Jenson Button opens up on NASCAR's Chicago Street Race challenges after strong lap time
The former F1 world champion has spoken out after his latest venture in the world of motorsport racing
British racing driver Jenson Button has put in an impressive performance ahead of his second NASCAR Cup Series start. The 43-year-old has won several plaudits after making the move from Formula 1 to the iconic American racing event.
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The 15-time F1 race winner retired from the sport back in 2017 and has since gone on to compete in various other events. In recent years Button drove in a variety of off-road races before agreeing to run three NASCAR races in 2023.
Button has taken the number 15 card for Rick Ware Racing and has already completed his first drive for the team. The Somerset-born driver managed an eighteenth place finish at the Circuit of Americas in Texas.
His second test for NASCAR will be on the streets of Chicago on Sunday night. Button impressed and was third-quickest in practice only behind experienced drivers Denny Hamlin and Shane van Gisbergen.
Button's speed in qualifying will see him start the race in eighth on the Chicago racing grid. He was the second-highest Ford driver in qualifying and was a mere 1.136 seconds off Hamlin's pole-winning time.
Speaking after the qualifying, Button said: “It’s been a good day. I mean it’s funny, isn’t it: You always want more than what you have. It’s the way of life, it seems. But no, it was a good run in terms of, I don’t think we did anything wrong.
"I think the balance was a little bit out. We’ve been fighting a tight car so for me, I’d call it understeer. I really struggled to get a lap on that one, and most people are doing the time on lap one. So, that hurts me quite a bit.
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"It hurt me in Q1, and then in Q2, I had traffic. I can’t do the lap on the first lap, but it was starting my second lap that I had traffic. It was slightly annoying, so I had to do a cool down lap and then go again.
"Never works as well. P8 isn’t too bad. I’m pretty happy with that. I just wish we got a clean run in Q2. I would have had a couple more spots. It wouldn’t have been top-three, but it would have been a couple more spots.”
The Chicago race will be followed by a third and final NASCAR Cup start at the Indianapolis Road Course a month later. Button will be hoping to become to first British driver to win a NASCAR event with Jackie Oliver coming the closes in 1972 with a fourth place finish.
