Jenson Button laps Bathurst, creates history!

"This one's really fast mate, you might want to take it easy!"

Part of every Formula 1 driver’s obligations to his sponsors is to participate in special events organised by them and when Vodafone sought to get Jenson Button out to Bathurst in Australia, the event saw some history being made. For starters, Button became the first driver ever to lap the legendary circuit in an F1 car, before switching to a V8 Supercar. The event was organised by McLaren team sponsor Vodafone and involved Button switching roles with V8 Supercar driver Craig Lowndes, who also got to sample Button’s MP4-23.

The 2009 F1 Champ ended up shattering the current lap record at Bathurst by around 20 seconds when he set his unofficial time of 1min 48seconds. But the real surprise was when Lowndes had his try in the Formula 1 car and ended up being just a second off Button’s time while he was all of 7 seconds faster in the V8 Supercar. This wasn’t Lowndes’ first time in a Formula car though – he raced a full season of F3000 in 1997 before returning to Australia where he then raced the V8 Supercar series.

"When I first went out it was the acceleration but when you go through turn two you really realise how much acceleration you have. In comparison the V8 seems to labour up the mountain," Lowndes said. Button himself, was quite impressed with the V8 Supercar as well, especially since he didn’t expect as much grip from the big car as he actually got. Could Button be considering a career racing V8 Supercars when he finally decides to quit Formula 1? We’ll have to wait and see!