Karting and sim racing: Jenson Button's advice for getting started in motorsport

Having recently retired from motorsport after a final full season in WEC In 2025, Jenson Button will still be involved in motorsport, notably through a role as a consultant for the British television channel Sky Sports F1. According to the official website of the Formula 1In his "Driving Tomorrow" column, the 2009 World Champion shared his advice, particularly for those starting out in motorsport.

If he started with the karting Like many drivers before and since him, the Briton believes that the starting age isn't all that important, especially now that more and more drivers are starting their racing careers very young. Some, like Fernando AlonsoFor example, they start karting as young as three years old on modified machines!

"The age at which you start doesn't really matter, as long as you practice karting from a young age.", explains Button. “The most important thing is to be surrounded by the right people who support you, whether in good times or bad. And you have to enjoy yourself. None of this is worthwhile if you're not having fun! At 13, I went through a period of doubt and I didn't know if I wanted to continue racing. You can't start karting thinking, ‘If I'm good at karting, I'll become a Formula 1 world champion.’ Only a very small percentage of people get the chance to race in Formula 1.”

While the British driver initially saw karting as a way to spend time with his father John in a relaxed atmosphere, he quickly realized that the professionalization of the sport awaited him, with fast drivers all wanting to climb the pyramid of the car, or motorsports in general.

“Karting is very popular. It’s where you learn racing techniques, where you learn to drive wheel-to-wheel with others. When I think back on my karting career, it’s one of my best memories as a driver, because everything is so close: a half-tenth of a second separates 10 people in qualifying, so you have to give it your all. You compete against a lot of very talented drivers. I raced a lot in Italy, in Europe, and in the World Championship, and you have to go to those kinds of places when you start taking things seriously. But above all, it’s simply about getting to know a small machine and considering it an extension of your body.”

Sim racing as an alternative

Having gone on to become Formula 1 world champion, Jenson Button hasn't forgotten the costs associated with karting. This financial aspect is one of the obstacles for young drivers who would like to progress. The emergence of sim racing could, according to the new ambassador, allow... Aston Martin F1, to offer a less expensive and equally useful alternative in terms of talent detection.

“I find video games interesting. They're much cheaper than karting. When I was racing, karting was affordable, but now it's very expensive, even just for weekend racing. I've participated in a few karting races in recent years, and it's costly. Simulators are much more cost-effective and really allow you to hone your skills. You can't drive a kart 24/7, whereas with a simulator, it's possible if you really want to! The detailed simulations also allow you to work extensively on the technical aspects.”

However, simulations cannot completely replace real-world practice: “I think it’s also necessary to gain real-world experience, because you need to understand safety issues, the limitations of a car, and the fact that you can’t just press the ‘reset’ button. I think you need a bit of both: starting with video games can be very beneficial, but I think you then need to move on to karting or single-seaters at a relatively early age.”

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