The Formula 1 driver market may have been quiet last season, but a significant off-track move has just taken place. Jenson Button has joined Aston Martin as a brand ambassador on a multi-year agreement, ahead of the 2026 season.
The Formula 1 driver market may have been quiet last season, but a significant off-track move has just taken place.
Jenson Button has joined Aston Martin as a brand ambassador on a multi-year agreement, ahead of the 2026 season. The Brit, who debuted in F1 with Williams back in 2000, spent last year working with the same team.
His return to F1 comes as Aston Martin look to expand their reach and presence under the ownership of Lawrence Stroll. Button’s appointment adds more experience to a lineup that already includes Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Button and Alonso have history together from their time as McLaren teammates in 2015 and 2016, two seasons that were challenging for the team overall. Despite those struggles, Button sees this role at Aston Martin as an opportunity to help both drivers navigate what is expected to be a pivotal year for Adrian Newey’s team.
Jenson Button Wants to Ease the Pressure on Fernando Alonso During Aston Martin Race Weekends
Speaking to The Athletic, Button gave some insight into how he sees his new role at Aston Martin. He said: “I won’t be telling [Alonso and Stroll] how to drive. They know how to do that bit.
“But I think over race weekends, I’ll be spending a lot of time with sponsors, partners, and probably lifting the load a little bit from the guys that really need to concentrate on driving.
“This year is going to be an intense season with everything being new within the team, and getting to grips with how to drive this car.
He added: “The power unit is very different, with the power output, but also how it produces power and also when the batteries run out of charge. It’s something very different.
“Basically, the drivers have to think on their feet a little bit more, rather than just knowing what’s going to happen. It’s living in the moment, which is really exciting.”
The former world champion has also spoken highly of Aston Martin’s ambitions for their F1 future. He said: “It is a great time to really show what you can do.”
“I don’t think it’s a one-year thing here at Aston Martin. It’s definitely going to be over the next few years, but the fight back to the front is definitely there and alive.
“With having Honda as partners in the team… as the works team… I see no reason that that won’t happen.”
Why Flavio Briatore chose Fernando Alonso over Jenson Button
Button started in F1 a year before Alonso, beginning with Williams before moving to Benetton under Flavio Briatore.
Alonso, meanwhile, made a big impression during his 2001 debut season with Minardi. That led Briatore to bring him back into the fold quickly.
By the middle of the 2002 season, Button was replaced by Alonso. As quoted by Autosport, Briatore said he was “sorry to see Jenson go, as he has done a superb job for us this season.”
Button went on to join BAR and finished third in the drivers’ standings in 2004. Meanwhile, Alonso became a two-time world champion in the same seat over the following two years.
Despite their time at McLaren being far from straightforward, Alonso has since called Button the best teammate he’s had in F1.
Their paths crossed again when Alonso skipped Monaco for the Indy 500 in 2017. Button stepped in but ended up causing a crash that left him with a penalty that still follows him today.
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Category: General Sports
