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Music: Coldplay - Everglow
Jenson Button is leaving Formula One, perhaps just for now, perhaps for good. The only certainty from an announcement which stunned the sport on Saturday night is that Button will not be racing next year, the first time he has not been a full-time F1 driver this millennium.
Button revealed after qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix he is to take a sabbatical in 2017, but there remains a possibility of returning to race for McLaren the following season.
That depends on McLaren’s wishes, having been keen for months to put Stoffel Vandoorne in the car over Button, the Englishman’s desires, the performance of the 24-year-old Belgian hired to replace him, and mostly importantly whether Fernando Alonso will stay with the underperforming team.
Button will take a sabbatical in 2017
The former world champion has the break from the sport he says he wanted after 17 seasons, and McLaren have an insurance policy should the notoriously unpredictable Alonso wave goodbye or Vandoorne not be up to the standards they expect.
In his year away from racing Button will still attend a few races, and is on hand to race should Alonso or Vandoorne be injured. The 2009 champion is also expected to do some television work, with Top Gear or Formula One punditry with Channel 4 or Sky a possibility, as well as some racing in series elsewhere.
Button has long been interested in Rallycross, a series his late father, John, raced in, as well as the Le Mans-style World Endurance Championship. He also spoke of an attempt to compete in the triathlon world championship.
John Button
Jenson's late father, John, was involved in Rallycross
Although it has taken the paddock by surprise, the move is many ways makes sense for both the 36-year-old and McLaren.
As he joked when reflecting on what his father, affectionately known as ‘Papa Smurf’, would have to say about the move, Button said: “He would have told me, ‘you’re a clever little s***’.
“Yesterday I wanted to speak to him. I miss the old boy. He would be chuffed with this decision.”
Jenson Button
Button could return to the sport in 2018
It was also classic Button: both decisive and indecisive at the same time, postponing the ultimate decision about retirement.
Button has clearly grown weary of Formula One’s relentless pace, and spoke enthusiastically about spending more time with his family and friends. He will also receive a salary understood to be around £5 million, doing work in McLaren’s simulator and at corporate events. McLaren also manage to keep one of the most respected drivers in F1, with 15 victories under his belt, on their books.
Button seemed relieved to be able to confirm his plans for next year, following what has been a two-year saga over whether or not he will retire. He said that he will know by the middle of next season if he wants to return full-time to the sport he has raced in since 2000.
Jenson Button
Button in his debut season in the sport
“This is a change that is necessary in my life at the moment,” Button said. “I will also be doing a lot of stuff that I haven't done for 17 years. I will be living on my schedule, spend more time with my friends and more importantly my family who I haven't seen properly in 17 years. That is something I am really excited about.
“There are many things I want to do that I haven't been able to do because of the Formula One schedule. You are not just a racing driver when you drive in F1 - this is your life - and I definitely need a break from that in 2017.”
Ron Dennis, McLaren’s chairman who conducted the negotiations personally with Button in Belgium before the race last weekend, dismissed talk of retirement.
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“Forget the word retirement,'' Dennis said. “That is not in the vocabulary and that is not what we are saying. Jenson is one of the team's drivers for the next two years. If Jenson is needed to drive next year for any reason he can.”
Button himself added: “To be clear, I’m very definitely not retiring. I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car-development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point.”
The man from Frome, Somerset, has been grappling with this decision for months. By the end of a run of four races in July, Button was exhausted. The summer break, spent with friends, family and his girlfriend, the model Brittny Ward, proved crucial in clarifying his thinking. Button said time spent with one of his sisters and her husband was particularly crucial.
