Jenson Button Drags F1 Media For ‘Clickbait’ Comments About Alonso’s Retirement
If there is one thing Formula 1 fans love more than a photo finish, it’s a bit of off-track drama. Typically, that drama occurs between drivers competing for a championship or team principals debating over budget caps. But this week, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button found himself in a skirmish with the media itself, and honestly? We are kind of living for the sass.
It all started when Button, who has been enjoying his retirement doing everything from endurance racing to punditry, gave a seemingly wholesome interview about his former teammate, Fernando Alonso. But because the internet is the internet, those comments were twisted into something unrecognizable, forcing Button to step in and set the record straight publicly.
The Clickbait Trap
Here is the situation: Jenson Button did an interview with Sky F1. The conversation naturally drifted toward Fernando Alonso. It makes sense; Alonso is the grid’s elder statesman, a two-time champion, and a former teammate of Button’s during those painful McLaren-Honda years.
Button was reflecting on life after F1, specifically the joy of fatherhood. He mentioned that seeing Alonso start a family would be amazing because of the specific pride that comes from watching your kids succeed. It was a sentimental take from a guy who has been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.
However, the outlet PlanetF1 ran with a headline that suggested something entirely different. They framed it as Button telling Alonso to “hurry up” and retire. The implication was that Button was nudging the Spaniard out the door, which is a pretty wild take considering Alonso is still driving the wheels off that Aston Martin.
What Jenson Button Actually Said
Let’s look at the actual context, stripped of the sensationalism. Button wasn’t analyzing Alonso’s lap times or criticizing his reaction speeds. He was talking about the emotional shift that happens when you become a parent.
Button told Sky F1 that he would love to see “a bunch of little Fernandos running around.” His point was that while winning a World Championship is an incredible high, watching your child jump into a go-kart creates an emotion that might even surpass lifting a trophy.
He explicitly said, “It’s great that he’s still competing and he’s still so competitive.” That doesn’t sound like a man trying to force his friend into a nursing home. It sounds like a friend saying, “Hey, this other part of life is really cool, and I hope you get to experience it too.”
Hitting Back on Social Media
Usually, drivers—even retired ones—ignore the tabloids. It’s part of the gig. But Jenson Button wasn’t having it this time. In a move that delighted fans tired of misleading headlines, Button replied directly to the publication on X (formerly Twitter).
He didn’t mince words, calling it a “Typical Clickbait Headline.” He clarified his stance immediately: “I never said Fernando should retire… it was an interview about how good he still is and how having kids gives you a new sense of achievement.”
It was a refreshing moment of transparency. In an era where AI-generated slop and rage-bait dominate our feeds, seeing a high-profile figure call out a publication for misrepresenting his words feels like a small victory for media literacy.
Alonso’s Future at Aston Martin
The irony of this whole “retirement” narrative is that Fernando Alonso doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Despite being 43, he’s locked in with Aston Martin through the end of the 2026 season.
Sure, the car hasn’t been a rocket ship lately. Aston Martin finished a disappointing seventh in the constructors’ standings recently, and Alonso hasn’t stood on the top step of the podium in over a decade. But with design genius Adrian Newey joining the Silverstone squad and Honda coming onboard as an engine partner for the new 2026 regulations, the project is just getting interesting.
Alonso has admitted that his future depends on how he feels physically and mentally. If the 2026 car is a beast, he might stick around. If it’s a tractor, he might finally call it a day. But that decision is going to be made by Fernando, not by a headline, and certainly not because Jenson Button thinks he needs to go change diapers.
The Human Side of Racing
At the end of the day, this little dust-up reminds us that these guys are human beings. We get so caught up in the stats—425 race starts, 32 wins, pole positions—that we forget they have lives outside the cockpit.
Jenson Button was trying to share a human moment about the transition from being a selfish competitor to a selfless parent. He was projecting a future where the Alonso racing dynasty continues through the next generation. It was a compliment to Alonso’s longevity and a wish for his personal happiness.
It is a shame that sentiment got buried under a desire for clicks, but at least we got to see Button fire back. Hopefully, we do get to see those “little Fernandos” on track one day. But until then, the big Fernando seems perfectly happy making life difficult for drivers half his age.
