Jenson Button
Jenson Button spent seventeen seasons in Formula 1, won a world championship with a team that almost didn't exist, and pursued an extraordinarily varied life away from the track: triathlon, modelling, property, presenting, and an eventual move to Los Angeles. He remains one of the most likeable and multi-dimensional personalities in the sport's history.
Jenson Button's 2009 world championship, won in a Brawn GP car that was dominant for half the season and then caught by the opposition, required one of the more remarkable defensive driving performances in F1 history. He won six of the first seven races, then managed a seventeen-race drought while other drivers closed the gap, and took the title by a single point. The combination of early aggression and late-season patience revealed a tactical intelligence that his naturally easy-going public image sometimes obscured.
Away from the track, Button has built an exceptionally varied post-F1 life. He competes seriously in triathlon and Ironman events — genuinely competing rather than making celebrity appearances — and has discussed the physical preparation required with the same analytical seriousness he brought to racing. He plays poker at a competitive level, has been involved in film and television production, and maintains the charm and sociability that made him one of the sport's more popular figures during his career.
Button grew up in Frome in Somerset, and his late father John, who died in 2014, was a significant figure in his career and emotional life. Button has spoken movingly about his father's influence and the loss of someone who understood him in ways that his racing success had sometimes made difficult to find. He was married to Japanese model Jessica Michibata for a period, and has since been in a relationship with Brittany Ward. His life post-F1 reflects a personality that finds stimulation in variety and is comfortable building new careers from scratch.
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Button began triathlon training during his F1 career as a way of maintaining fitness, but it became a genuine passion. He has completed full Ironman events — 3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42km run — finishing in times that would be respectable for a dedicated amateur athlete rather than someone with triathlon as a sideline. He has spoken about triathlon as something that gives him the competitive outlet and structured challenge he misses from racing.
During his early F1 years, Button was known for his modelling work as well as his racing. He appeared in commercial campaigns and was featured in magazines in a way that was unusual for racing drivers of the era. He has reflected on this period with some amusement, noting that the attention was flattering at the time but that he always wanted to be taken seriously as a driver first.
Button moved to Los Angeles, where he has invested in property and pursued media opportunities. He has presented motorsport coverage in the US and worked in TV commentary. LA suited him — he's spoken about enjoying the lifestyle, the weather, and the culture in a way that suggests the move was motivated by genuine affinity rather than just business. He races in sports car events in the USA when opportunities arise.
After his F1 career, Button competed in the Japanese Super GT championship with Honda. He embraced Japanese culture enthusiastically — learning phrases, attending local events, and speaking warmly about the experience. His time in Japan was well-received locally, and he became something of a celebrity figure beyond the motorsport world there.
John Button was one of the most recognisable faces in the F1 paddock — a warm, enthusiastic man who was genuinely excited to watch his son race. Jenson and John had an unusually close relationship, and John's death in 2014 affected Button deeply. He has spoken about his father with great affection and said that some of his finest racing memories are connected to seeing his father's reaction.
Button has been involved in property development in the UK and abroad, and has made technology investments as part of building a post-racing business portfolio. He has spoken about the transition from athlete to entrepreneur as something that required deliberate effort — the structure and purpose of a racing career doesn't simply transfer to business life.