In recent weeks the question of where Jenson Button will be next season have been at the forefront of many of the rumours in the Formula One paddock but today those rumours were laid to rest when McLaren-Honda confirmed the Briton for the 2016 season.
2016 will mark Button’s 17th season in F1 and his seventh with the Woking based team; additionally it will mean he will become only the third driver in the history of the sport (after Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher) to surpass the 300 Grand Prix milestone.
Chairman and CEO Ron Dennis commented: “[Jenson’s] wealth of experience makes him a massively valuable asset to our team, hugely expert in all aspects of the 21st-century Formula 1 driver’s craft, he is also supremely fit and as super-fast as ever.”
When asked about his decision to not only stay at McLaren but in F1 in general Button stated: “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 [2010-2015], 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.
“Okay, 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.”
