The 2009 F1 World Champion has been linked to a Suzuka 1000km drive since last year, and fresh off the back of his one-off outing for McLaren in Monaco it’s been confirmed that he’ll race a Team Mugen NSX-GT at the 46th and final running of the Suzuka event.

“After driving an NSX Concept-GT at the Honda Racing Thanks Day last December, I became interested in racing in Super GT,” said Button.

“I spoke with Honda and they have given me the chance to race at the Suzuka 1000km. As an F1 driver and a member of Team Mugen, I will push to win.

“I am very much looking forward to racing in front of my Japanese fans again.”

Button will be joined in the GT500 car by Hideki Mutoh and Daisuke Nakajima.

“Jenson is an extremely talented and experienced driver, and we hope he will have a great race,” added Team Mugen director Nagataka Tezuka.

“Hideki Mutoh, Daisuke Nakajima, and Jenson Button is an exciting and formidable driver line-up and we are confident Team Mugen will be able to show its best performance at the final ever Suzuka 1000km.”

Button will test the NSX-GT for the first time at Suzuka during a tyre test on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

Last year the Englishman's fellow McLaren reserve Oliver Turvey participated in Super GT for Honda, and claimed pole position for the Suzuka 1000km in a rare recent high in the series for the manufacturer.

Honda has struggled in Super GT compared to rivals Nissan and Lexus, and has not won a race since September 2015.

Lexus drivers have won all three races so far in 2017, with Honda’s best result of second at the last round at Autopolis its first podium of the year.

This season, Mutoh and Nakajima have scored points once - a ninth in the season opener at Okayama - and lie 17th in the championship.