Jenson Button looks set to be retained by McLaren-Honda beyond the 2015 season, despite team bosses clearly stating that the team’s immediate priorities do not include their future driver line-up.
Recently, when team supremo Ron Dennis was asked about the 2009 world champion’s future, he answered: “Jenson Button has a two-year contract with McLaren. We are not even thinking about drivers at the moment.”
While some took that to mean he is staying put, others noticed the ambiguity of the answer given that Button’s contract is a one-year deal plus a 2016 ‘option’.
A source confirmed that McLaren’s decision must be made by a certain date, after which Button will either be retained or free to move to another team such as Williams.
McLaren has two promising juniors, Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne, waiting in the wings, but it is believed the Woking team has been impressed with Button’s determination and performance this year alongside the equally highly-experienced Fernando Alonso.
When asked about the likely composition of McLaren’s 2016 lineup, team boss Eric Boullier told Speed Week in Hungary: “The driver question has no priority at the moment. Both drivers are under contract for 2016.”
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