Button back in action: 'It never leaves you'

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Jenson Button is gearing up for his special guest appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix at the end of the month where he'll sub for Indy bound Fernando Alonso.

Button's 'sabbatical' contract with McLaren this year allowed for the Woking-based outfit to call upon the services of the 2009 world champion.

And when Zak Brown asked the Brit to take Alonso's seat in Monte-Carlo, he was more than happy to oblige.

"When the chance came to race in Monaco, I was going to take it," he said.

"I don't want to be racing in Formula 1 for a whole season because I've done my time in Formula 1, I've loved most of my career but it was time for me to have a break.

"But to come back for the Monaco Grand Prix, I mean that is just the dream for a racing driver; coming in for a one-off race, in Monaco, the most glamorous Grand Prix on the calendar, it's that excitement is back."

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Button has been spending this week at the McLaren factory, getting acquainted with his mount and the new-spec MCL32 in the simulator. He confessed that there is a lot to learn.

"You jump into the simulator and after five laps there's that 'OK, I've still got it then'.

"I can still direct the car around the corners and I still know how to change gear and push the brake podal and modulate the throttle. That never leaves you."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.