Button retires: Where does he rank among F1’s Great Brits?

Button’s racing career was full of highlights, so it’s not hard to see why many hold him in such high regard. Early flashes of brilliance at Williams and Renault were hindered by their lack of competitiveness. At Honda, it finally looked like he had a car to compete, but this came to an abrupt end in late 2008.

In the midst of the global financial crisis, Honda pulled the plug on its F1 project, leaving Button and teammate Rubens Barrichello facing the exit door. Yet, against all the odds, a certain Ross Brawn took over the team, strapped in a Mercedes engine, and suddenly they found themselves at the front.

What followed was a fantastic redemption story. Button stormed to championship glory, with the team going on to become Mercedes’ factory outfit. For Button, a move to an initially frontrunning McLaren followed, where he competed with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Not a bad career for a man once mired in the midfield! As Button takes in the plaudits, we take a closer look at his topsy-turvy journey to the front of the grid, explore his strengths and weaknesses, and compare him to the best of Britain.

As a Brit growing up watching F1, Button always stood out as a bit of an underdog. Despite showing promise at Williams BMW, becoming the sport’s youngest ever point scorer at the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix, he was replaced by a certain Colombian called Juan Pablo Montoya.

Button also followed up a tricky start to life at Benetton (which was soon taken over by Renault) with a brilliant second season, in which he outscored teammate Jarno Trulli. He nearly grabbed a podium as well—only for a suspension failure to demote him to fourth in Malaysia.

Once again, he was replaced. This time for Alonso. Of course, this move went very well for the Enstone team, culminating in two world drivers’ championships. But Button always seemed to get the short end of the stick. When Honda left in 2008, history seemed to be repeating itself. That is, until Brawn got involved and they turned up in Barcelona for testing.

With the help of a controversial double diffuser, Brawn GP was the class of the field. When another rising star, Sebastian Vettel, began closing in, Button held on for an incredible title win. Add into the mix his last-to-first victory in the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, his improbable Honda win in Hungary, and a dominant performance at Spa in 2012, he’s had some career.

Not only has Button won F1’s biggest prize, but he has also competed in NASCAR, endurance, and sports car racing. In motorsport, his smooth driving style continues to be a point of reference as well. There’s no doubt that Button’s accomplishments make him a true racing great.

Now, let the comparisons begin. Like all F1 drivers, Button’s best compared with his teammates. As you’d expect from a young driver, he struggled against early teammates like Ralf Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella. But the Brit beat Barrichello and Takuma Sato at Honda.

Arguably, his biggest clash came when he moved into Hamilton’s backyard at McLaren. Famously, the pair didn’t get on. At one stage, Hamilton even accused Button of unfollowing him on socials (he never followed him in the first place), and at times, things got pretty feisty.

Overall, Button outscored the seven-time world champion by 15 points. However, Hamilton outqualified him 44-14 across their three seasons together—and he often seemed to have one or two tenths in his pocket. So Button did well, but the results are a bit of a mixed bag.

Surprisingly, Button was outscored by Sergio Perez in their one season together in 2013. But he did manage to beat Kevin Magnussen and Alonso over the next two years. When you consider Button’s longevity, the level of his rivals, and the sheer heights he managed to reach in the sport (even beating Hamilton & Alonso in equal machinery), he has a strong CV.

Against his British contemporaries, Button ranks well. David Coulthard had the faster machinery when they competed but failed to win F1’s biggest prize. Drivers like Jolyon Palmer and Paul Di Resta also look decidedly mid by comparison. Only Hamilton, who was slightly faster on average and achieved much more in the sport, is really head and shoulders above him.

Looking at past drivers is a little bit like comparing apples and oranges, but let’s do it for the fun of it! Britain has been blessed with some truly brilliant talents over the years—Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell, James Hunt, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart, and Jim Clark all come to mind.

Most fans would probably admit that Button is near the back of this grid of greats, if only for the sheer bottle you needed to have, driving the deathtraps they drove at the time. But Button also embodied the spirit of a ‘Great Brit’ and always flew the flag with pride and good grace.

Perhaps that’s what he’ll be remembered for as he finally draws a line under his racing career. His underdog win in 2009 has also been permanently etched into the history books—and no one will ever be able to take this away, whether he was faster than other Brits or not.