Jenson Button has returned to the cockpit of the Brawn BGP 001, the car with which he secured his first and only Formula 1 world championship title, taking part in a special demonstration at Goodwood. The British driver will once again be behind the wheel of the same iconic single-seater during the famous British Festival of Speed, scheduled from July 9 to July 12.
Button and the Brawn GP legacy
Almost twenty years after his unforgettable world title triumph, Jenson Button took part in a running demonstration at Goodwood last weekend, driving the car that defined the greatest achievement of his career. Now aged 46, Button also recently claimed victory in the Phil Hill Cup at the 83rd Members’ Meeting with his Jaguar E-Type, continuing to showcase his passion for historic and classic racing machinery.
The 2009 Brawn GP car remains one of the most iconic machines in Formula 1 history, and Button’s emotional return to the cockpit once again highlighted the significance of that extraordinary season.
2009: a special and historic year
Now serving as an ambassador for Aston Martin, Jenson Button was crowned Formula 1 world champion in 2009 in one of the most unexpected championship victories in modern F1 history. The season was defined not only by the introduction of major technical regulation changes, but also by the dramatic emergence of Brawn GP, a team created from the remains of the former Honda F1 project and taken over by ex-Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn following Honda’s withdrawal from the sport.
Powered by a Mercedes engine, the Brawn GP package immediately proved to be highly competitive. Button secured six race victories during the season and finished the championship at the top of the standings ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello, another former Ferrari driver and his teammate at Brawn GP. The combination of strong aerodynamic efficiency and competitive power unit performance allowed the British driver to consistently challenge for wins throughout the season.
Thanks to these results, Brawn GP also secured the Constructors’ Championship, making it the only team in Formula 1 history to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles in its very first and only season of competition. The achievement remains one of the most remarkable fairytale stories in motorsport.
In 2010, following its extraordinary championship-winning campaign, the team was officially transformed into what is now the Mercedes Formula 1 team, marking the beginning of a new era in modern Formula 1 history.
After hearing the #Brawn BGP 001 tear around Goodwood Motor Circuit in the hands of Jenson Button, we've never been more certain that the mighty V8 is the greatest engine to ever be put in an #F1 car. Listen to this and tell us we're wrong… #83MM pic.twitter.com/myRmyzpaHg
— Goodwood Road & Racing (@GoodwoodRRC) April 19, 2026
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