McLaren relaunch with Button and Alonso

11 December 2014 03:46

McLaren will attack the 2015 season with two former world champions after announcing on Thursday that Jenson Button will remain at the team to partner returning driver Fernando Alonso.

The announcement followed weeks of speculation over whether Button, world champion with Brawn in 2009, or rookie Kevin Magnussen would be retained to team up with Alonso, who returns to the team from Ferrari.

Button, 34, was thought to be behind 22-year-old Magnussen in the running until recently, only for chief executive officer Ron Dennis to plump for the Briton's experience over the Dane's promise.

"I am extremely excited to be embarking on my 16th year in Formula 1 and my sixth season for McLaren," Button, who has signed a two-year contract, said in a statement on the McLaren website.

"Like Fernando, I am certain that McLaren and Honda will achieve great things together, and I feel sure that, working together, all of us will pull incredibly hard to create a brilliantly effective winning team."

Magnussen finished in 11th place in the drivers' championship in his maiden campaign, three places behind Button. He will remain at McLaren as test and reserve driver.

Button expressed sympathy for Magnussen on Twitter, writing: "Feeling for my buddy @KevinMagnussen such a talent and great guy, he'll be back in F1 before we know it."

Alonso, world champion with Renault in 2005 and 2006, spent the 2007 season at McLaren, but failed to gel with then team-mate Lewis Hamilton, prompting a hasty return to Renault.

After two years at Renault, he moved to Ferrari, where he finished twice three times in five seasons.

But Ferrari failed to compete with the dominant Mercedes team last season, with Alonso finishing 223 points behind champion Hamilton in sixth place.

- 'Kick Fernando's butt' -

"I am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination, knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for, which is no problem for me," said the 33-year-old Spaniard, who has claimed 32 victories from 235 races.

"Over the past year I have received several offers, some of them really tempting, given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest.

"But, more than a year ago, McLaren-Honda contacted me and asked me to take part, in a very active way, in the return of their partnership -- a partnership that dominated the Formula 1 scene for so long."

Explaining McLaren's allure, Alonso cited his "deep admiration" for the late Ayrton Senna, the former McLaren driver, who he described as "my favourite driver, my idol on track, my reference".

Dennis said that he had no regrets about hesitating over the team's line-up, explaining that he was waiting for Button to convince him of his commitment to the cause.

"I make no apologies for having the level of consideration that I gave ultimately to the decision," Dennis told a press conference at McLaren's Woking base in southern England.

He added: "We've been in deep debate about it, and there was a turning point for me strangely, a conversation that took place between Jenson and me after the race (the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix).

"It was in contrast to the previous month, and re-energised my belief that Jenson really wants to be in a Formula One car, and that he can kick Fernando's butt."

Despite the uncertainty having forced Button to make provisional plans for a potential career beyond F1, he was reluctant to discuss the delay.

"I've been very open in how I've felt," said the former Honda driver, who has claimed 15 victories in 266 grands prix.

"I don't think there's any reason to comment any further. The positive is where we are right now, and we move forward from here."

Source: AFP