Jenson Button confirms 2024 racing plans with full-time WEC Hypercar drive

Jenson Button has signed for a full season in Hypercars in 2024, racing for Hertz Team Jota in the World Endurance Championship.

The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion will pilot the #38 machine, a Jota-run Porsche 963 Hypercar, and is set to partner 2020 LMP2 class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Philip Hanson, and young Danish talent Oliver Rasmussen – with former F1 driver Will Stevens set to be one of the line-up in the sister Jota next season.

This drive for Button is due to see him take part in all eight rounds of the World Endurance Championship season, including what will be a second attempt in the top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

Jenson Button signs for Hypercar drive with Jota in 2024

Button has raced in multiple series since his Formula 1 retirement, taking part in the World Endurance Championship previously, alongside the likes of Japanese Super GT, NASCAR Cup, DTM and IMSA, with the Briton having spoken before about categorising himself primarily as a racing driver, rather than solely as a Formula 1 driver.

Button was a part of the wildly popular Garage 56 entry at this year’s centenary running of Le Mans, which saw him partner up with NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson and previous Le Mans winner, Mike Rockenfeller to race a modified NASCAR Cup car around the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Such was their pace, they were over four seconds faster than the quickest LMGTE Am car in qualifying, with Button later calling it a “staggering” achievement to convert a NASCAR Cup car to compete with endurance racers.

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He will have the chance to compete in the top class once again in 2024 however, having suffered a late retirement in an LMP1 appearance back in 2018.

“I’m thrilled to announce that I’m going to be racing with Hertz Team Jota in the 2024 World Endurance Championship with my team-mates Oliver Rasmussen and Phil Hanson,” Button said in a video on Instagram announcing his next move.

“Hertz Team Jota, a team that has achieved so much in its years. The most achieving privateer team in WEC and at Le Mans, the big one, and it’s just an out-and-out race team – and that’s what I love about the team.

“I really do think they can take it to the big teams, to the manufacturers. It kind of reminds me of a season back in 2009, which was pretty good…

“There’s a lot to do before the first race, a couple of tests. It’s a competitive year, so I look forward to being ready for the first race in Qatar at the start of March.”

The WEC calendar will take in endurance rounds at circuits like Spa-Francorchamps, Interlagos and Imola as well as the world-famous 24-hour test around the Circuit de la Sarthe, with Button joining the burgeoning Hypercar class.

A host of former Formula 1 drivers will also be in the category along with Button, with Mick Schumacher having signed for Alpine for 2024, along with the likes of Nyck de Vries, Kamui Kobayashi, Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley all racing for Toyota, with Robert Kubica, Romain Grosjean, Daniil Kvyat, Jean-Eric Vergne, Paul di Resta and Stoffel Vandoorne all confirmed for 2024 seats in WEC already.

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