Nov 5, 2025 | Formula 1
A fitting end in Bahrain
On Saturday, Jenson Button will drive his last professional race: the Bahrain 8 Hours in the World Endurance Championship. This marks the end of one of the most remarkable careers in modern motorsport. Button is 45 and will retire from the professional circuit after this race.
What he achieved in Formula 1
Button was active in Formula 1 between 2000 and 2017. He started 306 grands prix. He took 15 wins and 50 podiums. He achieved eight poles. In 2009, he captured the world championship with Brawn GP, a season that is still considered a great underdog story. His last full F1 season was 2016. His last start in the king class was in Monaco 2017 as Fernando Alonso's replacement.
The search after F1
Button did not stop racing when Formula 1's door closed. He sought new challenges and soon found them in Japan. In 2018, he temporarily moved east and raced in Super GT. Together with Naoki Yamamoto, he immediately won the championship with Team Kunimitsu and the Honda NSX-GT500. In doing so, he became the first former F1 world champion to win Super GT.
The constant travelling between Japan and Europe eventually became too much. He ended that adventure at the end of 2019. After that, he tried many different disciplines. For instance, he competed in Baja events, made a guest appearance in British GT, started in Extreme E and Nitro Rallycross, and made three starts in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023. This broad exploration shows his curiosity and adaptability.
How he came to endurance
Slowly, Button found his way into endurance racing. His first serious experience was in 2018 in LMP1 with SMP Racing. With teammates, he achieved a podium in Shanghai. Later, he drove the Garage 56 project car at Le Mans: a NASCAR Camaro ZL1 at Hendrick Motorsports, shared with Mike Rockenfeller and Jimmie Johnson. Those appearances were instructive, but not enough. Button wanted to drive a full programme.
In 2024, he got that chance. After finishing fifth at Petit Le Mans and third in the Daytona 24 Hours, he stepped in as a full-time WEC driver with Team Jota.
Team Jota: the final challenge
Team Jota is a British team with a personal link for Button. The #38 Porsche 963 started in 2024 as a customer team and had limited testing opportunities. Button shared the car with Oliver Rasmussen and Phil Hanson. At first, the transition was tough. He missed the intensity of a full season and had to get used to the off-track work: data analysis, debriefs and set-up work.
Gradually, he found his rhythm. His smooth driving style suited the endurance cars well. Two standout performances were at Le Mans and at Fuji, even if those races did not yield podium results. Things changed in 2025 when Jota was given factory team status with Cadillac and the V-Series.R. With teammates Sébastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber, Button showed strong performances, including a second-place finish in São Paulo.
His role went beyond just driving. Button brought experience, technical feedback and calm to the team dynamic. That contributed to two wins for Jota in the past two seasons and to the title fight still open in Bahrain.
What Button does after this season
The reason for quitting is clear: family and time. Button lives with young children. He wants to spend less time travelling for weeks at a time. He does not think it is fair to promise a new year if he cannot spare enough time. He does remain active at classic events, such as Goodwood, purely for the love of the sport. But his professional racing career is over.
Who can replace him?
Finding a successor is not easy. The Hypercar class is full of factory drivers. Names that have passed include Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott, but those options fell off for various reasons or are unclear. The favourite for the #38 seems to be Jack Aitken. He already drives the V-Series.R in IMSA and has a strong relationship with Earl Bamber. Aitken won the last two rounds of the 2025 IMSA season, including Petit Le Mans, and set a fastest time in Hyperpole at Le Mans.
There is a practical problem though: on 19-20 April 2026, Long Beach (IMSA) and Imola (WEC) are scheduled at the same time. Aitken would prioritise Long Beach. If he drives in the United States, a replacement for Imola is in the offing, with Fred Vesti a possible candidate.
Key facts at a glance
- F1 figures: 306 starts, 15 wins, 50 podiums, 2009 world champion.
- Super GT champion in 2018 with Team Kunimitsu.
- Endurance achievements: podiums in WEC and Daytona, Garage 56 at Le Mans.
- Last team: Jota, from 2024, from 2025 as Cadillac work team.
- Reason for stopping: more time for family and less travelling.
Final conclusion: Button is leaving professional racing on his own terms. He is going not because he has to, but because he wants to. His legacy is multi-faceted: a Formula One title, success in Japan, and valuable contributions to endurance racing. An emotional farewell awaits in Bahrain, but his influence on the sport remains visible.
Nov 5, 2025 | DTM
WEC rookie test raises question marks
Jack Aitken has been appointed by WEC for the rookie test at the season finale in Bahrain. He shares that role at Jota-Cadillac with Ricky Taylor. The test is scheduled for Sunday, at the end of the WEC season.
That announcement, along with his previously confirmed continuation with Action Express in IMSA, gives the impression that Aitken may no longer drive full-time in the DTM next season. This season, the 30-year-old Briton made it to the final for the DTM title with the Emil-Frey Ferrari team, but bad luck and mistakes in the closing stages set him back.
Emil-Frey reacts and prepares
Team boss Lorenz Frey-Hilti said he was surprised by the announcement, but also realistic. According to him, the chance of a double programme with Cadillac was always there. Emil-Frey has made it clear to Aitken that the team wants a driver who can fully focus on the DTM. If Aitken does indeed get a combined programme, Emil-Frey will look for a replacement.
Cadillac itself does not need to test Aitken for speed. He has been a work driver for General Motors for many years, driving the LMDh in the IMSA, including Le Mans, since 2023. The rookie test at Jota seems mainly intended to integrate him into the Jota works team, now that Jenson Button announced his retirement and the #38 Cadillac cockpit becomes vacant.
- What the announcement means: chances are Aitken will have a double programme at Cadillac and therefore be less available for DTM.
- Why that could be a problem: Emil-Frey wants a driver who can focus entirely on DTM testing and racing.
- What Cadillac wants: Aitken knows the V-Series.R and the test helps him settle in with the Jota work team.
- What next: Emil-Frey seeks an alternative and clarity is expected in the coming months.
Aitken himself said he would miss the DTM and that he would have preferred a fourth season with Emil-Frey. For now, it seems Aitken's future is heading towards the WEC and the Jota-Cadillac project, but a definitive confirmation is still missing.
Nov 5, 2025 | MotoGP
Roberts stays in Los Angeles
Joe Roberts will not return for the final two races of the season. After returning home to Los Angeles, he underwent additional tests. An MRI showed a small fracture in his left wrist, suffered during the Malaysian GP weekend. In order to fully recover and be ready for testing after Valencia, Joe and American Racing Team have decided that he will stay in LA for rehabilitation.
As a result, he is missing from the closing rounds in Portugal and Valencia of the Moto2 World Championship.
Who will take his place?
The team acquires Xabi Zurutuza from the American Racing JuniorGP programme. The Spanish rider, from Andifer American Racing, will thus make his Moto2 debut with the team. American Racing stresses that they wish Joe a smooth recovery and would like to see him back on the bike soon.
- Reason: minor fracture of left wrist after Malaysian GP
- Missed races: Portugal and Valencia
- Substitute: Xabi Zurutuza (American Racing JuniorGP / Andifer American Racing)
- Goal: ready for first test after Valencia
“Unfortunately, the MRI showed that Joe has a fracture in his left wrist, so he cannot ride for a few weeks,” Eitan Butbul said.
Nov 4, 2025 | Formula E
DTM champion tested Porsche Formula E car
Ayhancan Guven is in the spotlight. The Turkish driver recently became DTM champion. He impressed during a rookie test with the Porsche 99X Electric.
Guven only started his career at 19 in the national Porsche Carrera Cup. He has no experience in single-seaters. Nevertheless, he drove to second place in the test at Tempelhof at the end of the day.
Striking test results
His fastest lap was 57.654 seconds. That was 0.204 seconds faster than Pascal Wehrlein's fastest lap on the previous day. Track conditions were more favourable on the test day, though. Still, his pace surprised many engineers.
Porsche engineers especially praised his natural feel and the quality of his technical feedback. He remained faster than some drivers with much single-seater background, such as Jak Crawford, Frederik Vesti and Theo Pourchaire.
Why Porsche would be interested
Florian Modlinger, responsible for Porsche in Formula E, explains what he looks out for. First, he looks at a driver's background. Then he assesses driving style and adaptability. The latter is decisive.
Modlinger cites examples of drivers who switched well between disciplines. Think of Rene Rast, Gary Paffett, Nico Müller and Robin Frijns. Mattias Ekström was another example of someone who could quickly switch between a variety of cars.
What Guven shows
Guven appeared to quickly get used to the simulator and the electric car during the rookie test. That is exactly what Modlinger wants to see in potential switchers. Moreover, Guven showed great racing skills in the DTM in 2025. His bold overtaking move on Marco Wittmann earned him the title at Hockenheim.
Which is another barrier
Formula E requires more than just driving fast. The car requires a lot of attention to systems and functions during the race. Energy management is crucial. Constant communication with the engineer and quick car adjustments are also important.
Modlinger warns that these extra tasks can make or break races and careers. So a driver must not only be able to drive at the limit. He must also have mental space to oversee all systems and make decisions.
- Adaptability to new cars and simulators
- Careful technical feedback to engineers
- Smart energy management during the race
- Good communication and strategic insight
- Mentality to quickly handle multiple issues at once
Opportunities and constraints
There is a chance that Guven will have a role in Formula E during the Gen4 period, from the end of 2026. However, Porsche has already shown commitment to Nico Müller in the Gen4 developments. That makes direct moves more difficult.
Still, Guven's test performance is telling. If he wants to switch and maintains the same learning curve, a spot in Formula E is not inconceivable. His combination of racing talent and adaptability gives him a real chance.
Summary: Guven has the speed and adaptability to be seriously considered. But the transition also requires technical understanding and race management skills. Only then can he drive Formula E at top level.
Nov 4, 2025 | Formula 1
Confirmation expected before Brazil Grand Prix
Franco Colapinto is poised to continue as a racing driver for Alpine in 2026 as well. An official announcement could come as early as this week, even before the Brazilian Grand Prix.
He entered Alpine in January on a multi-year contract, transferred from Williams. Since the summer break, his form has been improving markedly. As a result, he quickly became the favourite for the race spot alongside Pierre Gasly.
What made the difference for Colapinto?
Colapinto showed better performances after the summer. That gave him more confidence and peace of mind. Support from Latin America, including sponsorship money, also played a role. He said earlier that he was eager to race without so much stress. That stability now seems within reach.
In Mexico, he finished just behind Gasly. At the Mexico circuit, he also left Paul Aron, his main competitor for the spot, behind in the first free practice session. Aron had impressed on Friday, but Colapinto still set the stronger time.
Colapinto's development and criticism
His season started falteringly after he replaced Jack Doohan. That led to criticism, especially from the returning team manager. The latter said earlier that Colapinto might have been upgraded too early. However, that spurred Colapinto to perform better. Since then, his level has clearly gone up.
Officially, Colapinto has yet to accumulate any World Cup points. In practice, before the summer, he was only twice faster than Gasly and finished behind him more often. After the summer, the result is more equal: three wins each in aggregate performances over the six races thereafter.
Alpine through a turbulent period
The past 18 months have been turbulent for Alpine. The team dropped far back on the track. In addition, many management spats and personnel changes happened.
- The former Renault chief returned as an influential leader.
- Renault discontinued its own Formula 1 engine programme.
- Esteban Ocon was replaced earlier than expected.
- Jack Doohan made way for Colapinto after just six races in 2025.
- Oli Oakes took over as team chief, but left within months.
- And the Renault ceo and major sponsor left mid-year.
Ahead of the new 2026 rules, Alpine chose to sacrifice a lot now. The hope is that that pain will be rewarded with big steps forward next year.
Consequences for Jack Doohan
If Colapinto is officially confirmed, Doohan's chances of a return to the racing grid with Alpine have been dashed. There had been talks for Doohan to possibly return this season. That depended on how the management felt about Colapinto.
Doohan remains Alpine's reserve driver. But he would rather have a permanent racing seat or at least drive a full programme. He has already missed full seasons since 2023. Therefore, he is now looking for alternatives.
- Possible teams talked about: Cadillac, Williams, Haas and Sauber.
- This usually involves test and reserve rolls.
- A real racing opportunity could emerge earlier in 2027.
- A combination of F1 roles and active racing (e.g. Super Formula in Japan) is attractive to him.
Summary
Colapinto has recovered after a difficult start. He will now get a longer-term opportunity at Alpine. This brings calm to the driver line-up as the team prepares for 2026. For Doohan, this raises new questions about his racing plans and subsequent career.
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