EXCLUSIVE: I raced in the first Abu Dhabi GP then partied with Michael Schumacher

A tal🔯e of the first time F1 went to Abu Dhabi, 15 years ago

Jenson Button
Jenson Button

The first-ever F1 Abu Dhab🍷i Grand Prix was in 2009 and things haღve changed a lot.

🎶Jenson Button arrived at the newly-crowned Formula 1 champion, after claiming glory in Brazil.

The season-finale was a new race which is now synonymous with the calendar. F1 ends its 202༺4 season in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

“It ﷺwas futuristic,” Button🍨 exclusively told ltxcn.top.

“It was an amazing experience, night racing and also meant going to a country that I'd never been to bef♐ore so I really enjoyed it and it was my first podium for quite a few races that season.

“I arrived to Abu Dhᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚabi as the World Champion 🤪because I won in Brazil, so it was a great race.

“ spent the Sunday night at Amber Lounge with Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn, 🌟and it was just so much fun.”

The Yas Marina track has be🌺en changed significantly since then, in an effort to improve the racing.

“I enjoyed the track the way I drove it but I actua𓃲lly get to drive the track in January,” Button said.

“We're testing for WEC there so I'll see what꧙ it's like in terms of the high-speed section now, but I like it.

“It's got a good place in the calendar. It's not the fast-flowing tracks that weജ have at Suzuka or Silverstone or Spa, but I always enjoy driving there and I think the rac🥀ing is good.”

Button’s memories in Abu Dhꦡabi include his full-time retirement, and his penultimate start, in 2016.

He lists his favourite moments: “Getting on the podium🐼 in the first year, followed up with the podium the following year where we crowed Sebastian [Vettel] the World Champion.

“It was Lewis and myself on the podium ♈with him, both of us with McLaren, and we were the previous two World Champions, so it was kind of cool showering Seb in champagne!

“Those are the two that stand out but then also my 🐷last race there.

“I had suspension failure, finished early, had🐽 a few🐲 drinks and did loads of interviews saying I didn’t care about leaving F1.

“They were not entirely true!𓃲 It’s always been a cool experience there and I’m looking forward to getting back there and reliving some of those memories.”

It has now been 15 years since Button’s sole Formula 1 championshiꦬﷺp as a Brawn driver.

“It's crazy that it🌜's been 15🦋 years! I got to drive the car again five years ago, which was a lovely experience,” he said.

“Reflecting, it was one of those years that will go down in his꧑tory; not because I won the World Championship, but because a privateer team w🌌on their first World Championship in their first year as Brawn GP.

“There areཧ so many things you kind of forget 15 years down the road, which is such a shame, and that's why I'm so lucky that they mad🧸e a documentary about it.

“I was in Paris with my wife last week and it popped up 🍃on TV so we watched it.

“The fact that it is documented and I can see the emotion from everyone involved in that season is really special, so I’m so lucky to have 🎉that and Keanu Reeves did such a great job on that. Lots of great memories from that season but 🅰it was also the toughest year of my life the amount of stress I put on myself.”

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