McLaren courts Jenson Button!

Jenson Button is the new Formula 1 world champion. It is quite normal for teams to consider the Englishman to secure his services, while Brawn GP has yet to sign him for next year. According to the British press, the Brawn driver could join the 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton at McLaren Mercedes for the 2010 season, forming a 100% British duo.

Indeed, the sponsor Vodafone is very interested in the idea of this duo for next year, the sponsor’s management stated: « Just think about the publicity generated if we have the two best British drivers of their generation in the same team and competing for the title. »

While the current Brawn GP team lags in contract negotiations with their star driver Jenson Button, rumors that he is demanding a five million pound raise (just under five million euros) have not yet been accepted. The English driver had a rookie contract this year, to help the team get set up this season. Jenson Button’s transfer to Woking could be one of the most spectacular transfers this season.

Mercedes is actually ready to take a seventy percent stake in the British driver’s salary. But if McLaren secures the services of Jenson Button to have a winning team in both championships, they are thinking twice about the driver lineup.

Heikki Kovalainen is seemingly likely to leave the team after the last race of this season in Abu Dhabi: « We have spoken with a number of drivers and it wouldn’t be appropriate to say more now. We will hire the two best drivers available for us, as we always have, » confirmed the team director Martin Whitmarsh.