Jenson Button stuck in desert after Baja 1000 debut goes wrong!

Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button found himself stranded in the desert after a problem with his car forced him out of the Baja 1000. The offroad race took place in Mexico but Button had to sit out the racing as he and his co-driver, Terry Madden, waited for 17 hours to be rescued after the problem. 

“At mile 235 my co-driver and I heard a really loud clatter and lost drive, we had broken the differential, strange as all temps were good and we looked after the truck but hey this happens. The problem was we had found the most remote place to a breakdown which meant we spent the whole night and a total of 17 hours under the stars," Button was quoted by WTF1. 

“The only people we saw were other racers asking us to wipe their dirty light bars clean.

“Fuelled by energy bars and a fire that needed constant help as all we could find was twigs, Terry and I could just enjoy the moment of peacefulness by telling stories which always ended with “it’s Baja”.

“A life experience but not the one I expected, but I’ll take it.”

 

 

 

 

 

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We come away from the Baja1000 with a story to tell, not the one we wanted but a great Baja story all the same. Started well, past 5 moving trucks and then another 7-8 broken or crashed, found a really good rythym of looking after the truck when needed and hammering the fast flowing sections. At mile235 @terry_madden my co driver and I heard a really loud clatter and lost drive, we had broken the differential, strange as all temps were good and we looked after the truck but hey this happens, the problem was we had found the most remote place to breakdown which meant we spent the whole night and a total of 17hrs under the stars, the only people we saw were other racers asking us to wipe their dirty light bars clean fuelled by energy bars and a fire that needed constant help as all we could find was twigs Terry and I could just enjoy the moment of peacefulness by telling stories which always ended with “its Baja”. A life experience but not the one I expected but I’ll take it. . Big thanks to all our sponsors as without them the Baja1000 would not have been possible #skysportsf1 #mobil1 #esso #foxshocks #alpinestars #kchilites #dare2b #bfgoodrich #methodracewheels #dukeanddexter . Lastly big thanks to our small but awesome crew @chris_buncombe @mazfaw @terry_madden @dudeabiding Javiers and @marty.fiolka

A post shared by Jenson Button (@jensonbutton) on Nov 24, 2019 at 6:50pm PST

Both drivers were rescued and were unharmed. Button will be hoping for more success next time he tries racing off-road!