Former F1 driver Jenson Button enjoys "It's so much fun to drive this little Alfa Romeo!"

You may have been a Formula 1 world champion, own an electric hypercar like the Lotus Evija, or compete in the World Endurance Championship at the wheel of a 680hp prototype, but nothing can match the charm of a little... Alfa Romeo of the 60s. Jenson Button is living proof of this.

At the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the Briton left behind the rigors of WEC and the intensity of modern circuits to rediscover pure sensations at the wheel of a 1967 Alfa Romeo GT Junior, which he shares with his friend Maz Fawaz, head of Singer. And to say the least, the 2009 world champion had a childlike smile on his face as he rediscovered this simple pleasure.

"They look slow from the outside, but behind the wheel it's incredible. You do a lap in 1'45, you're going at 160 km/h, sliding everywhere... It's so much fun!" explained Button, still excited after his laps around the track. No power steering, no traction control, no electronic aids: here, everything is done by the hands, the feet and the sensations.

"This little car proves that you don't have to go fast to have fun." Jenson Button

Yes, the pleasure also comes from racing wheel-to-wheel against other icons of the era: Alfa, Mini, Lotus Cortina, BMW 2002... A unique, almost family atmosphere, where enthusiasts and former pros mingle, far from the constraints of top-level racing.

And that's what Jenson Button's decision is all about: putting an end to his professional career at the end of 2025 to "have more fun", as he puts it. His obligations in endurance racing, testing and the simulator no longer fit in with his family life in California. And the Briton prefers to devote his time to his loved ones, his projects... and this kind of car, full of character.

We'll be seeing him again very soon: in September, he was present at the Goodwood Revival, accompanied by his children, and in October, his Alfa GT Junior will be back on the track at the Willow Springs Reimagined event.

At heart, Button has lost none of his competitive spirit. It's just that he's no longer looking for trophies: he's looking for emotion. And what better school than this little Alfa Romeo to rediscover what he himself calls "the adrenalin and excitement" of pure driving?