Jenson Button says he is expecting a "hugely emotional weekend" in Abu Dhabi as the race will mark his "retirement" from Formula 1 having competed in the sport for 17 seasons – almost half his life.
Although the Briton has refused to use the word "retirement", as he has an agreement in place to race for the team should he be needed, it seems unlikely Button will get behind the wheel of an F1 car competitvely again barring any unusual circumstances.
Therefore the weekend will likely be treated as a farewell and Button wants it to end on a high before he embarks on a "new chapter" in his life.
"I'm really looking forward to this weekend, and have been for a few races now," he said. "It marks a very special chapter in my life and I’ll have my friends and some of my family out in Abu Dhabi with me which I’m very excited about.
"It’s going to be a hugely emotional weekend and I hope with the support of the fans, the team and the people that are closest to me, we can go out there and give it our absolute maximum and enjoy the weekend.
"It’s not the end of my career with McLaren-Honda, but it’s the start of a new phase that I’m incredibly positive about.
"I’m looking forward to concluding this chapter in style and starting a new one with just as much enthusiasm, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds."
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