Jenson Button might be best known as a former world champion racing driver, but when HELLO! meets him in Malibu for this exclusive shoot, it’s more a case of committed family man than Formula One star.
In July, the driver, who has been based in California for the past decade, announced his intention to step away from full-time racing to spend more time with his family. He competed in Formula One for 16 years before switching to other forms of motorsport in 2016.
"It's time," he says. "I've had a great career. I'm still healthy, and there are so many things I still want to do, but I feel I've got the balance wrong. I've been away too much; I've travelled too much. I've had to, for work, but that’s why I’m retiring from racing, so we can have this new start with the kids and we can spend more time together as a family. The kids are growing. I feel like I’m missing a lot.
© Christopher Sturman"I'm 45 already. It's flown by; it's been insane. But this point in my life is going to be the best part of my life. And I'm very, very excited."
The kids are growing. I feel like I’m missing a lot... But this point in my life is going to be the best part. And I'm very, very excited."
Happily ever after
Frome-born Jenson radiates happiness as he is joined by his wife of three years, Brittny, 35, and their two children, Hendrix, six, and Lenny, four. With their nanny on a break, the couple take turns to juggle the children, negotiating gently with bites of strawberry cake and a promised dip in the pool after they’ve posed for pictures.
But it wasn’t always this effortless, Coachbuilt Whisky boss Jenson admits. "The first six months [after having their eldest] weren’t easy for me. I loved Hendrix to bits – I didn’t want to put him down – but there are so many days that go by, and it’s just monotonous and it’s tough.
"I'm so proud of Brittny for being an amazing mum and helping me become a better dad. When you're racing as a driver in F1, you’re very selfish; you have to be. And that shift from being the most selfish person you can be, to having a family – it’s tricky," he continues.
© Christopher Sturman"With how open Brittny is, it’s been very useful to talk about things that are an issue. Being British, especially a British guy, we’re not very good at that, so having an American wife has definitely opened my eyes. It helped me through those days that were a little bit more difficult."
For Brittny, a former model turned interior designer, this next chapter of their lives together couldn’t have come at a better time. "He's really missing out on waking up with our kids every day," she says. "We really don’t get to spend a whole lot of time [together], but for now, we just deal with it and know that next year, we’ll hopefully be a little calmer.
I'm so proud of Brittny for being an amazing mum and helping me become a better dad. When you're racing as a driver in F1, you’re very selfish; you have to be.
"I think that our love matures and changes. It's give and take, and learning. When you’re with a racing driver, when all they’ve had to do is focus on themselves… it's a big transition for him, so with me just being patient, we’re maturing together. I have had to mature a lot.
"Our life can probably seem really glamorous, but at the end of the day, we’re just normal people and we have problems, just like everyone else," Brittny - who is the founder of Button Atelier - adds.
© © Christopher Sturman"We bicker, we get stressed with one another. But at the end of the day, family is everything. He is such a wonderful husband and father. I definitely kissed a few frogs in my early twenties, but now I come home to someone and he feels like home. We have to be grateful every day."
To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps
