping the right to recall him in 2003. He went to Benetton on a two-year loan.[17]
Button's best qualification of the season was third place in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps; and his best result was fourth in the German Grand Prix.[18] Despite the worries about his inexperience, he made few mistakes during the season, the most notable coming in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Under safety car conditions Button swerved to avoid the pack which had bunched up, and subsequently crashed into the barrier; he blamed Michael Schumacher who had been leading at the time (and so controlling the pace), and Schumacher apologised for it after the race.[19] Button finished his impressive debut season in eighth place with 12 points (Ralf Schumacher finished fifth with 24).[20][21][22]
Benetton (2001)
Renault (2002)
In 2002, Benetton was rebranded as Renault F1, and Jarno Trulli joined the team to partner Button. Over the winter break, Button spent a lot of time working with his engineering team and felt there was an improved understanding between them; he described himself as "very confident" for the season.[25] He started well: in the second race of the season in Malaysia, he was on track for his first podium before a suspension problem in the final laps dropped him to fourth place.[29] Button's performances were greatly improved from the previous season's; although often outqualified by Trulli, he showed the faster race pace to outscore his more experienced teammate.[30] Despite Button's performances, and his desire to stay with Renault,[31] it was announced at the French Grand Prix that he would make way in 2003 for test driver Fernando Alonso.[30] Briatore faced criticism for his decision, but stated "time will tell if I am wrong";[32] he would also accuse Button of being a "lazy playboy".[33] In July, Button signed a two-year contract with a two-year option for British American Racing, partnering 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.[34] An important factor in his decision was the chance to work with David Richards, the BAR team principal.[34] He finished the season seventh with 14 points, one place and 5 points ahead of Trulli.[35]BAR (2003–2005)
2003
Button faced early hostility from new teammate Villeneuve, who suggested that Button had been hired for his marketing appeal more than his ability, and compared him to a "member of a boy band". Button responded by denying he had anything to prove to Villeneuve; "I am not here to earn Jacques' respect, I am here to win and move the team forward".[36] Their relationship did not improve after the first Grand Prix in Australia: Villeneuve was due to pit, but stayed out an extra lap and pitted when Button was due in, leaving Button waiting in the pit lane while Villeneuve's car was serviced. Villeneuve blamed it on "radio problems", but both Button and team principal David Richards hinted that they did not believe him.[37] Button performed well in the first six races, scoring eight points (the points system had changed that year to award points to the top eight finishers), including fourth place at the Austrian Grand Prix; Villeneuve had scored only three.[38] Button crashed heavily at 185 mph (298 km/h) during Saturday practice in Monaco, briefly knocking him unconscious, and he was detained in hospital overnight.[39] Despite the accident Button still wanted to race, but was withdrawn by his team on medical advice.[40] He also missed a one-day test in Monza, but was cleared to race in the following Grand Prix in Montreal.[41] Button continued to outperform his teammate (although Villeneuve suffered a large number of mechanical problems), and this helped rebuild his previously faltering reputation.[42] Just before the final race in Japan, Villeneuve lost his seat at BAR, so Button was partnered with Takuma Sato;[43] he took his second fourth place for the season, and finished ninth in the Drivers' Championship with 17 points.[44]
2004
The 2004 season was the first in which Button was the more experienced driver in his team. He was ambitious for the season, saying: "This year I could be a front-runner. We want to run alongside the top teams. I want to be consistently in the points and on the podium."[45] He took his first ever podium in the second race of the season—third-place at the Malaysian Grand Prix—saying afterwards, "There are no words to describe the feeling of your first podium".[46] He followed it up two weeks later with another third-place in Bahrain. In the next race at Imola, he took his first pole position and finished second behind Michael Schumacher.[47] His results for the season were impressive: he took 10 podiums in 18 races, and failed to score points in only three.[48] Button came third in the Drivers' Championship, behind the two utterly dominant Ferrari drivers, and helped BAR to take second in the Constructors' Championship.In August, Button became embroiled in a contract dispute. On 5 August, Button chose to leave BAR and signed a two-year contract to return to Williams.[49] This was surprising, as Button was enjoying his best season to date, while Williams had been struggling.[50] BAR, however, insisted they had the right to exercise their option to keep Button. Button's management argued that the BAR option was not valid because it contained a clause allowing him to leave if BAR risked losing their Honda engines. They felt the new contract signed in the summer for Honda to supply engines to BAR was not definitive, and thus Button was free to move.[50][51] The dispute went to Formula One's Contract Recognition Board, who ruled in favour of BAR on 20 October, forcing Button to stay with the team.[51] Two of the men at the centre of the dispute were soon removed from their positions: team principal David Richards was replaced by Nick Fry after Honda bought 45 percent of the BAR business;[52] and Button separated from his manager John Byfield, saying he had been badly advised.[53]
2005
Despite the feud, Button insisted he had his team's backing,[54] and was optimistic for the 2005 season.[55] He endured a difficult start: BAR were off the pace in the first race in Australia;[56] and in the following race in Malaysia, both cars retired with engine failure after only three laps.[57] Two weeks later in the Bahrain Grand Prix, Button had fought his way to fourth place from eleventh on the grid, before a clutch problem forced him into another retirement.[58] The poor start only got worse at the San Marino Grand Prix. Button finished third, but after the race scrutineers found his car had a second fuel tank kept inside the main tank; once both were drained, his car was 5.4 kg underweight. Although the race stewards took no action, the FIA appealed against the decision and the case was examined by the FIA International Court of Appeal.[59] It could not be proved that BAR were deliberately cheating; however, for contravention of the rules, both drivers were stripped of their points from San Marino and banned from the next two races.[60][61]
For the second year in a row, Button had contract disputes involving BAR and Williams. Button had signed a pre-contract to drive for Williams in 2006, but he now believed his prospects would be better at BAR, and that his Williams contract was not binding.[69] Frank Williams insisted the contract was fully binding, and that there would be "absolutely no turning back"; his team required Button to fulfil some contractual obligations with sponsors.[70] After several weeks of talks, Williams agreed to release Button in exchange for an estimated £18 million in compensation.[71] BAR brought in experienced driver Rubens Barrichello from Ferrari to partner Button, replacing Takuma Sato.[72] In October, Honda bought the remaining 55 percent of BAR from British American Tobacco, renaming the team Honda Racing F1; Button said at the time, "Honda buying the team is amazing news and really shows their commitment to winning the world championship".[73]
Honda (2006–2008)
2006
The early part of the 2006 season proved difficult; at the first round, he scored five points with 4th place, and finished on the podium in Malaysia. In Australia, he qualified on pole, but was overtaken on the run to the first corner by Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen after a safety car period; he was running 5th in the race, before his engine blew at the last corner on the last lap. He stopped short of the finish line to avoid an engine penalty. At his home race at Silverstone, he qualified 19th after he lost time being weighed, and his team failed to get him on track quickly enough. He spun off on lap eight due to an engine oil leak.
Button finished fourth or fifth at each of the next five races and finished the season with a podium finish at the final round in Brazil. Over the last six races of the season, Button scored more points (35) than any other driver.[77]
2007
In 2007, Button again competed with Honda alongside Barrichello. He was unable to take part in winter testing, prior to the season because of two hairline fractures to his ribs, sustained in a karting incident in late 2006.[78] Former British world champion Damon Hill aired doubts over Button's hopes to be a championship contender at Honda over the coming season, saying, "if he is serious... he has to get himself in a car that is a championship contender."[79] Alan Henry writing in The Guardian 2007 F1 season guide, predicted: "Button will win a couple more races but is not a title contender."[80] He was proved to be wrong, as the Honda RA107 proved to be aerodynamically poor.
As Button's place as the pre-eminent British driver in Formula One was effectively taken by Lewis Hamilton, former champion Nigel Mansell criticised Button, saying: "Jenson should have won more races, he has under-performed and that is down to him." Honda team boss Nick Fry defended his driver, saying: "I would refute everything Nigel has said, and particularly I think his comments about Jenson's reputation for partying are about five years out of date...his increasing maturity and the way he changed his lifestyle is extremely noticeable."[82] Button made no secret of his frustration regarding his current situation; he described his 2007 season as "a total disaster".[83] Button did, however, record several impressive outings towards the end of the season, especially when rain was prominent.
2008
Brawn GP (2009)
On 5 March 2009, it was announced that the former Honda team would race in 2009 as Brawn GP, following a late buy-out by Ross Brawn, the previous team principal of Honda Racing. Button and Rubens Barrichello were confirmed as the team's drivers for 2009, with Button reported to have taken a 50% pay cut as part of the deal.[85]In the first half of the year the Brawn team benefited from a controversial diffuser design,[86] which gave the teams using it an advantage over teams that did not. Once the major teams introduced their own reconfigured diffusers Button's dominance ended, with Button winning 6 of the first 7 races, but averaging only 6th in the following ten races.[87][88][89]
Brawn GP impressed from the first grand prix: Button took pole position in Australia, his first for the team and third ever, with Barrichello qualifying in second.[90] Button then led from start to finish to win the race ahead of his team-mate—the first time a team had scored a 1–2 finish on their debut since 1954—with Button describing it as "a fairytale ending for the first race".[91] One week later he repeated the accomplishment, taking pole position and winning a rain-curtailed Malaysian Grand Prix; due to the rain the race was red flagged and only half points were awarded.[92] At the Chinese Grand Prix, Button finished third behind Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber,[93] but returned to winning ways the following week in Bahrain despite only qualifying fourth.[94]
The British Grand Prix in June marked the end of Button's superiority over the field, and was the first in a string of poor results for him. He achieved only sixth place,[102] followed by a fifth place in Germany, as the Red Bull cars dominated both races.[103] Brawn GP were hopeful of a strong result in the Hungarian Grand Prix, as the car had been significantly updated and was usually at its best in hot conditions.[104] However, Button struggled with tyre temperatures and achieved a season-worst seventh place; during the race, he asked frustratedly over team radio, "How can this car be so bad at the moment?"[105]
Button recovered at Monza: he qualified sixth, before finishing second behind his teammate.[110] The following race in Singapore, Button qualified poorly in 12th but performed much better on race day to take fifth place; Barrichello could manage only sixth. With three races and 30 points remaining, this put Button 15 points ahead of his teammate and 25 ahead of Vettel, with Webber now unable to win.[111] A week later at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Brawn GP cars struggled again, Barrichello and Button finishing seventh and eighth respectively.[112]
At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Button was hampered in qualifying by a poor choice of tyres in the wet weather and could achieve only fourteenth position. His championship campaign was boosted by Vettel qualifying sixteenth, but team-mate and closest rival Barrichello qualified on pole. In the race, Button was aided by a first-lap incident, and was up to seventh by lap seven. He ran as high as second place by halfway, but ultimately finished fifth, taking enough points to secure the 2009 championship with one round to spare.[113] At the final race of the season, in Abu Dhabi, Button qualified behind Barrichello again, but was able to achieve a podium by coming third.[114]
With 169 starts, Button made the second-highest number of race starts before becoming World Champion. Only Nigel Mansell (with 176 starts, at the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix) had competed in more races than Button before winning the World Championship.[115] Button wrote a book about his 2009 season, entitled "My Championship Year",[116] which was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on 19 November 2009.
On 30 November 2009, Button was announced as one of the ten men and women shortlisted for the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.[117][118] At the awards ceremony on 13 December 2009, Button was awarded second place.[119] On 6 December, Button won the BBC West Country's Sports Personality of the Year at the University of Bath. He won the main award against racehorse trainer Paul Nicholls, cricketer Marcus Trescothick and golfer Chris Wood. He also won the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award.[120]
Button was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for his services to motorsport.[121][122] Button's home town, Frome, has named a street, Jenson Avenue, after him,[123] and has awarded him the Freedom of the town.[124] The town also intends to name a new bridge over the River Frome 'The Jenson Button Bridge'.[125]
McLaren (2010–present)
2010
In Spain he was leapfrogged by Michael Schumacher and finished a frustrated fifth, before retiring in Monaco due to an overheating engine on lap three. As a result, Button lost his lead in the Championship, dropping to fourth behind both Red Bull drivers and Alonso. Button then finished second in Turkey after Red Bull teammates Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, who were leading the race, collided with each other. His own teammate Hamilton took the win, after the two of them briefly touched after a few corners of wheel-to-wheel racing. Hamilton had been told by the McLaren team to slow down and that Button would not pass him if he did so. Button passed the surprised Hamilton anyway, though Hamilton quickly took the lead back.[134] The second place promoted Button to second overall in the Championship, just behind Webber. In Canada he followed up this result and remained second in the Championship, 3 points behind his teammate Hamilton. At the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Button finished 3rd and maintained 2nd place in the title race with another podium. Button missed out on a podium at the British Grand Prix, finishing fourth after problems with the balance of his car in qualifying had left him fourteenth.
Button was running second at the Belgian Grand Prix before a collision with Sebastian Vettel forced him to retire.
2011
2011 began slowly for Button and McLaren, with Vettel dominating the early races. Button came second in Malaysia, and third in Spain and Monaco, losing the chance for a race win in the latter race after a red flag in the closing laps allowed Vettel and Alonso to change tyres. Two weeks later in Canada, Button took what he called the "best win of (his) career", overtaking Vettel on the final lap after Vettel made a mistake under pressure. Button made five pit-stops, had his teammate crash into him, served a drive-through penalty for speeding under the safety car – dropping him to last place – as well as sustaining a puncture from a collision with Alonso, and made 27 on-track passes to win the longest Formula One race in history.[136]
2012
2013
In March 2013, Button announced that he intends to stay with McLaren until he retires.[145] At the Australian Grand Prix, Button qualified tenth and finished ninth, despite the team admitting that they did not truly understand the way the McLaren MP4-28 behaved in race conditions.[146][147] In Malaysia, Button started the race seventh, but retired just before the end of the race.[148] Button was partnered with Mexican driver Sergio Pérez after Lewis Hamilton left to join Mercedes[149] after Pérez impressed McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh with the Sauber team in 2012. Throughout the season and particularly at the Monaco and Bahrain Grand Prix, there was exciting racing between the two drivers,[150] leading to Button making the following comment on his team radio, asking the team to "Calm him (Pérez) down!". Button was very critical of Pérez and his driving style after the race.
I've raced with many team-mates over the years and with quite an aggressive team-mate in Lewis [Hamilton], but I'm not used to driving down the straight and then my team-mate coming along and wiggling his wheels at me and banging wheels with me at 300km/h. I've had some tough fights in F1 but not quite as dirty as that. That's something you do in karting and normally you grow out of it but that's obviously not the case with Checo [Pérez]. Soon something serious will happen so he has to calm down. He's extremely quick and he did a great job today but some of it is unnecessary and an issue when you are doing those speeds.Button's best result in 2013 was a 4th place at the last Grand Prix of the season in Brazil, ending a difficult and under-performing season for Button and the McLaren team as a whole in recent times.
2014
Starting at the British Grand Prix, Button sported a pink helmet in line
with his "Pink for Papa" campaign, collection donations in the name of
his late father.[152]
There was a rule change for the 2014 season where the drivers could pick a car number and this would be their unique and personal car number for their Formula One career. Button picked number 22 which was the car number he raced under during his World Championship winning year for Brawn GP in 2009.[1][154] At the first race, the Australian Grand Prix, Button finished the race in 4th place. However, as 2nd placed Daniel Ricciardo was subsequently disqualified after his car was found to have exceeded the maximum allowed fuel flow rate of 100 kg/h, Button was promoted to 3rd. Ultimately, Button finished the 2014 season 8th in the Drivers' Championship with 126 points; his team mate Magnussen finished 11th with 55 points.
With Alonso moving to McLaren for the 2015 season, when they would be using Honda engines, the team had not announced in November 2014 whether they would be retaining Button or Magnussen as Alonso's team-mate, leaving both 2014 drivers wondering whether they would be driving in Formula One in 2015. Button commented that his father would have been "livid" about his uncertain future.[155] After the last race of the season, at which Hamilton won the Drivers' Championship for the second time and had been a team mate of Button's in the past, Hamilton said that "McLaren would be smart" to keep Button. "Developing, building a team, stabilising a team, you need strong drivers to lead the team, and he's the full package."[156]
2015
The new McLaren-Honda package started out to be unreliable and problematic after a January 29 launch. In the three pre-season tests Button, teammate Alonso and reserve driver Kevin Magnussen only had a single day over one hundred laps, which was completed by the Briton. Arriving in Australia Button qualified 17th and finished 11th and last in the detuned McLaren to ensure the team and new power unit supplier, Honda Racing F1 would compile decent mileage because of energy recovery issues. This continued into Malaysia where Button had to retire from the race. In China, Button collided with Lotus racer Pastor Maldonado in the latter stages of the Grand Prix. Button received a five-second time penalty dropping him one spot to 14th and two penalty points to his super licence which was previously clean for which the points will last twelve months. Button described the crash as 'just a misjudgement'.[159] Button had a horrible weekend in Sakhir where he had to stop on track three times, once in FP1, another time in FP2 and again in Q1 where he was unable to set a time and had to line up 20th and last on the grid. After an energy recovery issue the Briton could not even start the race. In Monaco, he scored his first points of the season, finishing in 8th place. At his home Grand Prix in Great Britain, Button retired on the first lap after contact with his team mate Alonso.
Driving style
Coupled with his driving style, Button has demonstrated intelligent race decisions such as his pit stop strategy during the 2010 Australian Grand Prix.[162] Jackie Stewart drew similarities with the driving style and racecraft of Alain Prost.[163] In an interview in 2003, Button said about Prost: "His way of driving was so smooth. He is the person I have modelled myself on".[164] However, he contradicted himself in 2009, when he said, "I've never tried to model myself on anyone. I don't think many people do when they are pursuing their career."[163] Parallels have also been made with the McLaren partnership and rivalry to 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton to the Prost-Senna rivalry of the 1980s, though the latter clearly had a more tempestuous relationship.[163]
Personal life
Like many Formula One drivers, Button resides in the principality of Monaco, although he did live in Guernsey for 18 months before returning to Monaco in 2012. He also has properties in the UK and Bahrain.[165][166] His hobbies include mountain biking, competing in triathlons and body boarding, and his car collection includes a Nissan GT-R, a 1956 VW Campervan, a Honda S600 and a Mercedes C63 AMG, numerous Ferraris (including an Enzo) and his championship winning Brawn BGP 001. In 2013, Button announced his plans to sell his red Ferrari Enzo at an auction.[167] He previously owned a blue Honda NSX Type R and a blue on black Bugatti Veyron.[168]He was engaged to the actress and singer Louise Griffiths before ending their five-year relationship in May 2005.[169] In 2009, Button began dating model Jessica Michibata.[170] On 14 February 2014[171] Button proposed to Michibata,[172] and the two married in Hawaii in December 2014.[173]
Button has at least three tattoos: a black coat button on his right forearm; a large tribal design encompassing his left shoulder and upper chest; and Japanese kanji-characters on his ankle which says "一番" (Ichi ban, "Number One" in Japanese); this was done before he won the world title, and is the name of Button's triathlon team. Since mid-2010, the same legend has appeared on Button's race helmet.[174] Button is also a brand ambassador for Head & Shoulders, and has appeared in advertising campaigns for the company.[175]
Button is also involved in charitable work through the creation of The Jenson Button Trust.[176] Established in March 2010, the Trust provides donations to a number of charitable causes. Each year the Trust will select and nominate charitable beneficiaries to which the funds will be distributed.
On 5 September 2011, Button opened a restaurant on Beulah Street in Harrogate called Victus,[177] but it closed after less than a year in trading. Button's manager Richard Goddard said "unfortunately the business was launched in an economy which then continued to slide and just hasn’t stopped, with people simply not having the disposable income needed to spend in restaurants."[178]
On 12 January 2014, Button's father John died at his home on the French Riviera, aged 70. John, whom Jenson called "Papa Smurf", is thought to have died from a heart attack. John was a constant member of Jenson's small entourage.[179]
On 3 August 2015, Button and his wife Jessica were burgled at a rented Saint-Tropez home while staying with friends when robbers looted the house and stole belongings worth £300,000, including his wife's £250,000 engagement ring. Reports suggested that the couple might have been gassed through the air conditioning system prior to the burglars' entry into the building.[180]
Racing record
Career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | British Formula Ford Championship | Haywood Racing | 15 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 133 | 1st |
| Formula Ford Festival | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 1st | ||
| 1999 | British Formula Three | Promatecme UK | 16 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 168 | 3rd |
| Macau Grand Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 2nd | ||
| Masters of Formula 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 5th | ||
| Korea Super Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 2nd | ||
| Spa 24 Hours | BMW FINA Team Rafanelli | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| 2000 | Formula One | BMW Williams F1 Team | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 8th |
| 2001 | Formula One | Mild Seven Benetton Renault | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17th |
| 2002 | Formula One | Mild Seven Renault F1 Team | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7th |
| 2003 | Formula One | Lucky Strike BAR Honda | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 9th |
| 2004 | Formula One | Lucky Strike BAR Honda | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 85 | 3rd |
| 2005 | Formula One | Lucky Strike BAR Honda | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 9th |
| 2006 | Formula One | Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 6th |
| 2007 | Formula One | Honda Racing F1 Team | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 15th |
| 2008 | Formula One | Honda Racing F1 Team | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18th |
| 2009 | Formula One | Brawn GP F1 Team | 17 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 95 | 1st |
| 2010 | Formula One | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 214 | 5th |
| 2011 | Formula One | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | 19 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 270 | 2nd |
| 2012 | Formula One | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | 20 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 188 | 5th |
| 2013 | Formula One | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 9th |
| 2014 | Formula One | McLaren Mercedes | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 126 | 8th |
| 2015 | Formula One | McLaren Honda | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6* | 18th* |
Complete Spa 24 Hours results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 |  BMW FINA |
David Saelens Tomáš Enge |
BMW 320i E46 BMW / Rafanelli |
SP | 22 | DNF | DNF |
Complete British Formula Three results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Promatecme UK | Dallara F399 | Renault | DON1 2 |
SIL1 6 |
THR1 1 |
BRH1 8 |
BRH2 7 |
OUL 5 |
CRO Ret |
BRH3 6 |
SIL2 2 |
SNE 11 |
PEM1 2 |
PEM2 1 |
DON2 2 |
SPA 4 |
SIL3 1 |
THR2 Ret |
3rd | 168 |
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