Weary champ Button won’t be pushed on contract talk
NEWLY-CROWNED world champion Jenson Button has put talks over his future on ice in order to savour his fairytale success.
The British driver clinched his maiden title by putting in a superb performance to finish fifth in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
But the 29-year-old’s future at F1 newcomers Brawn GP remains in doubt, with the two parties thought to be some distance from reaching an agreement.
Button has said he wants to stay at the Northamptonshire outfit, while team chiefs are keen to retain his services for next season.
For now, however, Britain’s 10th world champion is concentrating only on enjoying the undoubted highlight of his career.
“Waking up this morning knowing I am the world champion makes me feel very confident for the future,” Button said yesterday.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, and at the moment I don’t care because I’m not thinking about it. I’m thinking about the moment, and I’m going to enjoy this moment for a very long time.
“For me, as a driver and a sportsman, winning the world title is the best thing you can possibly win, and I’ve achieved that.”
Button said he got just three hours sleep after spending much of the night “just really lying in bed with a big grin on my face”. He accepted a £5m-a-year pay cut to race for Brawn GP, whom team boss Ross Brawn set up on a relative shoestring after manufacturers Honda pulled out of F1 last year. But he is thought to want to return to his previous salary of £8m with the team now in a stringer financial position.
One race remains in the F1 calendar, next month’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but Brawn has promised resolving Button’s contract is now a priority. “We missed the window of opportunity to sort it out in the summer,” said Brawn. “Now this is done, we will be sitting down in the next few weeks to sort it out.”
Brawn GP chief executive Nick Fry conceded Button’s success would make him “more expensive, unfortunately”, but was confident an agreement could be found.
“He wants to be with us and we’d like him to stay with us, so that is a good starting point,” said Fry. “From that position compromises can usually be found. I wouldn’t like to say how far apart we are in money terms, but it’s a bridge that can be crossed.”