Jenson Button Marks 20 Years Since First F1 Victory

Twenty years ago, a young British driver started 14th on the grid in the rain and drove his way into Formula 1 history.

Jenson Button, now an Aston Martin ambassador, recently visited Honda's museum in Japan to mark the 20th anniversary of his first F1 victory at Hungary's Hungaroring in 2006. Walking among the cars that shaped his career, Button shared memories that blend sporting triumph with deep human connection.

The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix victory came under the worst possible conditions for Button. Penalized ten places on the starting grid, he began 14th as rain fell on the circuit, then gradually dried throughout the race.

"I was able to fight with Michael Schumacher, which was pretty cool," Button recalled. "I just wanted it to last forever. That moment, knowing you're leading, that you're going to win your first race, it's never going to happen again."

But Button's relationship with Honda went far beyond that single Sunday triumph. His memories include walking through the 500-meter corridor at Honda's R&D center, where employees would spontaneously line up to cheer him on and offer gifts.

"It was an incredible experience you couldn't find anywhere else," he said, placing these human moments on equal footing with his racing achievements.

Why This Inspires

Button's career shows how success looks different at different stages of life. After Formula 1, he raced in Japan's Super GT series with Team Kunimitsu, learning to share a car with teammates rather than compete against them. That experience became "extra special" because of his bond with team owner Kuni-san, a Honda legend who has since passed away.

His attempt at the World Endurance Championship brought honest self-reflection. The technical complexity overwhelmed him, with an 80-page steering wheel manual and real-time programming requirements. "You can't be competitive unless you give 100 percent," Button admitted. "And I didn't have the time to dedicate to it. There are so many other fun things to do in life."

That honesty defines his legacy as much as his victories. Button recognizes his limits as clearly as he once pushed the boundaries of his car through the rain.

Budapest remains special to him beyond that first win. The city hosted his 200th F1 race in 2011, and years later, he set a lap record there in a front-wheel-drive production Honda Civic Type R.

The champion who knew when to push and when to step back continues celebrating the relationships that made the journey meaningful.