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Jenson Button has confirmed that the upcoming 8 Hours of Bahrain will mark the last race of his professional career, with the 2009 F1 World Champion deciding not to compete in another season of the World Endurance Championship.

Button made his Formula 1 debut back in 2000 for Williams before going on to participate in 306 races – making him the sixth most experienced driver in the sport’s history – as well as collecting 15 wins, 50 podiums and eight pole positions along the way.

The Briton memorably experienced title success with Brawn GP in 2009, a fairytale story that saw the team rise from the ashes of the former Honda outfit to clinch both championships in what would be their sole F1 campaign.

After leaving Formula 1 at the end of the 2016 season – barring a one-race return in 2017 – Button went on to compete in various categories including Super GT, sportscars and Extreme E, as well as making three appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Over the past two years Button has raced in the World Endurance Championship, but the 45-year-old has announced that the 8 Hours of Bahrain – set to take place on November 8 – will bring his professional racing career to a close as he looks to focus on other work as well as spend more time with his young family.

“This will be my last race,” Button told BBC Radio Somerset. “I've always liked Bahrain, I think it's a fun track, and I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can because this will be the end of my professional racing career.

“I've really enjoyed my time with Jota in WEC, but my life has got way too busy and it's not fair on the team or on myself to go into 2026 and think that I'm going to have enough time for it.

“My kids are four and six and you're away for a week and you miss so much, you don't get this time back. I feel like I've missed a lot the last couple of years, which has been fine because I knew that would happen, but I'm not willing to do that again for another season."

While he will no longer be competing professionally, Button hopes to still race his own classic cars occasionally just for fun.

“I've got classic cars I love to race and for me that's exciting because it's mine - a car that I own - and I love the mechanical aspect,” he explained.

“It's very different to the cars I race in WEC and F1, you're really connected to it which I love, having to heel and toe, getting the gear shift just right, no aero, it's all mechanical.”

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Franco Colapinto will complete Alpine’s driver line-up alongside Pierre Gasly in 2026, the team have announced.

The 22-year-old joined Alpine in January as a reserve driver on a multi-year deal before earning promotion to a race seat after six races as a replacement for Jack Doohan.

The Argentine endured a difficult start to his time at the team, with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore conceding in August that he was “not happy” with Colapinto’s performance.

However, Colapinto went on to up his game and in the last six Grands Prix has been competitive relative to team mate Gasly, who in September committed his future to the team until at least the end of 2028.

“Franco has shown promise and potential with gradual improvement across the season and has also developed a positive relationship with the team and engineers,” said Alpine.

That improved form – in what is the slowest car on the grid – made him favourite to keep his seat for 2026, with the team believed to have narrowed the choice down to him or fellow reserve Paul Aron.

On Friday, ahead of this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix – that will feature a large contingent of fans from Colapinto’s native Argentina – Alpine moved to confirm Colapinto for 2026, when they will switch from works Renault power to customer Mercedes power units.

“I’ve been following Franco’s progress throughout his time in Formula 1 and I have always believed that he has the right attributes and potential to be a top driver who can grow with the team,” said Briatore.

“Our decision to continue together for 2026 is a clear indication of our commitment and strong support for Franco as he develops as a race driver.

“It has been a tough year for the whole team, and it hasn’t been the easiest scenario to perform in, however both Franco and Pierre have done their best to help put the team in the best possible position for next season.

“With the line-up of Pierre and Franco, we have a good blend of experience, speed and talent that will help drive the team forward and hopefully give our fans something to cheer and shout about next season.”

Colapinto added: “I am very grateful to Flavio and the entire team for their belief in me to help drive the team forwards in the future.

“Ever since I made my Formula 1 debut, I knew, given the circumstances at play, it would be a huge challenge to keep my place in this sport.

“It has been a long and tough road, and I am very proud for the opportunity to drive with this team again in 2026, alongside Pierre, who has been a great team mate and will undoubtedly be someone I can continue to learn from.

"Finally, it is very special and timely to make this announcement here in Brazil this weekend. Being so close to my home country of Argentina and an event that feels like a home race for me where I have so much support.

“To have so many fans on this journey with me and the team is why we go racing and next year, when there should be a reset in Formula 1, we can hopefully give every single person who cheers for us something to truly smile and celebrate. Vamos Alpine!”

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Tomorrow could be interesting if the extreme weather threat happens tonight.

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Originally posted by redstone:
I wasnt able to watch any of it . . .

Dang YoutubeTV and ESPN dispute.

Had to settle for the "highlights" video today.