Jenson Button’s retirement may last less than many imagined. Just six months after officially ending his motorsport career, the 2009 Formula 1 champion admitted that he is already considering the possibility of returning to the track to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin.
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The Briton announced his farewell from competitions after the 8 Hours of Bahrain, in November last year, ending a career that included Formula 1, Super GT, and the World Endurance Championship (WEC). However, the desire to compete again seems to remain alive.
In his column on the Aston Martin website, Button revealed a specific goal for the future: “I would love to drive the Aston Martin Valkyrie at Le Mans someday. Maybe we can make that happen. It would be my chance to finally drive a car designed by Adrian Newey,” he said.
Despite having competed in 306 GPs, winning 15 races, and securing a world championship in Formula 1, Button never raced with a car developed by the renowned designer. Now, as an ambassador for Aston Martin, he sees an opportunity he did not have during his time in the top motorsport category.
The Valkyrie AMR-LMH, originally conceived by Newey at Red Bull Advanced Technologies, currently races in the Hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship with the Heart of Racing team. Although there is no reserved spot for Button, his connection with Aston Martin makes the scenario more possible.
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This interest in returning to Le Mans could also be linked to the so-called ‘Triple Crown’ of motorsport, composed of victories at the Monaco GP, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500, but it seems that is not the case for the 2009 champion.
Button already has a win in Monaco, achieved in 2009, but has yet to win at Le Mans. In four participations, he retired in his debut with SMP Racing in 2018, competed with NASCAR’s Garage 56 project in 2023, finished ninth with the Hertz Team Jota in 2024, and was seventh with the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota last year: “I’ve had a few attempts at Le Mans, but winning there hasn’t happened yet,” he said.
Regarding Indianapolis, the Briton ruled out any possibility of participation: “I have enormous respect for those drivers, but that’s not for me,” he added.
Button also commented on Fernando Alonso’s chances of completing the ‘Triple Crown’: “Fernando probably has the best chance of anyone to complete the ‘Triple Crown’. He has already won in Monaco and Le Mans, and came close at Indianapolis, even leading the race. If he wants to try again, he certainly has a chance,” concluded the Briton.
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