Button wants to keep McLaren drive beyond 2016

Jenson Button says he wants to keep racing with McLaren-Honda, however, it is slowly becoming an open paddock secret that McLaren intends to replace the 36-year-old with youngster Stoffel Vandoorne for 2017.

Button told Corriere della Sera in Monaco: “While I have the chance to drive a competitive car, and maybe it will be a McLaren next year, my idea is to stay in F1.

“New rules are coming, the cars will be faster, so it would be nice to have that challenge,” added the Briton, who began his F1 career as a 20-year-old with Williams in 2000.

When asked specifically about the possibility he could in fact return to Williams in 2017, Button said only: “I like whatat McLaren and Honda are doing and would like to be there when it succeeds.”

He seemed to play down the likelihood of signing any more long-term F1 contracts.

“I have reached the age where I like having the freedom to choose,” said Button. “There may be details that affect the choice, in my case it is the challenge with Alonso and also the new rules that are coming, because we are talking about cars that will be 3-4 seconds per lap faster.”

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