Jenson Button confirmed today he will continue to race for McLaren next year, ending any speculation that the 35-year-old would retire at the end of the season.
It was widely reported last week that Button was considering his future and may have called time on his racing career after the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend.
McLaren Chief Executive, Ron Dennis, reiterated that the driver had signed a two year deal which one finish in 2016 and that the team were happy for him to see it through.
"There is a ‘terminate after year one’ option that McLaren could have triggered if we had wished to do so,” Dennis said, “but, once it became clear from my many conversations with Jenson that he remained as enthusiastic and as committed and as focused as ever, that option immediately became an irrelevance.
"That being the case, Jenson will race for McLaren-Honda next year, under the terms and conditions as set out in the two-year contract that both parties entered into a year ago.
“As I say, I am extremely pleased. Jenson is the most experienced driver currently racing in Formula 1 and next season he is due to become only the third driver in Formula 1 history to pass the milestone of 300 Grands Prix.
“But, although that wealth of experience makes him a massively valuable asset to our team, hugely expert in all aspects of the 21st-century Formula One driver’s craft, he is also supremely fit and as super-fast as ever.”
Button will now see out his contract and put spoke to McLaren's website about his future after reports about his retirement emerged.
“Over the past month or so I have done quite a lot of thinking, and it is no secret that I was at one point in two minds about my future.
"But I have been a McLaren driver for six seasons now and in that time I have got to know Ron very well. He and I have had some very good chats these past few weeks, and during those chats it has become clear to me that Ron is both utterly determined and uniquely equipped to lead our team through its current difficulties to great successes in the future.
“That gives me great confidence, and it is for that reason that, together, he and I have decided to continue our partnership; and, as soon as I had made that decision, straight away I realised it was the correct one.” There had been a feeling that Button had become disillusioned with the beleaguered team’s displays in a season in which he has scored only six points from 13 races."
He added: “OK, granted, this year has not been an easy one for us, but we know what we need to do to improve things and, in collaboration with Honda, we will work extremely hard over the next weeks and months in order to make sure that 2016 will be a much better season than 2015 has been. I can’t wait.”
McLaren-Honda confirms @JensonButton will race for the team in 2016. Full story here: http://t.co/1pB6ecAfr4 pic.twitter.com/7gXJj7v8Ey
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 1, 2015
Via Guardian Sport
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