McLaren fail to rule out signing Jenson Button
McLaren last night refused to rule out signing the Formula One world champion, Jenson Button, to partner Lewis Hamilton next season.
Button has yet to sign on with Brawn, with whom he won the world championship. He has said contract talks will not begin until after the season's final grand prix, which takes place in Abu Dhabi on 1 November, but it is believed there is a gap between what he wants to be paid and what Brawn have in mind.
Asked by the Daily Mail whether there had been talks between McLaren and Button's representatives, the McLaren team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, said: "We've talked to a number of drivers. It wouldn't be appropriate to say more than that. We'll hire the two best drivers available to us as we always have."
Kimi Raikkonen, who is being replaced at Ferrari next season by Fernando Alonso, had been expected to join McLaren.