It will not be the first time the two F1 legends have raced at COTA. Button raced there five times from 2012 onwards with a best finish of fifth, while Räikkönen’s final grand prix victory came at the Austin track when he defeated Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to win the US Grand Prix in 2018.
The 2007 F1 champion’s race in 2022 was not his first NASCAR appearance. The Finn took part in Xfinity and Truck Series races back in 2011, during his F1 sabbatical.
Speaking of his US stock car racing debut Button said: "Stepping away from F1 gave me the opportunity to try different series that excited me. I raced Super GT in Japan. I raced at Le Mans. I raced off-road because it was another skill to learn.
"You put yourself in a slightly vulnerable position because it’s not your complete skill set, and there’s still more to learn to be as good as the best.
"I love that challenge of driving new things. It’s slightly out of my comfort zone, and I found that out with off-road trucks.
“Obviously, racing a Cup car is very different than what I’m used to. It’s a lot heavier with a lot less power and, basically, no downforce.
"It’s got a sequential gearbox where you need to blip the throttle, so there’s lots of stuff to learn in a very short space of time.
“But I just get excited about that new challenge, and when I throw myself into something, I am 100% in. I’m not just doing it for fun in some one-off.
“I want to be competitive, and I know that to be competitive, it’s going to take a bit of time. That’s why doing these three races works very well this season.”