Jenson Button lines up in 2022 Nitro Rallycross

Having stopped his career in F1 At the end of the 2017 season, the Englishman from Frome in Somerset continued to line up occasionally. He is tackling a new challenge in a discipline far from what he is used to practicing. “ I love racing and I want to have fun, declares the 42-year-old pilot. I can't wait to compete in Nitro RX with this team which has a lot of experience in rallycross, but also electric vehicles. My FC1-X has 1000 horsepower and it looks awesome to run. For me, rallycross and F1 are day and night. Some of the bumps we're going to encounter are really scary, but it's a very exciting challenge for me. »

This competition is scheduled until March 2023 with 10 dates on 3 continents. For the 2009 world champion, this commitment will allow him to follow in the footsteps of his father John. “ There is a strong family connection with rallycross, reveals the former pilot McLaren.  Dad used to race around in the late 70s and 80s in a Beetle and then a Golf. I would love to emulate what he did – that would be pretty special. I loved going with him and watching him ride. »

Button will team up with Oli Bennett who is delighted with the arrival of his compatriot at his side. “ His family rallycross background and the fact that we are both from the South West of England, him from Frome and me from Bristol, makes it a great storyhe says. We have already done a lot of testing and we have learned a lot from each other. As you can imagine, he got into it quickly, adapted his driving style and was very, very fast. We competed against each other in Extreme E last season and instantly hit it off. Besides the track experience he brings, one of the things you notice instantly is his professionalism. You don't become a Formula 1 world champion without knowing how to get the most out of the car, the engineers and the team. I feel like as an organization we have already benefited enormously from his presence. »

Jenson and Bennett completed initial testing in XITE Energy's Mini RX Supercar and a Fiesta Supercar in Pembrey, Wales, earlier in April. The Xite Energy Racing team will begin its testing program with the FC1-X in the coming weeks.

Nitro RX Calendar 2022-2023

June 18-19 Lydden Hill (England)

July 30-31 Sweden

August 27-28 Finland

October 1-2 Minneapolis (USA)

October 29-30 Los Angeles (USA)

November 12-13 Phoenix (USA)

December 10-11 Saudi Arabia

January 21-21 Quebec (Canada)

February 4-5 Alberta (Canada)

Nitro RX Final 2022-23, date and location (USA?) to be defined