Home » Sports » Motor Racing
Button fails to finish last race of career
JENSON Button retired from his last Formula One race with a wave to the fans and a standing ovation yesterday after clouting a kerb and damaging his McLaren’s front right suspension.
“We have a failure, guys,” said the 2009 world champion, who said this week that the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would be his last despite having a contract that would allow a return in 2018.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a failure like this.”
The popular Briton got out of his car in the pitlane and stood on it to salute the crowd, who returned the gesture with a standing ovation of their own, before giving his mother Simone a hug.
The 12th lap retirement brought down the curtain on a career spanning 17 years and 305 races, and one championship with the Brawn GP team that became Mercedes.
“Forgetting the race — I’ve always said it’s one race weekend out of 305. The result doesn’t matter, it’s the weekend that counts and it’s just been awesome,” Button told the BBC.
“Very emotional... amazing day and an amazing weekend. I’ve really savored every moment of it.”
He will be replaced at McLaren, whose most recent victory was provided by the 36-year-old in Brazil in 2012, by Belgian rookie Stoffel Vandoorne.
Button had started the day recognizing it was a momentous one for him.
“Today is the day that I will be strapped into an F1 car for probably the last time,” he had said on his Instagram feed, promising to give it his all from the moment the lights went out to the chequered flag.
“Whatever happens today I will always know I reached my goal and dream in life to become a Formula One World Champion. I arrived with dreams and leave with memories.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
- RSS
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证:沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证:31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证:0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证:沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证:沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.