Suzuka: Jenson Button has been talked out of his decision to quit Formula One by McLaren Group chairman and CEO Ron Dennis.
Button made it clear after last Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix that he had made up his mind about his future. It was equally clear that after a sequence of poor performances by the Honda-powered McLaren this season Button had decided to call it a day, and possibly move into another area of motorsport.
Stories of his retirement were not denied either by the driver or his advisors. But an hour before the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka McLaren confirmed that Button, 35, would be staying with the team for the remaining year of his contract.
Button had talks with Dennis - who had been bed-ridden with a virus in his Tokyo hotel for days - at the track on Sunday morning. Dennis also made it clear that Fernando Alonso, who is on a three-year deal, would be staying, amid rumours that the double world champion was thinking of quitting - the McLaren-Honda car is so uncompetitive that there is already no chance of them catching up before the latter half of 2016.
The good news for Button is that he will keep his £15m salary, despite the fact that McLaren had earlier tried to negotiate a pay cut. McLaren were spooked by the notion that they could be without both their world champions for next year as they struggle to attract new sponsors. On Saturday night, Alonso said that he would not be joining another team - but that did not rule out the possibility of him quitting but McLaren were insistent on Sunday that both drivers would be staying for next year.
- Guardian News & Media Ltd, 2015
