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Jenson Button ‘happy’ he will remain at McLaren next season Jenson Button ‘happy’ he will remain at McLaren next season
(35 minutes later)
Jenson Button’s future at McLaren appears assured as the team draw ever closer to announcing their driver line-up for next season. Jenson Button’s future at McLaren appears assured as the team draw ever closer to announcing their driver lineup for next season.
Despite retiring from Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix and failing to be classified at the end of a race for the first time in two years, the 34-year-old showed no qualms when asked about his fate for 2015.Despite retiring from Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix and failing to be classified at the end of a race for the first time in two years, the 34-year-old showed no qualms when asked about his fate for 2015.
Button said: “I’m not worried in any way about that. I’m pretty happy I’ll be here next year, and I feel I’m doing a good job right now. Button said: “I’m not worried in any way about that. I’m pretty happy I’ll be here next year, and I feel I’m doing a good job right now. I just have to sort Saturdays [qualifying] a bit more. I’ve been a bit unlucky and not got the best out of it every weekend, which annoys me more than anything else, but I’ll get there.”
“I just have to sort Saturdays (in qualifying) a bit more. I’ve been a bit unlucky and not got the best out of it every weekend, which annoys me more than anything else, but I’ll get there.” The team’s racing director, Eric Boullier, has revealed talks between himself and the McLaren Group CEO, Ron Dennis, are moving on apace. Earlier this month Dennis promised a definitive decision would be announced by the end of the season, which climaxes in Abu Dhabi on 23 November.
The racing director, Eric Boullier, has revealed talks between himself and the McLaren Group CEO, Ron Dennis, are moving on apace. “We make progress every day, although there is absolutely no plan to announce anybody yet,” Boullier said. “It’s down to Ron and I, but Ron has the last call as the owner and chairman of the company, although when it comes to protocol it is the board that has the last call.
Earlier this month Dennis promised a definitive decision would be announced by the end of the season in Abu Dhabi in eight weeks’ time. “But Ron and I generally agree. On this subject [of the drivers] we are quite transparent and open together. We have our view, and have some preferences in the timing, but we are OK on what we expect, what we want, where we want to go, and it’s working OK.”
“We make progress every day, although there is absolutely no plan to announce anybody yet,” said Boullier. “It’s down to Ron and I, but Ron has the last call as the owner and chairman of the company, although when it comes to protocol it is the board that has the last call. With Honda coming on board as power-unit supplier next year, with the Japanese manufacturing giant replacing Mercedes, Button is already looking ahead to the difficulties likely to be faced. “I know Honda will be giving everything to be competitive from the word go,” Button said. “But Formula One is so competitive now, and Mercedes have done a great job. It’s always going to be tricky to challenge someone like that who already have the experience of the engine. There will definitely be a learning curve.”
“But Ron and I generally agree. On this subject (of the drivers) we are quite transparent and open together. We have our view, and have some preferences in the timing, but we are okay on what we expect, what we want, where we want to go, and it’s working okay.”
With Honda coming on board as power-unit supplier next year, with the Japanese manufacturing giant replacing Mercedes, Button is already looking ahead as to the difficulties likely to be faced.
“I know Honda will be giving everything to be competitive from the word go,” said Button. “But Formula One is so competitive now, and Mercedes have done a great job. It’s always going to be tricky to challenge someone like that who already have the experience of the engine. There will definitely be a learning curve.”