McLaren’s Jenson Button to retire from Formula One racing after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The 36-year-old Briton has more than 300 races under his belt and won the 2009 world championship with Brawn
Former world champion Jenson Button announced on Thursday that Sunday’s season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be his last race in the sport.
The 36-year-old Briton, who has raced in more than 300 grands prix and won the 2009 World Championship with Brawn, had already announced he will take up an ambassadorial role with his current team McLaren next year.
“I go into this weekend thinking it’s my last race,” Button said at the press conference ahead of the race. “At this moment in time I don’t want to be racing in F1 beyond this race.”
McLaren previously announced that highly rated reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne will replace Button as Fernando Alonso’s partner in 2017.
There is an option for Button to return to McLaren’s race set-up in 2018, but that is thought to be an insurance policy in case Alonso leaves the British team.
“It is true that I have a contract in 2018, but at this moment in time I am not going to be racing in 2018,” Button added.