Jenson Button on Aston Martin’s F1 Future: Newey, Honda, and the Push for 2027

Speaking to FanAmp ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Button explained why Aston Martin’s leadership attracted him to the role. “One of the reasons why it's exciting to be an ambassador is because it's starting at the beginning, and I think what excited me was the leadership of Lawrence. When he sinks his teeth into something, it normally succeeds, but also because he's so passionate about racing.

“And also the signing of Adrian Newey, that was a big deal for me because I've raced against Adrian Newey's cars for years and, to finally see it close up, the way that he works is very impressive.”

Button continued, praising the championship experience that Newey brings to the team and its potential impact on Aston Martin’s future. “I can't count how many times he's won the World Championship, and he's done it with so many different teams, so he's seen very different cultures within teams.

“He knows what works and what doesn't, so bringing that to the table is a big deal. And also, everyone listens. When Adrian talks about how the atmosphere should be within the team, everyone's going to listen because he's been there and done it, whereas most other people haven't. So that's really key for this team's success.”

Button’s move to Aston Martin also reunited him with Fernando Alonso, his former McLaren teammate, who he believes remains as competitive as ever.

Recently, Alonso announced he would continue racing with Aston Martin in 2027 for his 24th season in Formula 1. Button emphasized the importance of Alonso’s renewed commitment to the team, saying, “Continuity in a team for drivers is really important, but especially when it’s Fernando Alonso.

“I don't look at him as a guy that's just here. He's still as good as he was when he won the World Championship.

“His hunger is there and I've never known anyone like him in their forties competing like he does. He's only one year younger than me and I retired 10 years ago from F1.”

Button’s connection with Aston Martin extends beyond his former teammate. His extensive history with Honda gives him a unique perspective on the power unit manufacturer’s role in the team’s future.

Button competed in 143 Grands Prix in Honda-powered cars and captured his maiden Formula 1 victory with Honda Racing at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. More than a decade later, he added another milestone to his career by winning the 2018 Super GT Championship in a Honda NSX-GT.

When asked about the engineering culture at Honda, Button noted the extraordinary work ethic of the Japanese company.

“They'll be staying in the factory a lot of the time, the engineers at Sakura, the R&D center. They sleep on mats at night, get up in the morning, [and] go straight to work. Their dedication is unparalleled, I would say the Japanese when it comes to development, especially at Honda.”

That dedication will be crucial as Aston Martin endures a challenging first year under F1’s new regulations. The team sits tenth in the Constructors’ Championship, with just seven points after 17 races.

Button shared how Honda’s late partnership with Aston Martin put the team at a disadvantage in the development battle. “They pulled out of F1, and Lawrence turned around and asked, ‘Would you be willing to be our partner?’”

“But it's so late in the game, sort of two years after all the other engine suppliers, so very minimal time to develop.

“Basically, the races were test beds this year for the power unit, so it's not a position that Honda want to be in, not a position they take lightly. And I know they're working — they work extremely hard.”

Despite the setback, Button commended Aston Martin’s positive attitude and foundation for future success.

“It's been a really difficult time, especially at the start of the season for the team, but still they're able to stay positive, which shows that they're hungry for getting to the front.

“You've got to make sure the fundamentals are good within the team, so you're ready to fight for those wins when you have a package to do so.

“We always learn more in adversity, don't we, than through the good times, and they've had some difficult times, so I think they're very strong as a team.”

“I think having the leadership of Lawrence and Adrian and removing the sort of blame culture within the team and letting people be a bit more open with their views and opinions and new challenges and gray areas is also how this team will fight to the front.”

While Aston Martin continues to extract performance from its 2026 car, Button is already looking ahead to what the team can achieve next season. He remains optimistic about the team’s future but cautions that reaching the top of the grid will take more time.

“Every bit of development that's done now will lead into next year's championship, and there's been a massive change in this car. You might not see it from the results, but the gap has shortened — it is unbelievable.

“The development has been amazing in the budget cap. We're quite limited on what we can do. We have all this expertise, we have the funding, but we can't spend it because we're limited on the cap. So, it does make it tricky to catch up once you're behind, but the team are doing everything, so I feel that next year will be a good year.

“But still, it's not going to be enough to fight in the front, or not good enough for what this team wants to achieve in the future, but it'll be progress, and that's the most important thing.

“We've got to have little goals all the way through the next couple of years, and targets, and if you hit them, you celebrate them, and I think that that gives positivity as well.”

As Aston Martin continues to build toward 2027, the remaining races of the season offer valuable opportunities to collect data that will shape next year’s car.

Ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Button looked back on his experience racing at Circuit of the Americas, where he competed in Formula 1, the World Endurance Championship, and the NASCAR Cup Series.

In five appearances as an F1 driver, Button recorded four top-10 finishes, with a best result of P5 in 2012. The Briton also expressed his admiration for the circuit’s layout and the city of Austin.

“It's a fast-flowing track. It's one of those new tracks, it's not really new anymore, but it's got that great balance of low and high-speed corners.

“After turn one, the hill climb, you've got turn 2 all the way to turn 10, which has just got a nice flow about it. So great track, great atmosphere. The city of Austin's always a lot of fun, great food, barbecue especially. And I think it's one that the drivers will really enjoy to come to because of the atmosphere that is here.”

Turn one features a wide entry and a narrow exit, and Button highlighted how exciting the opening corner of the Grand Prix could be.

“There's a lot of wide corners, entry points, but then obviously you get a pinch point at the apex, which makes it tricky, but it means you can be four cars wide into one really or two. So there's loads of opportunities for mistakes and incidents.”

Button himself gained eight places on the opening lap of the 2016 United States Grand Prix after lining up P19. He shared his experience on that sensational climb a decade ago and cited how an experienced driver can take advantage of others’ mistakes.

“It was really cool, it was a fun lap because our pace wasn't that great with the car. But in those tricky situations, Fernando and myself could make the difference.”

Alonso lines up 12th on Sunday, matching his best starting position of the year, as Aston Martin looks to score points for the second time in the last three races.

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