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Button lends name to new Honda Blancpain effort

Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button is linking up with the RJN Motorsport squad to field a Honda NSX GT3 in this year's Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup.

Gary Watkins

Edited: Feb 8, 2019, 1:35 PM

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Honda NSX GT3 Evo, Jenson Team Rocket RJN

Honda Super GT driver Button, who is an ambassador for the Japanese manufacturer, has partnered with the long-time Nissan team together with business partner Chris Buncombe under the 'Jenson Team Rocket RJN' banner.

It will enter a solo NSX GT3 Evo in the silver cup category of the five-race endurance segment of the Blancpain GT Series and has ambitions to field a second car in July's Spa 24 Hours.

The new venture revives the Rocket Motorsport name under which Button's father, John, ran his son in karting, as well as Lewis Hamilton, Will Stevens, Oliver Rowland and James Calado.

Reigning Super GT champion Button said: “It’s great to be a part of this exciting new chapter with RJN and to bring the Rocket name back into racing.

"I’m sure a number of current drivers remember Rocket from back in their karting days and I hope we can use this platform to help with new young talent in GT and endurance racing.

“As a Honda ambassador, I’m pleased to be a part of something that brings the Honda NSX to the Blancpain GT Series and I’m looking forward to seeing this project evolve”.

Buncombe, who raced for RJN in the early 2000s, is commercial director of the new operation. Drivers will be announced at a later date.

RJN is moving to Honda after the end of a 20-year relationship with Nissan.

It ran the winners of Nissan's gamer-to-racer GT Academy scheme, with the team's roster of drivers in 2018 including inaugural Academy winner Lucas Ordonez, who was released by Nissan at the end of last year.

RJN is the first team to commit to running an NSX in a full Blancpain programme.

The Honda made a solo appearance in the series last year at Spa with an entry from the Italian JAS organisation that developed the NSX GT3 (pictured below). Its drivers included ex-F1 racer Riccardo Patrese.

#30 Castrol Honda Racing Acura Honda NSX GT3: Riccardo Patrese, Loic Depailler, Bertrand Baguette, Esteban Guerrieri

Photo by: Marc Fleury

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