The 45-year-old announced earlier this year his intention to step down from full-time racing, with the conclusion of the FIA World Endurance Championship serving as the culmination of a storied career.
“These next two races will be very emotional,” Button told Speedcafe ahead of last weekend’s 6 Hours of Fuji, the penultimate round of the 2025 season.
“I’ve had a very long career in professional racing and didn’t think I’d still be racing at 45 years old.
“With 18 cars fighting for the win, you never know what will happen, and that’s what makes the WEC so special.
“I am still learning as a driver, and I find that very rewarding even at this age.”
At Fuji, Button and Jota Cadillac teammates Earl Bamber and Sebastien Bourdais finished 13th after qualifying on the front row.
The race marked his final appearance in Japan, a country where he enjoyed great success in Formula 1 and also claimed the 2018 Super GT title.
In 2025, Button is enjoying his most successful WEC season, currently sitting ninth in the drivers’ championship with Bamber and Bourdais.
The trio has scored points in four of the seven races so far, including a career-best second at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo in July.
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Button has confirmed he will not retire completely from racing, but has pointed to family commitments, his growing role with Sky Sports F1, and a busy schedule as reasons to step back from full-time competition.
“Life has got too busy with so many different things going on – it is a very busy schedule I have,” Button said when announcing his decision.
“It is about time I start thinking about the future a little bit more, and I want to spend more time with my family.
“It is unfair as well to the team: I probably don’t have enough time to give to it, especially next year.”
While Button’s future program remains open — not ruling out guest outings in categories such as NASCAR — he said the challenge of endurance racing has been one of the most rewarding chapters of his post-F1 career.
“What I loved in F1 was how much easier the cars were to drive,” he told Speedcafe.
“In endurance racing, the cars are much harder to drive. There is a lot less downforce and more weight to manage.
“They move around a lot more – through a corner, you’re working much harder than you would in a Formula 1 car.”
That willingness to embrace fresh challenges has defined Button’s career since leaving F1 at the end of 2016.
Beyond stints in Super GT, IMSA, and Extreme E, he highlighted several career milestones that stand out above the rest.
“Winning the Canadian Grand Prix in 2011 was an incredible achievement,” he said.
“I finished the 70-lap race first, despite starting in seventh place.
“Given the challenging conditions, overtaking was difficult, so strategy was key to my success.
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“The 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix was also special. My fondest memory is crossing the finish line and seeing the team going crazy.
“Winning a race is a great feeling, but winning the world championship is a different level.”
His time in America also provided a highlight in sports cars.
“The Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2024 was also a great race for me,” he recalled.
“Not only because of how much I learnt from my incredible team, but racing at Daytona as a Rolex Testimonee made it so special on a very personal level.
“The race itself was such a learning experience as it was my first time in the car and only my second time racing in IMSA, so there was a lot of pressure to perform to the best of my ability.”
Button’s final full-time race will be at the 8 Hours of Bahrain in November.
This article first appeared on Speedcafe.com, a sister site to MotorRacing.com.
The post Button reflects as farewell to full-time racing nears appeared first on MotorRacing.com.