Button hails Goodwood scrap as 'best battle ever'

Jenson Button has enjoyed a good many wheel-to-wheel tussles during his illustrious career, and especially in F1 where he fought and won against the best.

But ask the 2009 F1 world champion him in 20 years to single out his toughest on-track scrap and he may well refer to a dueling Sunday at Goodwood with a vintage 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti.

Last weekend's St. Mary's Trophy was a thrilling clash between 1950s small and large saloon cars at the Goodwood Revival.

While Romain Dumas dominated in his formidable Ford Thunderbird, an intense battle unfolded further down the ranks between Button and his former Le Mans teammate Jimmie Johnson, at the wheel of a scrappy old Austin A40.

For the better part of the 16-lap race, the pair engaged in a fierce skirmish, with themselves and their rivals, the group pulling no punches as they ran doorhandle to doorhandle.

Button came on top in the fight for fourth against the NASCAR legend, but just.

"This was possibly the best battle I’ve ever had!" he wrote on social media, adding a clip of the pugnacious touring car fight.

"If you start watching I promise you’ll watch to the end!!"

As Button said, for a good laugh and a cheer, have a look at the epic duel in the video below.