Fry: Mercedes Deal Doesn't Change Offer for Button

Technically speaking, the Brawn GP buyout by Daimler AG would have to lead to a better extension offer for world champion Jenson Button. Now that the future of his team is secured, the natural thing to do would be for team boss Ross Brawn to throw a better offer at Button – which he claims is his team's No 1 priority for the moment – and secure his services for the long term.

Prior to the Mercedes deal, Brawn told the media that he hasn't offered more money to his world champion for a contract extension, but in exchange would give him more independence to sign personal endorsements during his stay at Brawn. That made Button reconsider his options for the upcoming season, particularly the one linking him to a McLaren deal.

Apparently, the Woking based team is offering at least 2 million pounds sterling more than what Brawn is ready to get out of his pockets for Button, and the latter apparently isn't too keen on stepping up in the bidding process.

“We've had discussions with Jenson which we think are (about) a sensible salary and you know this (the Mercedes buyout) is not going to change anything in that respect,” Brawn chief executive Nick Fry was quoted as saying to the BBC radio on Monday.

“I hope Jenson is still with us next season. But we have to recognize that Formula One is not divorced from the rest of the world. The reason we survived as a team was that we operated in a sensible way, within our means,” added the British official.

In case Button does decide to leave the Brackley based team in the winter break, his place at Brawn/Silver Arrows will most likely be taken by Nico Rosberg. The German already left Williams at the end of the 2009 season and is waiting confirmation from the Brackley based outfit in due time.