Farewell Button

[Steve A.]

JB to announce retirement next week at Japan. If it's true I hope we see him back presenting the circus. A shame to go out on such a poor car.

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24180/10000280/jenson-button-to-announce-his-f1-retirement-according-to-reports

[Dare]

I'd have made Button more comfortable at Mclaren and
ditched Alonso

[cosworth151]

Maybe a good time & place to announce joining Toyota's Le Mans/WEC team for next year?

[John S]

Oh my! Oh my! 

I can hardly blame Jens, if this is true, Ron has publicly been insisting he must take a pay cut to drive the 2nd worst car on the grid. Most of us would tell Ron just where to poke his Honda powered McLaren if we were in a similar position. 

Just a thought; is there space at Enstone now that Grosjean is jumping ship? - old fat guts Briatore is long gone so no bad blood anymore.

[Scott]

That's too bad.  Mclaren will lose a massive chunk of fans.  Hope the salary savings are worth it.

[lkjohnson1950]

Jenson has said it's McLaren or nothing, so if they are truly dropping him he will be gone next year.

[Scott]

And Jenson's shown he has the speed to stay with Alonso the whole season when the car ran.  Really, I think Mclaren are making a huge mistake with regards to fans vs sponsors.

...oh yeah, and I'm cancelling my P1 order 

[Andy B]

I think it may also be that JB is not enjoying the environment as much now that father John has passed on and Ron is not a father figure!
Webber seems to be enjoying some success  in WEC so maybe JB will do the same.

[Steve A.]

There are hundreds of people on his Facebook page asking, pleading, begging him not to retire.

[F1fanaticBD]

I think he could have stayed even if taking pay-cut, just to ensure he gets to see through this McLaren Honda marriage V2.0

It was almost certain that this year will be with emence struggle, so leaving now will be withstanding all the hardship but not reaping the benefits.

[Steve A.]

The latest is a statement from Button that no decision has been made, and he is having 'good talks' with Mclaren.

[Irisado]

I think that it's too early to say that he's retiring.  There seems to be a lot more to discuss within the team to me.  I think that Alonso and Button would both deliver excellent results for McLaren-Honda if the team can sort itself out.  That's a big 'if' though.

[Andy B]

Ron said both drivers are under contract for next year!

[Scott]

Ron said both drivers are under contract for next year!

Yeah I saw that too.  And he also said Jenson's contract will remain as it is (I assume he means that the option year salary will remain what was originally negotiated). 

I hope so.  I want to see Button back in a better car and along Alonso.

[Irisado]

A surprisingly open interview there from Ron Dennis, he's usually much more evasive.  I enjoyed watching that.  The post race discussion about McLaren on the BBC with the drivers and Ron was much more interesting than the Grand Prix itself.  I think that the real question is whether Alonso and Button want to stay not whether McLaren wants them to stay .