Not only did he get to drive the track, he did it in both his Mercedes McLaren Formula 1 car and a Holden Commodore V8 Supercar as part of car swapping event with Australia’s Craig Lowndes.

Oh and he set what is unofficially the fastest lap time ever clocked at Mount Panorama in his Mercedes McLaren – a one minute, 48 seconds effort – as he averaged 207km/hr.

Not bad for a Mount Panorama virgin.

Listen to the interview with Jenson Button after he set the lap record.

He clocked that effort on what was his third ‘racing’ lap of the track, shaving four seconds off what he had recorded just moments earlier.

Button clearly enjoyed the moment, but there was one regret as he climbed out from behind the wheel – he wished he had more laps.

“As a race driver you are very competitive, you always want to get out there and do more laps and stick some more tyres on,” Button said.

“It is a real buzz, it is strange because it was a great experience driving here but I just want more, I want to go out and do more laps in both cars.

“I think if you actually had a bit more time here you’d do a 1:40, that is usually the difference between a V8 and the F1 car.

“I think you could get it down to a 1.40 here ... actually I think you could even possibly get into the 1.30s.

“But it doesn’t matter about the time, for me it is the experience.”

After guiding his Mercedes McLaren around the Mount, Button got his chance to drive Lowndes’ V8 Supercar.

While Button was faster in his F1 – by just one second – he said his V8 lap time of 2:17 was not that great compared to Lowndes’ 2:11 as he showed that competitive streak he spoke of.

Still, he clearly enjoyed the ride.

“There was a lot more grip than you’d actually imagine ... it was a lot more refined than I expected,” he said of the Holden.

“I was holding on tight ... it’s a special experience for me.

“Hopefully one day I can come back here and do it for proper because these guys [V8 Supercar drivers] obviously have a lot of fun.

“I have been racing Formula 1 now for 12 years and nothing else. I’d love to spend a full day with the [V8] car and learn more about the car. Here [Bathurst] is where I want to drive it.”

While Button’s competitive streak and immense talent showed yesterday, so too did his passion for motor sport. The former Formula 1 world champion experienced the same thrill that so many others have at Mount Panorama.

“That was just phenomenal, that was such a rush for me,” he said.

“Because it has some blind corners it takes a bit of getting used to but that is part of the rush – not knowing what is over the next

hill.

“Up the top there is nothing like it.

“I have driven most circuits in my career, it is just a pity I haven’t got more laps in my car because from about turn four onwards, if you get more confidence in the track, it will be flat the whole way through until you head back downhill.

“There is only one other circuit I have driven like this and that is Macau.

“People always used to talk about it, when we were in karting and lower formulas, going to Macau it is a great circuit up in the hills and it is very similar here, if not better.

“The camber changes down the hill is a great experience and something I haven’t driven for many, many years, a circuit like this, I suppose Monaco comes the closest.”