Button to race for Porsche in 2024

FORMER Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button will return to elite motorsport at the age of 44 in the new year.

Button, who is from Frome in Somerset, will drive the Jota Porsche 963 in the hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship, which includes the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

He retired from Formula 1 in 2016 and is returning 15 years after winning his F1 title in 2009.

According to BBC Sport, he said: “I’m thrilled to be racing in the 2024 World Endurance Championship. I’m already looking forward to the first race, but also know there’s a lot of work to be done so that we arrive prepared.”

Button is 43 now but has his 44th birthday on 19 January, before the season begins.

A veteran behind the wheel, he competed in 306 F1 races over 18 years and has since made several guest appearances across motorsport since 2016. Those have included a one-off at this year’s Le Mans, but next year he will be competing in an eight-race season worldwide.

His announcement comes as sportscar racing is experiencing a renaissance, with several major manufacturers returning, thanks to recent design rules allowing teams to experiment, while other series impose stricter limits.

Following a period when

Toyota were the only top manufacturer in WEC, the 2023 season saw Porsche, Ferrari and Cadillac join Peugeot in a resurgent championship.

The 2024 campaign will see Alpine, BMW and Lamborghini start hypercar programmes, with Aston Martin joining in 2025.

Button will also race in the American version of WEC - the IMSA Sportscar Championship for one race at the Daytona 24 Hours in Florida next month.

Round one of the 2024 FIA

WEC season takes place in Doha, Qatar, from 1-2 March.