F1 champion announces end to racing career

2009 F1 champion Jenson Button has revealed he will end his racing career following next year's 8 Hours of Bahrain race.

The event marks the final round of the World Endurance Championship, in which Button competes with Cadillac Hertz Team Jota.

Button, 45, competed in his final F1 race at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, stepping in at McLaren in place of Fernando Alonso, who skipped the event to compete at the Indianapolis 500.

The Briton joined F1 full-time in 2000 and fashioned a successful career for himself, winning 15 grand prix and sealing the title for Brawn GP in a fairy tale campaign in 2009.

However, Button has now decided to wind down his professional career following the end of the WEC season on November 8.

"This will be my last race, I've always liked Bahrain, I think it's a fun track, and I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can because this will be the end of my professional racing career," Button told BBC Radio Somerset.

"I've really enjoyed my time with Jota in WEC but my life has got way too busy and it's not fair on the team or on myself to go into 2026 and think that I'm going to have enough time for it.

"My kids are four and six and you're away for a week and you miss so much, you don't get this time back.

"I feel like I've missed a lot the last couple of years, which has been fine because I knew that would happen, but I'm not willing to do that again for another season.”

Button has also appeared as a regular pundit on Sky F1 coverage across the last handful of years.

Ahead of his final professional race, he currently sits ninth in the drivers' standings alongside team-mates Sebastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber.