Button Eyes Longer Stay At McLaren

Despite earlier links with a potential team switch, Jenson Button has now indicated he wants to stay at McLaren for the long term.

Jenson Button, McLaren Mercedes

Photo by: xpb.cc

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh at the Nurburgring refused to say if the 31-year-old's 2012 contract option would be taken up, but indicated that McLaren wants to hold onto Button as well as Lewis Hamilton.

Button, the 2009 world champion, has made noises recently about Ferrari, but he has now told Spain's Marca sports newspaper that he would like to end his career at McLaren.

"Yes, as I said at the beginning of the year in China, I don't think those were my exact words but for me being at a team that has won many titles and can win the championship is exactly what I want.

"After winning the championship I want to be with a team that always gives me the opportunity to fight for it and this (McLaren) is one of them," said Button, who will start his 200th grand prix in Hungary this weekend.

And the Briton indicated that he has no plans to retire any time soon.

"I was thinking (that) if I did four more years in Formula One I would be 35 and I would retire from racing. I mean, what the hell am I going to do at 35?" he said.