Jenson Button signs with McLaren

Jenson Button has signed to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton in an all-English line-up at McLaren next season, BBC Sport has learned.

The world champion's move will be announced later on Wednesday.

The confirmation follows news that former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will not race in F1 next year.

The move leaves McLaren with one of the most exciting driver line-ups in F1 and Button facing arguably the toughest challenge of his career.

Button's former team Brawn, who have been taken over by Mercedes, made Button an offer, but the 29-year-old did not consider it acceptable.

His switch to means McLaren will be fielding the last two world champions in the same team, Hamilton having won the drivers' title in 2008.

Button's preference for McLaren is not solely to do with money, according to sources. He also believes it is the best option for his career.

After a poor start to the 2009 season, McLaren came back strongly in the second half of the year, while Brawn, after dominating the first third of the season, slipped back in competitiveness as the year went on.

Button's manager Richard Goddard was unavailable for comment.

Brawn emerged from the ashes of the former Honda team, after the Japanese company pulled out of F1 last winter.

Button took a pay cut last winter to help secure the team's future and they went on to win the world championship together in Brawn's debut season.

Now renamed Mercedes Grand Prix, the team have already signed the German Nico Rosberg as one of their drivers.

[news.bbc.co.uk]

Great! 2010 season is getting better and better everyday..

Kimi, so, Massa Fernando Sebastian is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?

The top teams will have some great drivers at this rate. FA and FM at Ferrari, LH and JB at McLaren, SV at RBR and Rosberg (probably) at Brawn! Pretty much all the drivers I regard as being at the top of the grid have a seat in a top team now.

Now renamed Mercedes Grand Prix, the team have already signed the German Nico Rosberg as one of their drivers.

That hasn't been announced yet, has it?

mclarenaustralia Wrote:
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> BBC Sport has learned.

I really hope they aren't still using Eddie Jordan's 'contacts'

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Nah, it's on F1-Live and most other sites now.

3 year deal by sounds of it.

I think he his mad tbh, Lewis will destroy him.

Next years car will already be built round Lewis and Button does not throw a car around like him. Shall be interesting to see how it goes.

I never ever thought we would see Button in a Mclaren.

What a dick. Worst move he could possibly make. Money grabbing fool.

Interesting prospect, though I struggle to find it an exciting one. Let's hope JB can raise his game a bit somehow.
I'm impressed by Jenson's attitude though, I have to say. It's pleasing to see him paying no attention to a lot of people who are effectively telling him "You'll never measure up to Lewis, so don't even bother going there".

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now on mclaren's site

[www.mclaren.com]

Will be a nice fight, I wonder who will win? John Button or Anthony Hamilton for best attention whore

LMAO

LOL!
No competition whatsoever in the girlfriend stakes. Jessica Michibata wins by a mile.

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Will be interesting to see how will Jenson keep up with Lewis but I think he will be crashed by a mile as I still dont think he is a top class driver.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2009 02:36PM by vesuvius.

With McLaren's policy, will Button be allowed to keep his beard?

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Bring back the racing

One thing Jenson could try if he wants a serious chance of beating Lewis is to play some mind-games and have a go at out-psyching Lewis off the track. Tough as hell, since McLaren is basically Team Lewis, but it's the kind of thing Jenson needs to do if he's to stand any chance of turning the tables on what we're all expecting to be a Lewis walkover. Not a nice thing to do either, but then again, if he's nice towards Lewis he'll get buried psychologically within a few races.
He has to go on the offensive.


antihero Wrote:
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> With McLaren's policy, will Button be allowed to
> keep his beard?

I'd imagine he will. Think rules like that have calmed down at Macca since Ron left.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2009 02:52PM by EC83.

Button is in a 3 year contract and is being paid 18m over the three years but that is expected to rise depending on his performance

they are my own words, dont quote me if im wrong lol

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"Arguing on the internet is like taking part in the Special Olympics...Even if you win you're still retarded"

superchargednut Wrote:
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> What a dick. Worst move he could possibly make.
> Money grabbing fool.

I love these Kimi fanboys.
Never mind you'll grow up one day.

I dont think Button is that type of person.

I dont think he will be allowed to keep his beard, remember Alonso used to look tidy at mclaren. They were in the Ron days though.

matt Wrote:
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> superchargednut Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What a dick. Worst move he could possibly make.
> > Money grabbing fool.
>
> I love these Kimi fanboys.
> Never mind you'll grow up one day.


Er, eh?

If you look in the Kimi thread you'll notice I called him a greedy bastard too.

But in this situation, it's pretty much certain that Button will get crushed by Lewis next year, and the only reason he's gone to McLaren is because they'll pay him what he wants.

YOU GETS?

Wish I could find the posts I made last season about Jenson moving to Mclaren when Honda went kaput - and the uproar I got from it! :P

This is a brilliant move - in all honesty, whoever says it is silly is kidding themselves.

McLaren are an established team. They won races and championships before Mercedes. They won them with Mercedes. Mercedes on their own are unknown, all we do know is that as Brawn they were excellent, but have much less experience to drawn from.

I think a lot of this must be on Jenson's own motivation and the fact people still question his WDC status - that must infuriate him! Imagine getting all A's in your exam results and the only thing you get is 'ohh, the papers were easier this year'. Barely a 'Well Done', just negativity from others toning down your own actual achievement.

I reckon Jenson picked Mclaren for good reasons - they will be solid. Almost sure of it, the resources they have and the infrastructure. He will have MASSIVE public backing and support, even more now it is an all British team. That itself will boost his confidence. Lewis and Jenson 'get on'. Another peace of mind.

And the prospect of fighting Lewis - if Lewis beats him hand down, then fair enough. It will just go to show how good Lewis is, but Jenson still won the 2009 WDC above any other driver. I think one driver did very well, as opposed to 17 others performing worse all season.

This really is a good move. And if Lewis does wipe the floor, as people suggest, surely it is better to be wiped to the floor by a champion in his own team, than by a young German in a German team... YOUR team!?

I cannot wait for next season! :D


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it