Jenson Button delighted racing enthusiasts during the Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone by taking a few laps in his old Williams car. The former F1 driver was reunited with his very first Formula 1 car, the FW22 from 2000, on Friday. For Button, reuniting with the FW22 was an emotional experience.
Button had a successful Formula 1 career, even winning the drivers’ championship in 2009 for the then Brawn GP Formula 1 team. The British driver made his Formula 1 debut in 2000, driving for the Williams team. He didn’t stay with the team for long, as he joined Benetton the following season. However, the former Williams driver was allowed to drive the FW22 around Silverstone as part of the Williams’ heritage collection for the 2024 edition of the British Grand Prix.
An Emotional Experience
“I’m truly a lucky person,” Button reflects on his experience, speaking to the media present. “It was the first time the car had been driven since 2000.” According to Button, it took some getting used to how different the car was compared to the current generation of F1 cars. “It’s truly bizarre how small the car is. Everything was so simple, but it looks beautiful. And the sound, it was truly amazing.”
His ride in the FW22 also brought back fond personal memories for Button. “It was the car in which I scored my first points,” the former world champion explains. “I was also braver then than I am now, or perhaps a bit more foolish. Everything came back to me. This race is so special, for the home crowd. I felt like I was twenty years old again. It was truly amazing to experience this again, it even made me a bit emotional.”
