Formula 1 driver Jenson Buttton feels it will be “very special” to compete at the Olympic Stadium this weekend.

He is among the participants in the Race of Champions, a two-day event that pits drivers from different motor sport disciplines against each other in a variety of vehicles.

“We’ve been to Wembley before, which is pretty awesome to experience,” said the 2009 world champion.

“We’ve also been to the Bird’s Nest in China which is a lot of fun but coming here, it’s a step above the rest.

“I’m sure we all watched the Olympics in 2012 and we’ve all got very special memories from it so it’s great to be able to race in this venue.

“As a Formula 1 driver we race in some fantastic races around the world and experience different cultures but we are not part of the Olympics so this is very special.”

Tomorrow evening will see the drivers pair up for the Nations Cup, currently held by Team Scandanavia.

Le Mans driver Tom Kristensen, one half of the reigning champions, said that the 564m track is a contrast to the 13km circduit he is used to.

“Basically you don’t have any real practice, you go out in the car and you drive a few metres and you’re at the starting grid,” he said.

“It’s very much a sprint, so everything is very different to what we normally do.”

Thousands of motor sport fans are expected to visit Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park tomorrow and Saturday to catch a glimpse of their idols in action.