Former world champion to take 2017 sabbatical

Jenson Button has stepped down from Formula One racing after announcing he will take a sabbatical in 2017.

The 36-year-old McLaren driver, who won the world championship in 2009, has competed in every grand prix season since the turn of the century.

But following a career which has yielded nearly 300 starts, 15 victories and 50 podiums, Button announced on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix that he will not participate in the sport in a full-time capacity next year. The Englishman, who will be replaced by McLaren’s highly-rated reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne, will instead take on an ambassador role.

But he could yet return to the grid in 2018 after revealing McLaren has an option to put him back in the car. Indeed McLaren chairman Ron Dennis was keen to stress Button’s latest move should not be viewed as his retirement.

Frenchman Alain Prost skipped one season before he returned to win the title with Williams in 1993. More recently Kimi Raikkonen also took a two-year sabbatical.

“There are many things I want to do that I haven’t been able to do because of the Formula One schedule,” said Button, who joined McLaren in 2010 but has not stepped on to a podium in nearly four years: “You are not just a racing driver when you drive in F1 – this is your life – and I definitely need a break.”

Jenson Button won’t race next season.