Button: I can't see myself moving on

Jenson Button says he can't imagine leaving McLaren to move elsewhere or leave F1
25.03.2012- Race, Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren Mercedes MP4-27
25.03.2012- Race, Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren Mercedes MP4-27
© PHOTO 4

Jenson Button has admitted that he is currently enjoying life in F1 so much that he can't imagine a time when he would elect to call it a day and leave the sport.

The Briton enjoyed a fine start to the new season with victory in Australia, although he then failed to score in Malaysia after a clash with the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan.

Despite that, Button admits that he is currently as happy as he has ever been in F1 and said he couldn't imagine not being part of the grid.

"Driving a good car always helps," he told the Press Association. "And when you're able to fight for victories it makes a massive difference, in particular after you've been racing for 12 to 13 years in the sport. Because I'm racing for McLaren, it's a team that has achieved so much in its career in Formula One. Even if we have an uncompetitive car, you still believe in the future you will get a competitive car.

"You don't immediately think 'well, I've had some great times, it is time to leave'. You still feel strongly about building up the team and fighting for a world championship again. If we get a bad car over the next couple of years it's not going to make me think 'it's time to give up now'. I'll still have fight in me and I'll want to get back to winning ways. But right now, I can't see a time when I might stop."

Button added that, as well as not thinking about leaving F1, he wasn't contemplating a career anywhere other than with McLaren.

"A lot of people enjoy the sport, but they find it a little bit overpowering," he said "I think Michael (Schumacher) probably found that - and Kimi (Raikkonen) too - that he wanted to spend more time with his family and friends and maybe try something new. But you soon realise this is where your heart is and this is what you were born to do, not that we can't achieve in other things.

"When you've put so much time, energy and effort into one sport it's difficult to move on, and I don't see any reason to move on. There is a great passion here [McLaren]. People talk about Ferrari and them being very passionate, and they are. But I don't think most people realise how passionate this team is, and how much they want to achieve. So I'm very happy here, and you never know what's going to happen in the future.

"I'm not going to sign my life away, but I'll stay here for the next few years, definitely. I'm going to be here."

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