John Button

John Button (27 July 1943 in London - 12 January 2014) was a former Rallycross driver and the father of 2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button.

His best overall results were being runner-up in both the Embassy/RAC-MSA British Rallycross and TEAC/Lydden Rallycross championships of the year 1976. During the 1970s John Button was well known in the UK for his, due to its striking paintwork, so-called Colorado Beetle Volkswagen with eventually 2.1-litre engine. Later on he competed less successfully for a couple of years in a Volkswagen Golf Mk1 with 1.9-litre engine, run by his own VW-Audi dealership and tuning garage Autoconti of Trowbridge in Wiltshire.

John gained much airtime during Formula One coverage in 2009 (particularly on the BBC) when his son Jenson won 6 out of the first 7 races of the year. His charismatic and charming personality made him a favourite among viewers, and throughout the years he came to be a massively popular figure on the Formula 1 paddocks. John was massively proud of his son and attended every single Grand Prix of his career, apart from the 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix when he was unable to make it due to illness.

John Button died at his home in the south of France from a suspected heart attack on 12 January 2014.