Asked to clarify what would count as “the right situation”, Button replied “in the right team, if that ever came along, the right opportunity to race in LMP1” but he declined to comment on whether a Porsche offer for 2016 would appeal.
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But asked by AUTOSPORT if he could envisage racing in the WEC at some stage post-F1, Button said he had increasingly warmed to a series he had once ruled out. We were second in the Constructors’ so pretty special year.
Jenson Button has refused to dismiss speculation concerning his expected imminent retirement from Formula One and it is widely predicted that he will quit the sport within days of Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix. “That is a challenge but after the Singapore Grand Prix I was not joyful, no”.
While he was effusive in his praise of Button, making clear that there is a contract in place for Button to carry on – the package was agreed when he re-signed last December – Neale suggested the 35-year-old did not want to stay.
But even McLaren director Jonathan Neale admitted that delving into such advances with an unwilling participant would be an exercise in futility.
“I get the sense from the media that there was a big anti-climax and there was a lot of discussion about where Jenson was at”, the McLaren CEO said.
However, Neale seemed to support claims that Button, who made his F1 debut in 2000, had lost his passion for the sport as he added: “If your driver doesn’t really want to be in the seat, we have to respect that. We want him to stay – we like him very much but if your driver really doesn’t want to be in the team, you have to respect that”.
Notwithstanding point blank questions whether he was contemplating retirement or not, Button spoke like a man who’d already crossed the finish line with Honda with a large box left unticked.
It appeared to be the biggest hint yet that Button would not extend his career, which has yielded 281 grands prix, 15 victories, and one world championship, into a 17th season. We hope that we can have a good weekend. “Hopefully one day we’ll see the president of Honda stood on the podium again”. “But I’ve got nothing else for you, I’m sorry”.
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It also meant that they were locked out of their own hospitality home, which had to be paid for in advance, and rival teams had to provide them with food.
