F1 champion confirms retirement in emotional farewell

2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button has officially retired from motorsport, after his final World Endurance Championship (WEC) race last weekend.

Button announced last month that the 8 Hours of Bahrain would be the final race of his career, as he seeks to spend more time with his family.

The Brit retired from F1 back in 2016, before returning for a one-off race at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix as Fernando Alonso went to race in the Indy500, but Button has continued to race in a number of different series around the world.

Button has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, IMSA and the WEC in recent years, as well as winning the Super GT - GT500 title back in 2018.

But after finishing 16th with the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota in the 8 Hours of Bahrain last weekend, he has now officially called time on his illustrious racing career.

"There you have it, last professional race done and dusted," he said in a post on Instagram.

"I’d like to say thank you for all your support and being part of my journey over the years, it’s been one hell of a ride. Be well."

Button's F1 journey

F1 fans will still be able to see the 45-year-old in the F1 paddock in years to come, with Button a regular contributor to Sky Sports F1, taking on punditry duties at a number of races each season.

Button's career in motorsport's elite tier spanned 17 full seasons between 2000-2016, and he claimed 15 grands prix victories and 50 podiums in that time, as well as becoming world champion.

That career highlight came in 2009 with the Brawn GP team, when he helped to complete the fairytale of a team born out of the ashes of the old Honda Racing team rising to claim double championship success.

The outfit were only in the sport for a single season, before Ross Brawn sold the team to Mercedes, which makes Button's achievement in 2009 even more remarkable.

Button then moved to one of the biggest names on the grid in McLaren and forged a partnership with another British world champion in Lewis Hamilton, but unlike Hamilton, Button opted to stay with the Woking-based outfit for the rest of his F1 career.

The Brit never quite managed to emulate his Brawn GP success with McLaren, although he did finish runner-up to Sebastian Vettel in 2011, beating team-mate Hamilton in the process.

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