Jenson Button will not renew with Jota Cadillac in the WEC

Jenson Button will not renew his contract with Jota Cadillac for 2026 after completing two years in the World Endurance Championship. The British driver cites an increasingly busy schedule and the desire to spend more time with his family.

Sam Hignett, Jota's team principal, confirmed the lineup changes without revealing the replacement. "There will be a change; one driver has made his future public," he stated. "Other than that, everyone else will remain the same." The official announcement of the replacement will come after the final race in Bahrain.

Photo By Maxime Lantz

The busy schedule of the 2009 champion

Button explained that his current workload prevents him from dedicating enough time to WEC. "Life has become too hectic with so many different things, I have a very tight schedule," he stated. "It's also unfair to the team: I probably won't have enough time to dedicate to them, especially next year."

The driver currently balances his duties as a commentator for Sky Sports with racing in the Hypercar class, where he shares the Cadillac V-Series.R #38 with Earl Bamber and Sébastien Bourdais.

NASCAR as an option for 2026

While ruling out a full schedule, Button maintains plans to compete selectively. "I'll race something next year, but not a full season," he confirmed. The NASCAR Cup Series emerges as a possibility following his 2023 experience with Rick Ware Racing.

Button competed in three Cup Series races last year: Circuit of the Americas (18th), the Chicago street course, and the Indianapolis oval. He also participated in the historic Garage 56 program at Le Mans, finishing 39th alongside Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller.

Diverse career post-Formula 1

Button has built an eclectic career since leaving McLaren in 2016. His greatest success came in Japanese Super GT, where he won the 2018 title with Naoki Yamamoto driving for Team Kunimitsu Honda.

The WEC represented his full-time return in 2024 after a partial experience in 2018-2019 with SMP Racing. During that campaign, he drove an BR1 Engineering LMP1 and achieved a third-place finish in Shanghai before retiring prematurely.

Photo By Maxime Lantz

Parallel projects continue

Button maintains his JBXE team in Extreme E and will participate in the 2025 Goodwood Revival with his 1962 Jaguar E-Type "CUT 8". He also explored Nitro Rallycross in 2022 with Xite Energy Racing.

Button had already reduced his on-track activity since 2020, when he concluded his two-year program in Super GT. His work with Sky Sports gradually grew into a regular commitment during F1 weekends.