Jenson Button approaches McLaren!

Jenson Button, the reigning world champion, could find himself at McLaren in 2010. The conclusion of this saga is expected by the end of the week. The 29-year-old Briton has emerged as the primary target for McLaren after unsuccessful negotiations with Kimi Räikkönen. The Finn was being too picky about his future salary.

An article published today in The Guardian reports that following Button’s visit to the Woking base last week, new negotiations have taken place. Sources have confirmed that no agreement has been signed yet and that Button is likely to contract with the team in the coming days.

The operation has reportedly not yet been approved by Button. Now that Brawn GP has been rebranded as Mercedes Grand Prix, it is unlikely he would turn down the opportunity to join one of the most successful teams in the history of the sport. However, Button had negotiated a new deal with Brawn for 2010 since the start of the season. Negotiations have intensified since October 18, the date on which he won the world championship (Brazilian Grand Prix).

But the team was not willing to offer more than 4 million pounds (4.5 million euros) per year to the Englishman, which was nearly half of what Button was demanding. Despite Mercedes taking over the team, CEO Nick Fry emphasized that nothing had changed in the discussions with Button: «I’m sorry to say, it’s not going to change anything, » Fry told the BBC.

« We are in the process of finalizing the budget, which is probably lower than most of the other teams. That’s what Mercedes wants. In these tough times, you have to tighten your belt. We have had discussions with Jenson about what we think is a reasonable salary and it will not change anything. »

If Button were to become Lewis Hamilton’s partner at McLaren, Mercedes would undoubtedly have an all-German driver lineup. The head of the German manufacturer, Norbert Haug, admitted last weekend that Nick Heidfeld was a possible target and that the team had already agreed to sign Nico Rosberg.