The 2009 Formula 1 world champion will follow in the footsteps of his father John when he switches codes to rallycross this year, joining fellow Briton Oliver Bennett in racing under the Xite Energy banner.
The Nitro RX series, whose X-Games star founder Travis Pastrana beat ex-F1 racer Scott Speed to the 2021 title, will expand significantly for its second season with a separate class for the FC1-X in addition to the combustion-powered Supercars.
Having staged a US-only calendar last season, the 2022-23 campaign will feature three European events and kick off at Lydden Hill on 18-19 June.
Button sampled the Olsbergs MSE and QEV Technologies-developed FC1-X for the first time at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona last week, and labelled the two-day test “a really good experience”.
“It was a lot of fun and loads of power,” he said.
“The car feels very like the old Group B [rally] cars, with stupid amounts of power which can be difficult to control.
“I think that’ll be the big thing, learning to drive and turn a car with so much power, trying to keep it straight when it just wants to go sideways!”
Button, who competed in the first Extreme E event last year in Saudi Arabia with his own JBXE squad before vacating the cockpit for Kevin Hansen, said he'd benefitted from rallycross regular Bennett's input during the test which included wet running on Thursday.
As well as racing in XE with Xite, Bennett competed in Nitro RX last year with a Mini Supercar.
“Oli and I have been talking a lot over the last couple of days on how we’re driving the lap, using the handbrake and the lines in the wet,” he said.
“It was mostly tarmac, so I was helping him with the lines and he was helping me with the dirt driving. He was talking me through how sideways to be; what’s quick, what isn’t and where to turn in.
“On tarmac, it’s easy to pick your turn-in point, but on dirt the car doesn’t react so quickly, so you have to turn in much earlier and it feels like you’re going to crash into the apex – but you don’t.
“It’s been a good learning curve over the past two days. I drove the Lites and RX2E car as well, which helped get my eye in and understand the rallycross car more.
“We know there’s set-up work to be done with the car, but this is a great product and a great starting point.”
