Jenson Button considered racing for Toro Rosso in 2009 F1 season
Jenson Button considered signing for Toro Rosso ahead of the 2009 Formula 1 season, according to claims in his new autobiography


In Life to the Limit, Button writes that in the aftermath of Honda's withdrawal from F1 at the end of 2008 he had an "option" to drive for Red Bull's junior outfit, which had a slot available after Sebastian Vettel was promoted to the senior squad.
Button ultimately decided not to pursue the Toro Rosso drive and ended up staying with the former Honda team when it became Brawn GP - going on to win the 2009 title.
"One option was to race for Toro Rosso, Red Bull's junior team," wrote Button.
"I loved them; they had and still do have great spirit and attitude, but I knew I'd never get close to a podium in their car.
"What's more, they wanted me to bring money in the form of sponsorship to help fund the team, which was singularly unappealing."
Elsewhere in the book, Button explains that his one-off McLaren appearance in place of Fernando Alonso at this year's Monaco Grand Prix did not leave him with a desire to compete full-time in F1 again.
"Do I miss it? Tough one, but the answer's no," he wrote.

"I qualified ninth [in Monaco, where he started from the pitlane after picking up engine grid penalties] which I was very happy about, but for the race itself, I was a DNF.
"I didn't come away from the experience feeling like I wanted to go back and prove myself."
Button also claims to have been offered other opportunities to return to F1, but has turned them down.
The 15-time F1 race winner is still yet to reveal which series he will compete in during his future motorsport career, but he does highlight his desire to race at Le Mans.
"I've been offered drives in Formula 1 but I'm not interested, although I will race in the future," Button wrote.
"Now that I'm no longer contractually forbidden I'm free to race in other categories.
"I enjoyed the rallycross experience [for the BBC with David Coulthard in 2015], I've already dipped a toe in Super GT and I'd love to do Le Mans at some point - there's so much out there.
"Just not Formula 1. Not without Dad [John Button, who died in 2014]."
Life to the Limit by Jenson Button (Blink Publishing) is out today.

Paul di Resta completes 'busy' Williams F1 test in Hungary
How Williams's rookie shut out his critics

Latest news
Farfus says BMW could have reliability edge over LMDh rivals
Augusto Farfus has dismissed concerns about BMW's apparent lack of pace in the build-up to the Daytona 24 Hours, and feels it could have an edge when it comes reliability.
How Formula E's new emergency braking system will work
Formula E has introduced an emergency braking kit for the Diriyah E-Prix as a failsafe should the rear powertrain stop working over the course of a race weekend.
Friday favourite: The Kent happy hunting ground that demands drivers' respect
Martin Donnelly's 100% International Formula 3000 record at Brands Hatch is one reason for him picking the famous Grand Prix circuit as his favourite track. But the Ulsterman also relishes its fast and challenging corners, which rewards thinking drivers just as much as bravery
Ford: F1’s boom means it "requires consideration"
Ford’s motorsport boss says it would be remiss of the American car giant not to be considering a Formula 1 return amid the series' rapid growth in the United States.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.