Jimmie Johnson Joins F1 Champ Part of All-Star Line Up in Revolutionary NASCAR Challenge

NASCAR’s Garage 56 car, which will compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, will be driven by three unique names. The seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has fought hard to get on this three-driver lineup. Alongside him, this year’s 24 Hours Le Mans will feature 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, driving a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with former Le Man’s champion Mike Rockenfeller. The trio, having significant motorsports disciplines, such as Endurance, NASCAR, and Formula, might present a revolutionary challenge to other competitors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

On Tuesday, all three drivers will test the vehicle at the Daytona road course. In light of all this, Jenson Button told motorsports.com that it thrilled him to be joining the brilliant team in a revolutionary NASCAR challenge. He said, “It’s really special to be here. I’ve always thought of myself as a racing driver and I looked for new challenges since my F1 career. To go to Le Mans, I’m very excited to work with an all-star team.”

Revealing how Button came across the deal, he said, “[The deal came about] through Jimmie a long time ago, I was asking him what he was up to in 2023 because this guy can’t sit still. He was running through a few things he’s hoping to do, and he said, I’m hoping to bring NASCAR to Le Mans. I was like, sorry, what? Then Rocky invited me to a test at Sebring, and it all started from there.”

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In F1, Jenson Button broke Stirling Moss’ record for becoming the youngest British driver ever. Lando Norris then became famous in 2019 at the young age of 19. However, the fact that Button held onto that record for 19 years shows how much hype he must have had at the time of his entry. But when he retired from Formula One after winning a single championship, and he had no regrets.

Why Jenson Button didn’t regret leaving Formula One?

Jenson Button insisted in 2016 that he could enjoy a successful retirement with just one championship. But even then, if he had been part of a good team, he might have been able to win numerous championships. Button indicated he was taking a break from the sport, but he didn’t make it clear that he would simply quit.

The 2009 champion told Mirror, “I’ve done everything I dreamed of doing. Maybe I could have won more championships, but I won one and not every driver can say that. I go into this weekend thinking it is going to be my last race. That is the best way to be at this moment of time. Beyond this, I don’t want to be racing in F1.

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For the 15-time race winner and 50-time podium sitter, the 21-race calendar in the 2016 season was a farewell tour. In the end, he only participated in one more race for McLaren-Honda in 2017 (filling in for Fernando Alonso), in Monaco. He crashed into another vehicle and was unable to finish the race. With this crash, his F1 career also concluded.