Jenson Button Retires: Family, Brawn F1 Car, and Book

World titles: 1 (2009) · Grand Prix wins: 15 · F1 starts: 306 · Full retirement announced: November 2025 · Children: 2

The essential numbers

These are the numbers that anchor the story of a driver who went from F1 champion to full-time dad in the space of a decade.

The pattern: the same stats that once measured a racing career now frame a retirement decision.

Why did Jenson Button quit F1?

When did Button retire from F1?

Button retired from Formula 1 in 2017, after 306 starts and 15 wins. But that was not the end of his time behind the wheel. In the years that followed, he raced in other categories and made occasional one-off appearances. The November 2025 announcement was different. Formula1.com (Formula 1’s official website) reported that Button had confirmed the end of his professional racing career, not merely his F1 career.

The report also said Button wanted to spend more time with his family rather than continue full-time racing. That is the detail that gives the 2025 announcement its weight. He is not stepping away because he has no options; he is stepping away because he has a different priority.

The implication: Button separated his 2017 F1 exit from his 2025 full retirement, and the second announcement carried the personal reason.

What is Jenson Button doing now?

Is Button still racing?

As of the November 2025 announcement, no. Formula1.com described Button as confirming the end of his professional racing career. He has not announced any full-time racing series after that date. Motorsport.com reported that he stepped away from the driver’s seat at the end of the 2025 World Endurance Championship season to spend more time with his family.

That does not mean Button has disappeared from motorsport. He remains connected to the sport’s past, particularly through the 2009 Brawn BGP 001 story. Goodwood Road & Racing reported that Button reunited with the car at its 83MM Members’ Meeting, and the car he helped make famous is now the focus of a public auction.

The pattern: Button’s public life now runs through heritage events and the auction circuit rather than a race calendar.

How many children does Jenson Button have?

Button has two children. In the Formula1.com report on his retirement, he was quoted as saying his kids are four and six and that you miss so much when you are away for a week.

That family detail is part of why the November 2025 announcement carried more weight than a routine contract decision. It also explains why he said he wanted more time at home rather than another full-time campaign.

The implication: the same career stats that defined Button as a driver now sit beside a measured family priority.

Does Jenson Button still own a Brawn F1 car?

Has Button ever sold any of his F1 cars?

No official sale or transfer of Button’s other F1 cars has been reported. Racer did not report a separate sale of Button’s personal cars. The auction of the Brawn BGP 001 is notable precisely because it is the first time this car has been offered publicly. Top Gear reported that chassis 01 was part of Button’s personal collection until 2024.

That distinction makes the auction an event rather than a routine sale. It also raises a question: if Button is willing to let go of the Brawn car, which other parts of his collection might eventually follow? No answer to that question has been reported yet.

The catch: public auction history and private ownership are not the same, so the question of what Button still owns remains open.

Why does the Brawn BGP 001 matter?

The Brawn BGP 001 is one of the most recognisable cars in F1 history. In 2009, Button drove a Brawn to the world championship in a season that looked unlikely until the car arrived. Racer reported that the auctioned Brawn GP car is chassis 01, which was driven by Rubens Barrichello in 2009.

Button also reunited with the BGP 001 at Goodwood’s 83MM Members’ Meeting, according to Goodwood Road & Racing. That reunion was more than a nostalgia lap. It connected the car’s technical story with the emotional story of Button’s retirement.

The implication: the Brawn name carries Button’s 2009 title even when the specific chassis on offer belongs to the other side of the garage.

What book did Jenson Button write?

Retailer listings have pointed to a Button autobiography, available through Waterstones and other booksellers; some listings have cited the title Life to the Limit. The announcement of his retirement also comes at a moment when Button’s career is being retold in book form.

The autobiography, like the Brawn auction, gives fans a way to see Button’s career as a complete story rather than a series of races. His children, meanwhile, are the reason the story now has a quieter final chapter.

The pattern: the book and the auction both turn a driving career into a collectable narrative.

Timeline: from 2009 to 2025

The arc from a 2009 world title to a 2025 full-stop retirement is best read through a few key dates.

The pattern: each date marks a step away from the cockpit, not toward another seat.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s still unconfirmed

The pattern: the confirmed facts are anchored to named motorsport outlets, while the open questions concern private ownership and future appearances.

What Button actually said

Button said he wanted to spend more time with his family rather than continue full-time racing.

Racer reported that the auctioned Brawn GP car was chassis 01 and that it was driven by Rubens Barrichello in 2009.

The pattern: the first quote is personal, the second is historical; together they frame the 2025 moment.

The takeaway

Button’s retirement is a reminder that a racing career is only part of the story. The same man who used the Brawn BGP 001 to reach the top of Formula 1 now says he would rather be at home with his family. The auction of that car gives fans a way to own a piece of that history, even as Button closes the chapter.

The implication: Button’s public, deliberate redirection toward family gives the Brawn BGP 001’s auction an emotional weight that pure statistics cannot capture.

Frequently asked questions

The pattern: the questions that still surface are about timing, family, and the fate of the Brawn car.

Related reading

• Michael Owen Now: Pundit, Horse Racing, and Family Life
• Rio Ferdinand’s Wife, Children, and Life in Dubai Now