McLaren: Boullier wants to keep Button
Jenson Button is currently competing in his 5th Formula 1 season with the McLaren team, and even though the contract between the two parties is set to expire at the end of the year, Eric Boullier - the sporting director of the team - wishes to see the Briton continue because he remains competitive even in adversity.
The contract binding Jenson Button to the McLaren team expires at the end of the year, and the Briton’s future has been the subject of rumors, including a potential replacement by Stoffel Vandoorne or even Fernando Alonso, as Honda wishes to partner with a talented driver.
Button, even though he hasn’t shone this season with three scoreless finishes in seven Grand Prix, still manages to secure some good results since the start of the season – a 3rd place in Australia, a 4th place in Canada, and two 6th places in Malaysia and Monaco – which allows him to hold the 7th place in the drivers’ championship after 7 races, ahead of drivers whose cars seem to perform better than the MP4-29, such as Kimi Räikkönen, Valtteri Bottas, and Felipe Massa.
But even at the age of 34, the 2009 world champion continues to impress his colleagues at Woking, especially the team’s sporting director, Eric Boullier. The Frenchman notably shared during the Canadian Grand Prix that he wished to see Button continue the adventure with McLaren for the following year.
Since I joined McLaren, I’ve seen how great a competitor he is and what an asset he is for the team. I appreciate more and more what he is capable of. I’m really thrilled, and when the time comes to sit down with him, I’d love to continue with him. I expect him to stay, but we haven’t really discussed it yet, explained Eric Boullier to Sky Sports.
