Jenson Button says he simply “needs to win a race” in 2025 as he prepares to begin his second season racing within the World Endurance Championship (WEC) this weekend.
The 2009 Method One world champion begins the long-distance championship’s eight-race marketing campaign on the Qatar 1812km on Friday.
He’s once more racing for British outfit Hertz Crew Jota within the high hypercar class, the staff now affiliated with Cadillac for the primary time after working Porsche engines final season.
“Jota has gained a race yearly it is competed in WEC, in order that’s fairly, fairly spectacular – I believe we have to proceed that pattern,” Button informed BBC Radio Somerset.
“Each driver will say they wish to win [the 24 Hours of] Le Mans and that is high of the bucket checklist. I simply wish to win a race.
“Once you stand on the highest of that podium and the expertise that you have been up in opposition to by way of drivers, producers, groups, it is a very spectacular feat – in order that needs to be the purpose and there is no purpose why we won’t.
“We’ve got no excuses. The automobile’s good. I believe the staff of individuals we’ve are good.”
Button completed nineteenth within the 2024 drivers championship, together with his finest consequence sixth on the Six Hours of Fuji race in September, whereas he was additionally .
Regardless of lacking one of many pre-season observe periods resulting from a bout of bronchitis, Button mentioned he has “obtained to grips fairly rapidly” with the brand new automobile.
There are additionally benefits to being in a producer’s staff which the 45-year-old believes will give Jota extra of an edge this yr.
“You are feeling the distinction and I believe it is as a result of when you have got a difficulty you may work with the instruments much more as a result of it is clearly all open,” Button mentioned.
“Whereas final yr we had been restricted on what we will really do and sure issues we simply couldn’t change as a result of we weren’t allowed to.
“It is what [Porsche] Penske mainly selected and we went with it whereas right here it is much more open and there is much more adjustability and issues get accomplished lots faster.
“I believe it is lots simpler to make progress and discover consolation within the automobile.”
Final yr was Button’s first full season of racing since 2019 when he competed in Japan’s Tremendous GT Championship. Whereas getting again into driving was not a difficulty, adjusting to the complicated techniques within the automobiles was the most important studying curve.
“It isn’t [a case of] you set it up and then you definitely simply drive it,” Button mentioned.
“It was understanding the instruments and so they could make an enormous distinction to how the automobile feels and you’ll actually profit if you happen to perceive these instruments.
“This yr it has been lots simpler. It is clearly completely different techniques however numerous the stuff does the identical.”
