Button in U-turn over retirement
McLaren pay Brit £12m to stay
JENSON BUTTON will take his Formula One career into a 17th season after McLaren confirmed that they have managed to talk him out of retiring.
The 35-year- old has reached agreement after months agonising about his future, and will earn £12million next year.
Button had even intimated after the Singapore Grand Prix that he was set to retire from the sport, before McLaren chairman Ron Dennis reassured him in a phone call last Thursday that his place was secure if he wanted it for another season.
‘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,’ said Button, who had previously lamented that there was ‘no joy’ in driving an uncompetitive car.
‘But I have been a McLaren driver for six seasons now, and I have got to know Ron very well. He and I have had some very good chats these past few weeks, and 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 confidence, and it is for that reason that he and I have decided to continue our partnership. As soon as I had made that decision, I realised it was the correct one.’
Keeping Button (below) is a massive tonic for McLaren, who have been struggling for decent performance f r om t heir Honda- supplied engines this year.
It remains to be seen whether Fernando Alonso, their Spanish driver, will go through with his veiled hints about retiring.
Even if the 34-year- old does go, McLaren will not be losing both their world championshipwinning drivers — an awful fate they were keen to avoid.
McLaren, whose results dictate they will receive a smaller slice of prize-money than they budgeted for, had hoped to keep Button at a figure less than the £12m he was contractually due in 2016 — a pre-arranged rise of about £4m on his 2015 salary. But their desperation to hold on to him ensures he gets his full upgrade.
Dennis said: ‘Jenson’s current contract is of two years’ duration (2015 and 2016). ‘There is a “terminate after year one” option that McLaren could have triggered, but, once it became clear that he remained as enthusiastic and as committed and 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.’