Editing Jenson Button (section)

== Karting career ==
Button's father gave him a 50cc bike for his seventh birthday; he discarded it after half an hour because it lacked speed, which would have required his father to remove its [[Restrictor plate|restrictor]],<ref name=InterviewTimes03/> and he disliked his father's idea of progressing to the 80cc category. John talked to rallycross driver and Ripspeed car accessories owner Keith Ripp at an [[Earl's Court]] racing car show about his son; Ripp recommended the purchase of a Zip [[go-kart]] suited for the newly formed Cadets class for eight to twelve year-old karters for the young boy. Button received the kart as a Christmas present in 1987 and he began [[Kart racing|karting]] at the Clay Pigeon Raceway in May 1988 aged eight following repeated questions by club members to his father on when Button would start racing.{{efn|Button drove go-karts for fun before someone suggested he race competitively.<ref name="earlysuccess">{{cite web|last=Donaldson|first=Gerald|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/drivers/hall-of-fame/Jenson_Button.html|title=Drivers / Hall of Fame / Jenson Button|publisher=Formula One|access-date=2 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008095715/https://www.formula1.com/en/drivers/hall-of-fame/Jenson_Button.html|archive-date=8 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> His father sold most of his possessions and opened a shop to fund his son's karting career.<ref name=Driving2017/>}}{{Sfnm|1a1=Button|1a2=Tremayne|1y=2002|1pp=27–28|2a1=Button|2y=2017|2pp=32–38}}

[[File:World Cup podium - 1996.jpg|thumb|right|Button (on the right) after finishing third at the 1996 Ayrton Senna Memorial Trophy]]

He was required to drive on [[Racing slick|slick tyres]] on a wet track because his father wanted him to learn car control on a sodden surface and taught him basic driving techniques by standing at a corner and pointing to where his son should brake.{{Sfn|Button|2017|pp=39–40}} In 1989, aged nine, Button won the British Super Prix.{{sfn|Chicane|2015|p=168}} Midway through the year, his father spoke to him about progressing to the club level since others noticed he was competitive, which Button was interested in.<ref name=BUTEarlyOn>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/rising-son-jenson-buttons-early-career|title=Rising son: Jenson Button's early career|last=Arron|first=Simon|date=17 January 2014|website=Motor Sport|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216222539/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/rising-son-jenson-buttons-early-career|archive-date=16 December 2019|access-date=16 December 2019}}</ref> He won all 34 races of the 1991 British Cadet Kart Championship and the title with team Wright Karts.<ref name="RFBio" /> Afterwards Button told his father his objective was to compete in F1 and he was given a map to chart his progress in karting. The two agreed to give each other more autonomy and Button was mentored by mechanic Dave Spencer in moving from the Cadets to Juniors class. Spencer told him to be more aggressive and less smooth driving Junior karts because they have more power than a Cadet kart. Button was also required to manage the condition of his tyres to retain [[Grip (auto racing)|grip]].{{Sfn|Button|2017|pp=57–60}}

Further successes followed, including three British Open Kart Championship wins.{{sfn|Raby|2007|p=37}} A series of sub-par performances in 1992 gave Button doubts over his ability to win races and he told his father he wanted to continue racing after dismissing the suggestion of two months away from karting. The family telephoned Spencer for advice; he and Button's father constructed the young boy's karts and influenced his school headteacher to change his fitness regime and had to eschew unhealthy beverages.{{Sfn|Button|2017|pp=70–74}} Spencer helped him to observe and concentrate on how others drove their karts, and continued to coach Button until his youngest son Danny died in a multi-kart accident at the Hunts Kart Racing Club in [[Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire]] in December 1994.{{Sfn|Button|2017|pp=76–81}}{{Sfn|Button|Tremayne|2002|p=42}}

Button was fourth in the 1994 RAC British Junior Championship after losing the opportunity to claim the title through a series of accidents. He joined the Birel team for that year's Junior Intercontinental A European Championship and raced as a professional in the Junior Intercontinental A Italian Winter Championship.<ref name="GPCOM1998" /><ref name=AF1Bio>{{Cite web|date=2004|title=Biography: Jenson Button (GBR)|url=http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2004/features/drivers/jbutton.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040613053006/http://www.atlasf1.com/news/2004/features/drivers/jbutton.html|archive-date=13 June 2004|access-date=15 August 2020|website=Atlas F1}}</ref> He was the youngest runner-up of the [[Karting World Championship|Formula A World Championship]] at age 15.<ref name="Indy1998">{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing-prolific-push-of-button-1189589.html|title=Motor racing: Prolific push of Button|last=Tremayne|first=David|date=6 December 1998|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=15 December 2019|author-link=David Tremayne|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215205854/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing-prolific-push-of-button-1189589.html|archive-date=15 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Button was signed to drive Tecno-Rotax karts for Team GKS, coming fifth in the 1996 European Formula A Championship, third in the Formula A World Cup,<ref name="GPCOM1998">{{Cite web|title=Jenson Button|url=https://www.grandprix.com/features/joe-saward/news-feature-jenson-button.html|last=Saward|first=Joe|author-link=Joe Saward|date=9 May 1998|publisher=GrandPrix.com|access-date=7 May 2020|archive-date=15 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115201053/https://www.grandprix.com/features/joe-saward/news-feature-jenson-button.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CIKBio" /> and third in the American Championship.<ref name=AF1Bio/> In 1997, he was moved to the top-level of karting Formula Super A by his team.<ref name="GPCOM1998" /> Button won the [[Ayrton Senna|Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup]] for finishing second in the 1997 Japanese World Cup,<ref name="GPCOM1998" /><ref name="AF1NBT">{{cite journal|last=Horton|first=Roger|title=Jenson Button: The Next Big Thing?|url=http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/jan19/horton.html|journal=Atlas F1|volume=6|number=3|date=19 January 2000|access-date=7 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621074255/http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/jan19/horton.html|archive-date=21 June 2009}}</ref> and became the youngest driver and first Briton to claim the [[CIK-FIA Karting European Championship|European Super A Championship]].{{sfn|Chicane|2015|p=168}}<ref name="AF1NBT" /> He also was runner-up in the Winter Cup before the European Super A Championship.<ref name=AF1Bio/>