24h Le Mans
Jenson Button greatly enjoyed driving a Porsche 963 this past weekend at the 26th Petit Le Mans, final round of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Jenson Button (age 43) was one of the headliners at the 10-hour Petit Le Mans round on Saturday at the Road Atlanta circuit. The 2009 Formula 1 world champion took the wheel of JDC-Miller Motorsport's #35 Porsche 963 for the North American endurance championship final. He shared the GTP (the IMSA's equivalent to the FIA WEC Hypercar) with Dutch driver Tijmen van der Helm and German driver Mike Rockenfeller.
Prior to heading to the Road Atlanta circuit, Jenson Button revealed: "I love endurance racing. I love the teamwork that goes into it, and how drivers have to work together rather than being rivals within the team. The racing is just awesome. Endurance is the place I want to be."
The #5 Porsche qualified in P9 on the starting grid, but Button/van der Helm/Rockenfeller finished fifth behind an Acura, a Cadillac and Proton Competition's private Porsche 963.
After the race, Button shared: "My first IMSA race, my first experience at Road Atlanta and my maiden event in the Porsche 963 – it was huge! I enjoyed every bit of it. I drove a great first stint and pushed myself more and more to the limit. There was a lot to learn about lapping traffic. The second stint was more difficult because the tyres required so many setting changes. Given my three hours of testing in the car, it was a lot of work. It was huge fun getting a chance to compete with the greats of the sport."
Button participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary in June with the Hendricks Motorsports team's Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Innovative Car class (Garage 56). He had already shared the wheel of the NASCAR with Rockenfeller, and for the occasion the duo was joined by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. Will we see Button at the 2024 running? Button: "There are a few very good options." To be continued…
