Jenson Button is born on 19th January 1980 at Frome Victoria Hospital in Somerset. Jenson attends Vallis First school from the age of five. Jenson gets his first kart for Christmas from Dad, John Button. Jenson's karting career takes off and Jenson travels around Europe, America and Japan for karting competitions. Jenson gets permission from Frome Community College to be able to miss his schooling lessons in order to continue his busy karting schedule. Jenson takes his driving test and fails for 'going for a gap that wasn't there'! He passes second time around. Jenson moves up to racing cars from karts and blows the competition away in Formula Ford. Jenson goes to the Spanish Grand Prix to meet F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, team bosses and Grand Prix drivers such as David Coulthard amongst others. Jenson moves from Upper Vobster in Frome, Somerset, to Bicester in Oxfordshire in order to be nearer to his F3 team for 1999, Promatecme Renault based at Silverstone. Jenson has a superb debut season in F3, which ends with F3000 tests and a F1 test with McLaren. Jenson takes a well-earned break to Mexico but is called back early to test with the Prost F1 team at Jerez. Jenson enjoys Christmas and New Year with his family and friends and at the beginning of January, Jenson is rumoured to sign for a second season with the Promatecme Renault F3 team and is considering options for F1 testing. Jenson goes to out to Jerez to test for a seat in the BMW WilliamsF1 team for 2000. The media go crazy and Jenson leaves for Jerez where he won the second drive in the team and made his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix, 12th March 2000. Jenson scores his first World Championship points at the Brazilian Grand Prix, 26th March 2000, bringing his BMW WilliamsF1 FW22 home sixth in the race at the Interlagos circuit. Jenson takes eighth place in the Drivers' Championship, his best finish a superb fourth place at the German Grand Prix. Jenson moves to Mild Seven Benetton Renault Sport for 2001, the first season in a two year deal with the team. |
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