Jenson Button says he would “love” to drive Formula 1’s next-generation cars and admitted he is “a little bit jealous” of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll getting to work with designer Adrian Newey.
Button, who joined Aston Martin as a team ambassador earlier this year, last raced in F1 as a stand-in for Alonso at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix. Over his career he recorded eight pole positions, 15 Grand Prix wins, 50 podiums and the 2009 World Championship with Brawn GP.
Keeping close to the sport as a pundit and ambassador, Button has followed the 2026 regulations reset with interest. In a journal entry for the Aston Martin website he wrote about the sensation of driving an F1 car — “the power, the braking, the way the car moves underneath you when you’re right on the limit” — and how the cars remain “out-of-this-world fast.”
He explained that the way the cars work is evolving: “The power units now behave quite differently to what drivers have been used to. In the past, you’d exit a corner and know exactly how much power you had. Now, it depends on things like brake pressure in the previous corner and how the hybrid system deploys energy.” That complexity, he said, means drivers must think on their feet more than ever: “Those who can do this well are going to stand out for the right reasons – and those who can’t are going to stand out for the wrong ones.”
Button singled out Newey by name: “I’d love to drive one of these new-generation cars, especially one designed by Adrian Newey. I’ve raced against a lot of his cars over the years and always wondered what it would be like to work with him. I guess you could say I’m a little bit jealous of Lance and Fernando in this respect.”
He also outlined why he joined Aston Martin after previously serving as a Williams ambassador. Growing up around cars, Button said Aston Martin has always been special to him — from the DB4 and DB5 era onwards — combining performance and style. Beyond the brand’s heritage, he cited the people and the team’s belief in their direction as key reasons for signing on. Acknowledging that the start of the season “hasn’t been easy,” Button added that meaningful progress in Formula 1 is built over time.