Jenson Button has announced that he will retire from Super GT after the series' final round next weekend at Motegi.
Button joined the ultra-competitive Japanese championship in 2018, racing for the Honda supported Team Kunimitsu outfit and winning the title alongside teammate Naoki Yamamoto.
The 2009 F1 world champion took to social media on Tuesday to pay tribute to his team and teammate ahead of his last Super GT drive.
"Ahead of this weekend’s season finale in Motegi I wanted to take this chance to announce that it will in fact be my last race in Super GT," Button wrote.
"When I decided to move away from Formula 1 I wanted to find a challenge which would scratch that competitive itch at the highest level and my 2 seasons in Super GT have certainly done that.
"Not only did I get to go on another journey with Honda, who have been a huge part of my racing career to date, but I also got to team up with Naoki Yamamoto, who is not only one of the strongest teammates I’ve ever had but also a great guy and as a team we managed to win the Super GT championship in my rookie year, which is easily one of my proudest achievements.
"Throughout my career I’ve always highlighted Japan as a special place to compete because of the incredible fans and their passion for the sport, so to have the chance to compete there throughout the year has been an absolute honour and has produced some wonderful memories." Button added.
"I’d like to therefore take this chance to thank those fans, my brilliant teammate Naoki, the whole of Team Kunimitsu, who have this incredibly exciting combination of a relatively young group being led by one of the legends of motorsport in Kunimitsu-San himself.
"They demonstrated unwavering passion and professionalism throughout and are a joy to work with. I’d like to also thank the entire Honda family for helping make this another brilliant chapter in my career."
"Let’s make this weekend count!"
So far, Button, who became a father for the very first time earlier this year, has offered no indication of where he will apply his skills next.
However, last weekend at the Mexican Grand Prix, the 39-year-old racer said that he hoped to continue his work as a pundit for Sky Sports on F1 weekends in 2020.
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