Top 5 Jenson Button Moments

Former F1 driver Jenson Button celebrates his 38th birthday today. He started his Formula 1 career in 2000 with the Williams team. Even though he had 15 race wins to his name, the 2009 World Champion was considered as one of the best drivers on the grid. On the day of his birthday, Essentially Sports brings to you the top 5 Jenson Button moments in his 16-year Formula 1 career.

The Briton has raced through four different eras of Formula One: V12s, V10s, V8s and now the V6s. Many have questioned his ability behind the wheel of a Formula One car, but he keeps on proving them wrong with consistent performances.

Top 5 Jenson Button Moments

The last race Button won was the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. Even though the headlines were captured by Sebastian Vettel after winning the championship, it was Button who came out on top at the end of the race which had the most overtakes in the history of Formula 1. A rain affected race meant chaos for many, but Jenson’s calm drive without any incident earned him a well-deserved win.

Luck did play a part in Jenson’s victory but his great skill in driving on a wet track meant that he was on the right tyre at the right time and always close to the top spot. All in all, a great drive.

The Briton’s BAR team had been relatively competitive on one lap pace. Battling the Ferraris and the Williams, Button’s great drive from 13th to 2nd showed everyone what he was truly made of. A 10-place grid penalty due to an unscheduled Honda engine change undid his hard work. Undeterred, Button came up through the field and also had a long battle with rival Fernando Alonso for 2nd place and finished the better of the two in the end.

Jenson Button showed his wet weather prowess after winning the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. Despite starting 14th, after a 10-place engine penalty, Button went through the field. He simply kept his car on the track while others were sliding and stayed behind the safety car in 2nd. Alonso had to retire from the lead due to a loose wheel and that put Button in 1st position. He later made the right call on when to switch to the dry tyres and won the race comfortably by over 30 seconds. It was one of the classic Jenson Button moments in Formula One.

The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix was a roller-coaster of a race for Jenson Button which included six pit stops, a drive-through penalty, a collision with his teammate Lewis Hamilton and a separate one with rival Fernando Alonso meant that at one stage, Button was running dead last. However, the race was full of safety cars and red flags and a 2 hour mid-race delay. The Briton combed through the field to 2nd and passed the race leader Sebastian Vettel on the last lap. An under pressure Vettel got caught on a wet patch and handed the lead and the win to Jenson. This was surely the best of the 15 race wins for Jenson Button. The 2011 Canadian GP not only ranks as one of the best Jenson Button moments, it features in our list of ‘Best Wet Weather Drives‘ and ‘Best Comeback Drives in the Sport‘

At the end of 2008, the Honda bosses decided to withdraw from the sport due to the financial situation worldwide. Facing early retirement, Ross Brawn’s intervention saved Button’s career. Brawn saved the team and pulled off one of Formula One’s greatest upsets. The team mastered the newly introduced rules and optimised the original Brawn GP car’s double diffuser system. This gave them a massive downforce advantage over their rivals. With a dominant car, Jenson won the World Championship in fairy tale fashion. He won 6 races and achieved 9 podiums throughout the season. It was one of the proudest Jenson Button moments in his career.