Button set to join Hamilton at McLaren

Reuters - Tue, 17 Nov 08:28:00 2009

Formula One world champion Jenson Button has reportedly agreed terms on a three-year deal with McLaren which would see him team up with fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton.

2009 Formula 1 Hamilton Button - 0

The Guardian's long-standing F1 reporter Alan Henry, who has close connections with McLaren, said he could sign a contract within days.

He said the deal would be worth £6 million a year to 29-year-old Button.

There was no immediate comment from the Woking-based team or the driver's management.

Button was given a guided tour of the McLaren factory last Friday. If the deal goes through, Button would almost double his current salary and partner Hamilton, his predecessor as world champion, in all-English line-up at the Mercedes-powered team.

Button won this year's championship with Brawn GP and is looking for an increase in salary, having taken a pay-cut when Ross Brawn set up the concern out of the ashes of Toyota's factory operation.

That team will become Mercedes GP next season after a takeover was announced on Monday.

Brawn chief executive Nick Fry said on Monday that he hoped a deal could still be done with the driver but made clear that the Mercedes' takeover did not mean the team would now throw more money at him.

"We've had discussions with Jenson which we think are a sensible salary and this is not going to change anything in that respect," he told BBC radio.

"I hope Jenson will be with us next season, we've worked together for a good few years now and succeeded in winning a World Championship together," he added.

"We want Jenson to be with us but we have to recognise that Formula One is not divorced from the rest of the world.

"We work within a budget and if we spend the money in one area, we can't spend it in another."

Reuters

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  1. 'Well if­ your interested Pat Symonds who was with­ Renault(still­ is) has booked the Vine house next week,­ i know the day­ and you dont.'

    Ner ner na ner­ ner!

    Well whoop a de doodle do,the queen is at­ Buckingham Palace that week and we have arranged a­ little something so I'll pass on the vine house­ thanks

    From paulhancock1123, on Wed 18 Nov 6:57AM
  2. Both Hamilton and Button end in the letters­ "ton." Perhaps there would be some cost­ savings on the teams lettering expenses.

    From fishblue6, on Wed 18 Nov 2:52AM
  3. button is a hamster eating machine

    From Burt, on Wed 18 Nov 1:27AM
  4. Peter,
    You are of less than average intelligence or of­ higher than average evil.
    Are you acquainted with Mr­ Laurence Kirk?

    From C3p0, on Wed 18 Nov 12:31AM
  5. Im glad he did leeroy....Im also glad you enjoy smoking­ the steam off my sh it.

    From Boff, on Wed 18 Nov 12:28AM
  6. If Button had a daughter do you think he would name her­ "cuteasa?"

    From fishblue6, on Wed 18 Nov 12:07AM
  7. Button is a average driver, the true hurts­ "LEEROY"

    From l, on Wed 18 Nov 12:04AM
  8. no leeroy , you got stopped for smoking the steam off­ my sh it.... Whats up son.. not used to how the country­ works or something ?

    From Boff, on Wed 18 Nov 12:03AM
  9. Firstly I don't see why people are bring race into­ this firstly I am Mix-race and I don't care about­ race, pure people have issue with race. I should say­ Nico is mixed culturally coming from two different­ European Countries. I am happy I am not pure, pure­ people have big issues. I like Kimi and Lewis I hate­ Alonso, but he is very talented. I sorry, Button and­ Lewis in McLaren is a bad idea.

    From l, on Wed 18 Nov 12:03AM
  10. Ferrfarti, Merc GP, Red Bull.....THEY'RE ALL­ FU CK­ ED come 2010.....
    -
    -
    THE GREAT BRITISH TEAM of­ HAMILTON and BUTTON at McLAREN will CLEAN UP....

    From Boff, on Wed 18 Nov 12:01AM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Hell Y
    your a dumb @#$%
    Hamilton has not beaten Alonso­
    it was the cheating team that gave him less BHP then­ Lewis so that there boy can be WDC rookie
    but blah­ blah to them and you Kimi got there instead
    Ha Ha ha­ Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha­ Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha­ Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha­ Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha­ Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha

    From Tony J, on Tue 17 Nov 11:56PM
  12. Mercedes, want Kimi watch this space. They will give­­ him what ever he wants. McLaren should realise that­­ Button, was given a illegal car, it wasn't his­­ driving abilities. When Lewis beat him like he did­­ Alonso, I can see Button, complaining to the BBc about­­ unfair treatment. Button can't NOT handle Alonso­­ or Kimi, Lewis their are the best drivers currently in­ F1. As a McLaren fan I­ would have like to see Kimi and­ Lewis.

    From l, on Tue 17 Nov 11:52PM
  13. Nico Rosberg is Finnish and German.....Mother German­ Father Finnish. Nico can not even Converse in the­ Finnish Languag. He is German just like his mother,­ they want Kimi and Nico, Nico is the future talent and­ Kimi is talent. If I was a F1 team I would want these­ drivers Alonso, Lewis, Kimi.

    From l, on Tue 17 Nov 11:51PM
  14. Button had the good fortune to have a better car in the­ early part of the season. And the Brawn car lost­ it's edge at the end of hte season. Nonetheless,­ Button did manage to drive the better car well. You­ have to give him credit for that. And the notion that­ he should have been able to drive the lesser car in the­ last half of the season well enough to win races might­ be expecting too much from him or any driver. Most of­ the time, the McLarens are one of the best performing­ cars, so I'm inclined to believe Button would do­ well with McLaren. The Brawn/Mercedes team is not­ likely to do that well next year in my opinion. One,­ Honda designed the 2009 car for the most part, not­ Brawn. Two, the diffuser issue gave them a distinct­ advantage early in 2009 and the likelihood of something­ like that happening again is slim. And third, the­ Mercedes engine was developed by McLaren and Mercedes. ­ Without McLaren's input it remains to be seen how­ well Mercedes will do without that help.

    From fishblue6, on Tue 17 Nov 11:50PM
  15. Mercedes, want Kimi watch this space. They will give­ him what ever he wants. McLaren should realise that­ Button, was given a illegal car, it wasn't his­ driving abilities. When Lewis beat him like he did­ Alonso, I can see Button, complaining to the BBc about­ unfair treatment. Button can't NOT handle Alonso­ or Kimi, Lewis there are he best. As a McLaren fan I­ would have like to see Kimi and Lewis.

    From l, on Tue 17 Nov 11:44PM
  16. thank you for the galantry Adam, but not really worht­ the bother, he only huffs and puffs because I am a­ woman he has not dared say it to you chaps yet, really­ just shows what a worm he is anda coward, so if you­ turned up he would probably wet hinmself and cry anyway­ just at the sight of you.

    It is much more fun to point­ out the story behind his lies, which of course he­ declares are my lies, but I could not post anything had­ he not posted information first. I await his next­ installment of his family life for me to expose the­ truth out of.

    From Ellie, on Tue 17 Nov 11:24PM
  17. C3po? Who was /is JO's alter ego?

    From Peter, on Tue 17 Nov 11:19PM
  18. Oh please stay CP I shall miss you if you go, you have­ a very good sense of humour for a robot, on darn was it­ an android silly old brain

    From Ellie, on Tue 17 Nov 11:11PM
  19. Which team finished 3rd and how Genio ?..mmmm...mmmmmm?­ there in lay the answer to your question Genio.....­ (so long as youve got the brains to work it out lad)

    From Boff, on Tue 17 Nov 11:07PM
  20. Funny how MERC suddenly decide to have their very own­ F1 team.....just as BMW quits... 3 star cowards I say.

    From Boff, on Tue 17 Nov 11:02PM
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