Jenson Button has provided a firm rebuttal to any speculation that he is being positioned to replace Martin Brundle at Sky Sports F1.
The former F1 world champion took the unusual step of responding on Monday night to a social media post which claimed that Brundle will be on air for fewer races in 2026, and that Button was being positioned as his likely long-term replacement.
Brundle himself had earlier responded to the same message on Monday – describing it as “utter clickbait nonsense” and making it clear that his 16-race schedule for 2026 is the same as the one he had in 2025, and in previous years before that.
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He said: “I’ve done 16 races per year for a good while now and continue to do so. In fact with the cancellations I am at 15 of the remaining 19 races this season, subject to world events of course, as always.”
Button responds to Brundle replacement rumours
Later in the evening, Button added his weight to put an end to any nonsense rumours, explaining: “I am not positioned to replace Martin, he’s the man when it comes to commentary and insights.”
Button then added: “As much as I love jumping in when Martin is taking a well deserved break I wouldn’t want to do more as I’ve got enough going on!”
Finally, Jenson spoke about the huge respect and admiration he holds for Brundle as he told his 2.7million fans on X: “Nobody should be replacing Martin until he decides he’s had enough. I’ve listen to Martin in comms since I started in the sport and love his knowledge, insights and work ethic.”
The 66-year-old Brundle is one of the sport’s most loved and respected broadcasters, and very much still at the peak of his powers. He is also of course something of a cult hero for his famed grid walks.
Having both Brundle and Button at their disposal gives Sky a formidable combo of F1 driving expertise behind the mic, and it appears that will not be changing any time soon.
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