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The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix was an “emotional rollercoaster” ride for former Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button as he saw it all in his NASCAR Cup Series debut on Sunday (March 26) at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). His debut race went into three two-lap overtime and saw numerous incidents, but Button was happy to cross the checkered flag 18th at the end of the day.
Jenson Button started the race in 24th, just two spots behind fellow Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen. The #15 Mobil 1 Rick Ware Racing Ford driver held on to the lead and shuffled up and down the leaderboard throughout the 75-laps race. The 43-year-old ran as high as P15.
Speaking about his experience in his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series race during the post-race interview, Jenson Button said:
“It was an emotional rollercoaster. First, it was terrible. I mean, I must’ve been last by the end of it. And I was just like, ‘Everyone: Go. I just need to drive and find a rhythm.’ I’ve never gone through a corner too wide, so often. And trying to place my car in the right place – I just got it wrong every time."
"Normally, if you’re a little bit slow through a corner, nobody tries to overtake you from the outside. Because they’re not going to make it all the way on the next one. But here they do, because they get a wheel inside for the next one, and if you turn in, you turn around."
“I thought I was going to faint in the car” – Jenson Button
Jenson Button has tried his hand at various things in his life, but driving a Cup Series car in high temperatures was undoubtedly a new experience for him.
Further speaking about his first NASCAR race experience, Button said he suffered from heat exhaustion during the race. The first road course event was already intense and in the enclosed stock car with temperatures outside reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit, he found himself struggling to keep his body calm and cool.
Jenson Button stated:
"Finished 18th after almost stopping because I had heat exhaustion. It was so hot, I don’t have a fan in my seat which really didn’t help me too much. It was so hot, I thought I was going to faint in the car. So, I stopped twice for a minute. They put ice on me, gave me loads of water, and I went back out."
"I was so close to getting out of the car because I thought I was going to faint. I must’ve drank eight (or) nine bottles of water during the race. The team kept me calm, and it’s the reason why we got a good result in the end. So, I was happy.”
Jenson Button will be back in action in the Cup Series at the inaugural Chicago Street Course race on July 2, 2023.
