Button thought about retiring but would miss F1 too much
Jenson Button admitted that he considered ending his Formula 1 career at the end of the current championship, but he would miss the adrenaline that driving these racing cars provides too much. The Englishman has set new objectives to achieve.
Jenson Button’s season is not a smooth ride. It had, however, started well with a victory in Australia for the first round of the championship. But with the return to Europe, the Englishman experienced some difficult Grand Prix to the point that during his home race, rumors of a possible retirement were circulating in the paddock.
« It crossed my mind, » admits Button to the British daily The Daily Mail, but he admits that he would quickly miss F1 and that nothing provides more sensations than driving these single-seaters.
To understand the intensity of driving a Formula 1 car, you have to be there. When you’re driving a 650-kilo machine at over 300 km/h, the noise and vibrations are incredible. The G-forces when you take a corner feel like someone is trying to tear your head off. I sweat so much during a race that I lose 3 liters of fluid. The adrenaline is such that my heart beats at over 150 beats per minute. It’s a unique experience, explains the 2009 world champion.
The title won with Brawn in 2009 revitalized his career, and Button would like to win a second crown before hanging up his helmet. In 2011, he was Vettel’s runner-up, but the German was untouchable, and this season, even though McLaren has regained its brilliance after a dry spell, the gap with Alonso seems too large to bridge. Therefore, he will need to stay at least another year to hope to have his name etched a second time in the records.
I still have ambition. Winning another championship would be something fantastic. I would also like to participate in a Grand Prix on the streets of London. Bernie Ecclestone is thinking about it, and Boris Johnson (the mayor of London) seems to be in favor of this project. I love the idea of all these Formula 1 cars driving through the city streets and passing by iconic places like Big Ben or Trafalgar Square. Winning a Grand Prix in London would be the best way to bow out.
Jenson Button is contracted with McLaren until the end of the 2014 season. Will the English capital host a F1 race by then? Never say never…
