The deal is done. Announced on Wednesday the 18th of November, Jenson Button will partner Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2010 in an all British driver line-up.
Jenson is quoted as saying “Nothing means more to me than to be able to represent my country, this is a team that always goes racing to win and I’m looking forward to being part of that.”
Or as they’re now known, Mercedes Grand Prix Racing. They say that a week is a long time in politics. Well it’s also a long time in Formula 1! Just a few short weeks ago it was looking very much like Brawn GP would set about the 2010 season with their newly crowned world drivers champion, Jenson Button, as their number one driver. It now looks very much like this deal with Mercedes has been a done deal for some time and that Jenson was blissfully ignorant of Mercedes desire to acquire the team, rename it and install one if not two German drivers, leaving Jenson out in the cold. Hence his recent flirting (or maybe more) with McLaren.
Should Jenson move to McLaren, and I’m kind of hoping that he does, after all, who could fail to be impressed by their track record and facilities at the McLaren Technology Centre where Jenson was a recent guest, I think he’ll do very well next season - at least as well as he would have done had he gone into next season with Brawn GP. It’s certainly an interesting time for Formula 1 and the rumour mill is working overtime. Hopefully a deal, one way of the other, will be struck soon!