While the team have been effusive in their praise about the 2009 world
champion, he is not a confirmed driver for 2015. Button also has a wretched
record at Silverstone – he has never been on the podium – with a best result
of fourth in 2004 and 2010.
The 34-year-old, who will wear a specially-designed helmet in tribute to his
father, is looking forward to the lift from the support in the grandstands.
He has launched a ‘Pink for Papa’ T-shirt aimed at raising money for the Henry
Surtees Foundation, an organisation set up by former world champion John
Surtees, in memory of his son Henry, to assist and support people with
injuries caused by accidents.
An initial 1,000 pink T-shirts were made – in homage to the shirt John Button
traditionally wore on race days – but that has been upped to 5,000 due to
demand. They are on sale this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and
at Silverstone.
“It is great to see and great for the family to see so much support,” he said.
“It means a lot to my family and my dad as well. We have sold out of the
first lot of T-shirts at the team and we have a new batch coming.
“I have had so many emails and pictures of people wearing pink T-shirts and
that’s great because a lot of money goes to the Henry Surtees Foundation for
head injuries and trauma which is basically what I lost my dad to, so that
is important to me.
“I have also said that if they cannot afford a pink shirt then they can wear
something pink. A woman said that she had pink hair and did that work? I
said: ‘Yeah, the more the merrier with pink hair, that’s wicked’. There has
been a lot of support which has been great.”