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Jenson Button's first event after stepping back from Formula 1 at the end of 2016 will be next month's Race of Champions in Miami.

Abu Dhabi's F1 season finale was Button's last as a race driver with McLaren, although the team has left the door ajar for a return in 2018, after making 305 starts with Williams, Benetton/Renault, BAR/Honda, Brawn GP and the Woking outfit since 2000.

The 2009 world champion has joined the list of drivers set to tackle the annual event, which is being held in North America for the first time on January 21-22, along with fellow grand prix winner David Coulthard.

"It is always a great event with a special atmosphere," Button, who has five RoC starts to his name, said.

"You get to race against the best drivers from all over the world and we enjoy our time both on and off the track as we meet old friends from all the different motor sport series.

"The main thing is that everyone wants to put on a good show for the fans, and we only pretend to play it cool before giving it everything when we're revving up the cars on the line."

Coulthard won the event in 2014, and will do battle with a line-up including Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa, IndyCar's Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Tony Kanaan and nine-times Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen.

"I was proud to win it a couple of years ago, beating off drivers who I'll admit are younger and more talented than me," Coulthard said.

"But that's the nature of the knockout system. You also get a chance to compare your driving with a wide range of different drivers from all over the world in a lot of different vehicles, while having fun out of the car."