Former F1 driver Jenson Button praises Lewis Hamilton's "brave" decision to leave Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, calling it "great for the sport." Button speculates on the impact of the move on Hamilton's relationship with Mercedes and suggests that the change may have been driven by a desire for something new. He also discusses the potential implications for Mercedes and names Fernando Alonso as a preferred replacement for Hamilton.
The Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which made a one-off appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will now make seven runs up the Goodwood hill climb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Former F1 champion Jenson Button and Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller will take turns driving the Camaro, celebrating NASCAR's 75th anniversary. The Garage 56 program has been successful in introducing NASCAR to a wider audience, and NASCAR shows no signs of slowing down in its international popularity.
Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button, and Mike Rockenfeller completed the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 39th position, driving a modified NASCAR Cup Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 run by Hendrick Motorsports. The one-off entry was to celebrate 75 years of NASCAR and was inspired by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr, who brought two stock cars to Le Mans for the 1976 edition of the race. The team achieved their goal of finishing the race running at the end and not being last.
The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 completed the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race despite encountering a major mechanical issue after 20 hours of racing. The team spent over an hour in the garage changing the gearbox but managed to return to the race and finish 39th overall, completing 285 laps. Jenson Button and Jimmie Johnson each ran 97 laps, while Mike Rockenfeller was behind the wheel for 91 laps. Button praised the team for their hard work in producing an endurance car from a Cup car.
Jimmie Johnson, the retired NASCAR driver, described his first stint at Le Mans as "incredible" after completing 12 laps in a stint just shy of 59 minutes. Johnson, who has some sports car racing experience, is running Le Mans for the first time and has been engaging with fans whenever possible. Former F1 World Champion Jenson Button has since replaced him behind the wheel and will drive a double stint.
Jenson Button has praised the "phenomenal effort" of Hendrick Motorsports after the team's #48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was almost four seconds faster than the quickest GTE Am entry in Wednesday's opening qualifying session at Le Mans. The team had modest pre-event predictions of being somewhere in the middle of the GTE Am pack. However, Button cautioned that finishing ahead of the GTE Am runners will likely be more difficult in the race due to multiple factors, including possible rain showers predicted for this weekend's event.
Jenson Button has praised the "phenomenal effort" of Hendrick Motorsports after the team's #48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was almost four seconds faster than the quickest GTE Am entry in Wednesday's opening qualifying session at Le Mans. Button cautioned that finishing ahead of the GTE Am runners will likely be more difficult in the race, but said the goal was to beat the GTs.
The Chevy Camaro NASCAR Cup car at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans is faster than the Ferraris, Porsches, Aston Martins, and Corvettes in the GT category. The car is technically not in the class, but it's what everyone is comparing in terms of times. The Camaro driven by Mike Rockenfeller did a lap time of 3:47.976, which is about four seconds faster than the closest Ferrari. The driver mix is F1 Champion Jenson Button, NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, and Le Mans-winner Mike Rockenfeller.
Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson, and Mike Rockenfeller tested the Garage 56 NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1 Cup car during the test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The project took one year of effort by Hendrick Motorsports and other partners to bring to life.
Jenson Button, former F1 champion, made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Circuit of the Americas, calling it a unique experience. Despite struggling with the heavy car and the amount of things on the windshield, Button praised the preparation he received from his team. He finished 18th despite suffering from heat exhaustion and being hit by other drivers. Button admitted that he enjoyed 60% of the race, while the other 40% was "a bit silly, the amount we were hitting each other."
NASCAR Cup stars outperformed F1 veterans Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button in racecraft at Austin's Circuit of the Americas. Raikkonen finished 29th after being spun out twice, while Button finished 18th after stopping twice in the pits to receive water and ice bags. Corvette's IMSA ace Jordan Taylor, in for the injured Chase Elliott at Hendrick Motorsport, qualified in fourth but tumbled in the early going after flatspotting a tire. Tyler Reddick won the race after a perfectly-timed final pitstop.
Jenson Button finished 18th in his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix after qualifying 24th in the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford. Button described the race as an "emotional rollercoaster" due to the difficulty of the course and the heat exhaustion he experienced. Despite struggling in the first stint, Button stayed on the lead lap and shuffled up and down the leaderboard all afternoon, running as high as 15th. He returns to the NASCAR Cup Series in early July for the inaugural street course race in Chicago.
Jenson Button made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Circuit of The Americas, finishing 18th after qualifying 24th out of 39 cars. The 2009 F1 champion suffered from heat exhaustion and was hit by former F1 rival Kimi Raikkonen during the race. Raikkonen nearly cracked the top five but was spun around and dropped to P29 for a track limits penalty.
Kimi Raikkonen's late gamble to stay out during a caution period didn't pay off in his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Raikkonen fought for track position in the ensuing chaos but eventually spun and finished 29th. He was also penalized for short-cutting the esses on the final lap. Fellow F1 World Champion Jenson Button finished 18th in his NASCAR debut.
Former F1 champions Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button will start 22nd and 24th respectively in their NASCAR debuts at the Austin road course. Both outpaced several big NASCAR names in qualifying, including past champions Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. Raikkonen's Trackhouse Chevrolet will start one row ahead of Button's Rick Ware Racing Ford. Button will also compete in NASCAR's new Chicago street race in July and August's Indianapolis road course round.
