Despite claiming six race wins, four pole positions and nine fastest laps — and sealing his first and only Formula 1 world title with victory in Brazil — the former British driver has not picked the BGP 001 as the finest car of his career.

Instead, his choice fell on the McLaren MP4-26, the machine he drove during his second season with the Woking outfit alongside Lewis Hamilton, a campaign that ended with Button finishing runner-up in the world championship.

“The best car for me was the 2011 McLaren. I would say it was the best car I ever drove in F1,” he said in conversation with motorsport.com

In 2011, Button was ultimately beaten only by the technical superiority of Red Bull Racing and Sebastian Vettel, yet he still enjoyed a highly successful season, taking three victories — including the iconic rain-soaked win in Canada — and racking up an impressive twelve podium finishes.

Button’s spell at McLaren went on until 2016, but, like Fernando Alonso, he ultimately found himself caught out by the troubled McLaren–Honda partnership — a combination that proved far from harmonious and left both drivers languishing towards the back of the field for several seasons.

The Briton made one final appearance in Formula 1 at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2017, stepping in as a stand-in for Alonso — a cameo that remains his last outing in the sport to this day.

Button also ranked the BAR Honda among the best cars he ever drove, having scored an impressive ten podium finishes with it despite racing in an era dominated by Ferrari and Michael Schumacher.