Former Formula 1 and Super GT champion Jenson Button “enjoyed” his first IMSA race last weekend at Road Atlanta, which hosted an action-packed 10-hour Petit Le Mans race.

The 43-year-old Briton made his IMSA debut in a Porsche 963 Hybrid LMDh run by the JDC Miller MotorSports customer team.

Competing in the GTP class, he drove the #5 with the two full-time drivers Tijmen van der Helm and now Ford GTD works driver Mike Rockenfeller.

After the team finished in fifth position overall, Button said: “My first IMSA race, my first experience at Road Atlanta and my maiden event in the Porsche 963 – it was huge. I enjoyed every bit of it.

“I drove a great first stint and pushed myself more and more to the limits. There was a lot to learn about lapping traffic.

“The second stint was more difficult because the tyres required so many setting changes.

“Given my three hours of testing in the car, it was a lot of work.

“It was huge fun getting a chance to compete with the greats of the sport.”

Button took over the wheel of the #5 963 shortly after the halfway point, whereby the team were running at the tail end of the GTP field amidst a series of pit stops.

Within the first couple of laps, he had set the fastest race lap in the #5, thus demonstrating quick familiarity with the 963 package as he got up to speed.

Rockenfeller drove the longest over the course of the race with over four hours and 25 minutes in total drive time, whilst IMSA debutant Button drove the least with his 1-hour-and-43-minute double stint.

The 2010 overall Daytona 24 Hours race winner also qualified the car on Friday in ninth out of 10 GTP cars, with a 1:18.204s lap time.

The most prominent focus for all drivers, especially those in the front-running GTPs, was the matter of traffic management with certain parts of Road Atlanta giving a better opportunity to overtake lapped traffic compared to sections such as the ‘esses’.

In particular, Button showed promising pace in the first and third sectors, having set what ended up as the 11th fastest S1 and the eighth fastest S3 times.

Managing the tyres was crucial in his second stint, with the need to make them last longer on track temperatures warmer than they were since free practice and qualifying.

Regarding heavy disruption throughout the 10-hour race, Button drove in a window considered the least eventful compared to the incident-filled opening two hours.

It was Button’s first race in a prototype since 2019 at Le Mans, when he raced the SMP Racing LMP1 and earlier this year at the Centenary edition he, Rockenfeller and seven-time NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson drove the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro next-gen cup car prepared by Hendrick Motorsports.

He will soon make a decision on whether he wants to take on a more involving IMSA GTP drive next year, as his debut left a positive impression.

The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button has been confirmed as the third driver for JDC-Miller Motorsports’ Porsche 963 at the Petit Le Mans on 14 October.

Jenson Button will make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at the final race of the 2023 schedule at Road Atlanta.

He is set to drive their #5 GTP alongside full-season drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Tijmen van der Helm for the 10-hour endurance race.

His most recent endurance race appearance was at the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, where he joined Rockenfeller and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro Cup car entry, run by Hendrick Motorsports.

Button said: “I’m very excited to announce that I will be racing at Petit Le Mans this year with 2021 Sebring winners JDC-Miller MotorSports.

“Whilst I’m having a lot of fun cutting my teeth in the NASCAR Cup series this year, a prototype with high downforce is definitely more in my comfort zone.

“That said, the Porsche 963, the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, and Road Atlanta are all brand new to me so I can’t wait to tackle all three with my teammates for the weekend.

“I partnered with Rocky at Le Mans this year and he will be invaluable as he’s fantastic at car/team development.

“He is also incredibly quick which always helps! I’ll also have the pleasure of working with rookie Tijmen van der Helm who seems to really be gaining speed and confidence through the season so we should have a lot of fun.”

Before that, Button’s endurance prototype experience begun with SMP Racing during four rounds of the WEC 2018-19 Super-Season, where he last competed at the 6 Hours of Shanghai (2018), and finished third in the BR Engineering LMP1.

Petit Le Mans will mark his first race outing in a GTP, as part of the newly introduced regulations for LMDh and LMH, which replaced IMSA’s DPi and the WEC’s LMP1 categories.

John Church, Managing Partner at JDC-Miller MotorSports, added: “JDC-Miller MotorSports is honored to confirm that Jenson will be joining us for the final race of the season in our Porsche 963 at Road Atlanta.

“The team had hoped to have him join Rocky and Tijmen at Watkins Glen but unfortunately that did not work out as the very busy Jenson had some TV commitments. His accomplishments speak for themselves.

“He and Rocky bonded through the extensive development of the Garage 56 Camaro. 

“We are confident he will quickly integrate with the team and get up to speed with the 963.”

The final race of the season, and the next race on the Endurance Cup calendar, will take place in October to conclude the debut season for GTP.

Former Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button would “jump at the chance” to race a Hypercar at Le Mans in the future, he told reporters at Daytona.

On Saturday, hours before the start of the Daytona 24 Hours, Button was surprisingly announced as one of the three drivers who will race the Garage 56 NASCAR project at this years 24 Hours of Le Mans.

MotorsportWeek.com asked the former McLaren driver whether he’d be interested in racing a Hypercar at Le Mans in the future. “This is my first time back [at Le Mans] since 2018, and I’m really looking forward to it,” he began in response.

He continued, “Possibly in the future, if there’s the the right situation, I would jump at the chance to jump in an LMH or LMDh.”

Button will race the Chevrolet Camaro next-gen NASCAR alongside former NASCAR driver and 7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, and Mike Rockenfeller, who won Le Mans in 2010 for Audi. He told reporters he got involved with the project through Johnson. 

“It was actually through Jimme, a long time ago. I was just asking him what he’s up to in 2023, because this guy can’t sit still. He said, ‘i’m hoping to to bring NASCAR to Le Mans.’ And I’m like, ‘sorry. What?’,” Button said. 

He added: “And yeah, it started there. Then I got in touch with with Rocky [Rockenfeller] and he said, we’re testing out in Sebring, come and check out what we’re doing and see if it’s something that would would interest you. Then I spoke to John [Doonan, the team principal] and it all started from there.

“I haven’t driven the car yet. But I was at the test in Sebring, watching and listening to all the information that the drivers were feeding back about the car, and the big steps forward that they were making with it.”

Finally, Rockenfeller, a veteran sportscar driver and a popular figure in endurance racing, also hinted he’d be interested in racing a Hypercar in future. “Yeah, I think the year after, we are all together in the top category. We start with Garage 56, then the next year we will all be there,” the German joked.

Speaking seriously, he continued, “Of course, it’s a great era. For me Le Mans is really one of the biggest races in the world. To be there and fight for overall victory – I think every driver wants to do that. But this year, for sure, for us, it’s a little different. We won’t be able to, but we will, for sure. See the cars and and watch it closely.”

Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button will return to Williams, the team he made his F1 debut with back in 2000, in an advisory role.

Button drove for Williams alongside Ralf Schumacher for a single season before joining Benetton the following year. He drove for BAR Honda before the team sold out to Ross Brawn and Nick Fry for the 2009 season.

Button was retained and went on to win the championship that year in the dominant Brawn BGP 001 before the team was taken over by Mercedes, with Button moving to McLaren where he finished his F1 career.

Williams was sold to new owners last year, ending the Williams’ family’s involvement in the team, amidst financial struggles due to poor on-track results and the coronavirus pandemic.

New owners Dorilton Capital have since made a number of changes, including a closer relationship with Mercedes which will see the team utilise its transmission and gearbox from 2022.

The team announced on Friday that Button will return to the team in a senior advisor role on a multi-year agreement, to “provide advice and guidance to the team at Grove, along with helping support and develop both race and academy drivers”.

“Throughout the 2021 season, he will attend a number of Grands Prix with Williams alongside taking part in some team events in the UK,” the team statement continued.

“Jenson will also support Williams’ media and marketing activities when required throughout the season. Jenson will also be continuing his media duties as expert analyst with Sky Sports F1 this season, alongside his new role with the team.”

“I am so delighted to once again be able to say that I’ve signed for Williams,” commented Button. “Back when I was 19 it was a moment that changed my life and, despite the fact it was over 20 years ago, I already feel like I never really left.

“Sir Frank Williams showed faith in me which I will be eternally grateful for and I am incredibly excited to have the chance to come back and help the team as it strives once more for success. There’s a lot of hard work to be done but I have no doubt the future is incredibly bright for this fantastic team and I can’t wait to get started.”

Incoming CEO Jost Capito added: “Bringing Jenson back on board is another positive step to help us move forward as a team both on and off track.

“Jenson has always been a friend of the team and so it is great to welcome him back into the Williams family. Back in 2000, Sir Frank saw the promising talent Jenson had as a driver and gave him his first opportunity in F1. He more than fulfilled that initial promise throughout a glittering career that culminated in world championship glory.

“More recently, he has shown his acumen in both the business and broadcasting worlds and remains a widely respected figure in the paddock.

“All this experience will add another layer to our transformation both technically and as a business. I know everyone at Grove has huge respect for him and we’re delighted to start working with him.”