TEAM MUGEN director Nagataka Tezuka announced today that McLaren-Honda driver Jenson Button will join the team for a one-off race in the SUPER GT Series in the GT500 class. Button will drive a Honda NSX-GT at the 46th International SUZUKA 1000km August 27, which is Round 6 of the SUPER GT series at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. The announcement means that TEAM MUGEN will race with three drivers including regular drivers Hideki Muto and Daisuke Nakajima.

The 2009 Formula One World Champion will take the opportunity to drive the TEAM MUGEN NSX-GT for the first time at Suzuka Circuit during two days of testing June 6-7. The Suzuka 1000km is the longest running car race in Japan, held annually since 1966. 2017 will be the last time Suzuka will host the race.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to race a NSX-GT at the prestigious Suzuka 1000km. Last year in December, I really enjoyed driving the NSX Concept GT at Honda Racing Thanks Day, and since then have been itching to drive it in a championship race,” Said Jenson Button. “Thankfully when I approached Honda to race in SUPER GT they thought it was a great idea. I am grateful for this opportunity and am very much looking forward to racing in front of my Japanese fans again. See you guys at Suzuka in June!”

“We are delighted to confirm that Jenson will be driving for TEAM MUGEN in the Suzuka 1000km,” said Nagataka Tezuka, Director, TEAM MUGEN. “He is an extremely talented and experienced driver, and we hope he will have a great race. Hideki Muto, Daisuke Nakajima and Jenson Button is an exciting and formidable driver line-up and we are confident TEAM MUGEN will be able to show its best performance at the final ever Suzuka 1000km.”

“Welcome Jenson to the SUPER GT series,” said Katsuhide Moriyama, Operating Officer, Chief Officer, Brand and Communication Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. “It will be pleasure to see him driving the NSX-GT and I wish him an enjoyable race. We really hope Jenson’s challenge will encourage many fans to come to Suzuka and enjoy the last ever Suzuka 1000km.”