Jenson Button will take a break from F1 in 2017 allowing Stoffel Vandoorne to step up to the McLaren seat.
The 2009 world champion will stay on in an ‘ambassador’ role with the team and a contract to return in 2018 should current teammate Fernando Alonso decide to retire from Formula One.
“To be clear, I’m very definitely not retiring. I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point,” Button said at the announcement in Monza.
Speculation had hinted that Brit may return to Williams for next season, following Felipe Massa announcing his retirement on Thursday it seemed that could have opened the door to the move.
Instead, the decision to stay on at McLaren in a new role opens the 36-year-old to a potential drive at Le Mans, media work or perhaps even give him experience before entering team management.
“I’m delighted that I’ll be staying on as a key member of the McLaren-Honda team,” he added. “In fact, I’m massively excited about my new role, which has come about as a result of a number of in-depth chats with Ron [Dennis].
“Specifically, I’m looking forward to becoming even more deeply involved in the team’s efforts to bring about the success we’ve all been striving to deliver.
“I love McLaren-Honda and I firmly believe it’s made up of the best bunch of people I’ve ever worked with. I have no intention of ever driving for another Formula 1 team.”
It brings a halt to a career that took several years to get going. Button was a surprise choice when he signed for Williams back in 2000 and would take six years to secure his first win which would come for BAR Honda in Hungary.
Honda’s pullout from the sport at the end of 2008 put the Briton’s future under threat, but from the low would come the ultimate high as Ross Brawn resurrected Honda’s 2009 project.
He would go on to win six of the first seven races that year en route to his only world championship.
Moving to McLaren from 2010, Button would beat Lewis Hamilton in 2011 and cement himself as one of the best drivers of his generation.
The news of the promotion for GP2 champion Vandoorne is largely unsurprising. The Belgian has been waiting to get a full-time drive with the team since 2013 after coming runner-up to another McLaren-backed driver in Kevin Magnussen in Formula Renault 3.5.
Vandoorne did make his F1 debut earlier this season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, scoring the team’s first point of 2016 as he replaced Fernando Alonso following the Spaniard’s high-speed crash in Australia.
If McLaren had not promoted Vandoorne, it could have left the door open for other top teams to tempt the driver most see as a potential star into own programmes.
The situation is very similar to former McLaren driver Mika Hakkinen, who also took a break from F1 after 2001. As it turned out the Finn enjoyed retirement a little too much and did not return to the sport again.
Button’s return is dependent on Alonso’s future, with the Spaniard admitting the impact of rule changes coming next year will be the deciding factor as to whether he continues in F1.
Regardless, the veteran on 17 seasons in F1 will be a valuable asset both to McLaren and to any other new projects he takes on, as he starts the next phase of his career.
