F1 champion Button takes first win at Goodwood Revival

Jenson Button scored his first Goodwood victory in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion sharing his Jaguar C-type with Alex Buncombe.

It took four years from his breathtaking historic debut at the 2021 Revival, but Button broke his Goodwood duck in style in Friday evening’s race for 1950s sportscars with best mate Buncombe.

In a one-hour race that rewarded complementary car control in dry then hideously slippery wet conditions, the Somerset men ran out comprehensive victors in Jenson’s bronze Jaguar C-type, blunted by a misfire while leading in 2023.

This was the result spectators craved, and stayed late to witness as dusk descended, and a heavy rainstorm made the airfield circuit treacherous.

“It was the worst I’ve ever experienced,” said GT and sports-prototype ace Buncombe, who took to the grass on the apex of Woodcote corner searching for grip and found more!

Having had a near miss while essaying to lap the Rettenmaier family’s Maserati 300S on the outside of St Mary’s middle sector, then deftly flicked left between it and Horatio Fitz-Simon’s Tojeiro-Bristol, top qualifier Alex could only breathe again as he fishtailed past the chequer. “It’s 12 years since I won in this car; now Jenson and I have done it together!”

As the union flag fell to start the glimpse into Goodwood’s Nine Hour races of 1952, 1953 and 1955, Bill Shepherd blasted his angular Ford Thunderbird ‘Battlebird’ through the barely wide enough slot between the C-types of polesitter Button and Nigel Webb to lead into Madgwick.

From third, young Theo Hunt, driving father Martin’s HWM-Jaguar VPA 8 for the first time, went with them. It took Button two laps to find a way past Shepherd, forging through a tight gap on the kink approaching St Mary’s. Thereafter, the 15-time grand prix winner pulled away from the inspired Hunt.

Behind Jenson and Theo, a compelling battle raged between the thunderous Battlebird, the diminutive Cooper-Climax T39 of Frenchman Felix Godard and Jack Rawles in Glen Cayley’s Austin-Healey 100S, to be finished by reigning British Touring Car champion Jake Hill.

“When we qualified 15th I was despondent,” said Rawles, “so Jake and I talked and decided that I would ‘send it’ on the opening lap.” The plan worked brilliantly, for the Hampshireman came round fifth, then jostled past Godard and Shepherd for third.

Following the mandatory 50-second minimum entry-to-exit pitsops, not even Hunt’s redoubtable partner Sam Hancock could erode Buncombe’s advantage as merely staying on the track – several didn’t – became difficult in the rain. Even Chris Ward, finishing Webb’s C-type, sampled the greensward when third looked within reach.

Hancock “thanked Theo every lap” for plumping a cushion that took away the pressure from behind. “I can’t believe finishing second to Jenson Button,” beamed Hunt afterwards.    

Hill, crouched low in the Healey, made third his as Romain Dumas wrestled the hulking Ford, but Ward passed the double Le Mans winner for fourth.

Ben Mitchell took over Scottish veteran John Clark’s Cooper Bobtail and – matching leader Buncombe’s times with the track at its worst – hustled it to sixth, and small capacity honours after Charles-Edouard Rousseau retired Godard’s impudent Cooper-Climax T39 in a cloud of steam.

Button will also race his Jaguar E-type in the RAC TT Celebration at Goodwood, sharing with Alex’s brother Chris. They will line up 19th for Sunday’s race for 1963-64 GTs.