Jenson Button says he almost rejoined Williams for the 2017 season, which would have seen him replace Valtteri Bottas instead of Felipe Massa, who came out of retirement to partner Lance Stroll when Bottas got his late deal to race for Mercedes.
Button began his career with the British outfit back in 2000 where he finished eighth in the standings and he completed a single season before moving to Benetton, with a best finish of fifth in Germany.
Speaking to CNN, Button revealed that he had several conversations with Williams throughout his career about a possible return, including the most recent one ahead of the current season when he stepped aside from his McLaren seat.
Button, however, emphasised that the time was right to retire, following 17 consecutive seasons in the sport.
"I’ve almost rejoined Williams I think three times, four times," said Button. "I spoke to Williams about racing this year, a couple of times.
"I spoke to them last year and I spoke to them this year as well. It’s a great team but just for me, it was time [to stop]."
When asked if he could replace Massa in 2018 if the Brazilian chose to re-retire, Button simply replied: "No."
Button made a one-off comeback at the Monaco GP this year when Fernando Alonso raced in the Indianapolis 500. Button retired from the race after contact with Pascal Wehrlein.
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