YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi -- Jenson Button's final race before his sabbatical and probable retirement from Formula One ended after just 12 laps in Abu Dhabi.
Having started 12th, Button had moved up to seventh position in the early stages at Yas Marina before his right suspension failed coming into the final chicane. The English driver crawled back to the pit lane to retire, climbing onto the front of his car and waving to the fans in the grandstand opposite -- who were giving the 2009 world champion a standing ovation.
After pulling into the garage, a disbelieving Button laughed to himself and said: "We've never had a failure like that before...." Having climbed out of his car, he hugged his mother in the garage before being given an ovation by McLaren's mechanics.
Button is stepping away from Formula One next season and, despite an option to return with McLaren in 2018, he said this weekend he is treating this race as the last one of his career.
Following the retirement, McLaren tweeted a farewell message to the popular Brit:
Not the ending we'd all hoped for, as JB retires from the #AbuDhabiGP. What an absolute legend, a gentleman to the end. #ThankYouJenson pic.twitter.com/r7gRt18SWs
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) November 27, 2016