Button withdraws from Le Mans with baby on the way

Jenson Button has withdrawn from his entry at the Le Mans 24 Hours, in order to spend more time with his pregnant girlfriend, and due to his team SMP Racing being unlikely to win. Button and Brittny Ward announced they were expecting their first child in January this year.

Button competed in four races for SMP last year, including Le Mans.

The 2009 world champion was crowned champion in Super GT last year, but finding similar success in the World Endurance Championship has proven more difficult as Toyota – Fernando Alonso's team are so dominant.

Button finished third alongside Mikhail Aleshin and Vitaly Petrov in Shanghai last year, but says focusing on his personal life is now more pressing.

Button said: "I really enjoyed driving for SMP Racing and was happy to be on the podium with this team, but I decided that now I need to spend more time at home with my fiancée during her pregnancy rather than two weeks at Le Mans.

"The decision has been made easier for me as I feel that the Toyota is currently unbeatable.”

Button will be replaced by Stoffel Vandoorne, the man who also filled his shoes at McLaren after he left F1.

I'm excited to announce that I will be joining @SMP_Racing to drive the BR1 №11 prototype in @FIAWEC for my home race in Spa-Francorchamps 🇧🇪 and in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans! 🇫🇷 #SMPRacing #WEC #6HSpa #24hLeMans pic.twitter.com/WbzxnPFetR

— Stoffel Vandoorne (@svandoorne) April 19, 2019

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