Button initially visited the Woking headquarters last weekend, alongside manager Richard Goddard, and admitted he was utterly impressed with what he saw. In addition, the fact that he couldn't reach a suitable agreement with Brawn and newly owners Mercedes in recent days has made him finally put his signature on the McLaren deal.
“When I visited the McLaren Technology Centre earlier this month, it wasn't simply the technical resources and the incredible standards of excellence that impressed me,” said Button.
“No, I was equally struck by the ambition, the motivation and the winning spirit that flow through everybody there. And then there's the team's epic history: put it this way, the trophy cabinets seem to stretch for miles.”
“From a personal point of view, it's also a great pleasure to be joining a fellow British world champion. Lewis has achieved an incredible level of success in a very short period of time, and he's a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every Formula 1 driver. I'm sure there's plenty that we can learn from each other, and I'm really looking forward to using our combined knowledge to push the team forward,” added the reigning world champion, dismissing rumors about favoritism within the McLaren future lineup.
“You can't help but be affected by this team's phenomenal history. McLaren is one of the greats of world sport, and its achievements and list of past champions read like a Who's Who of Formula 1 - Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and of course my new team-mate Lewis Hamilton. I've followed the McLaren team ever since I was a small boy, and it feels unbelievable to finally be a part of it.”
In addition, Button thanked his former team Brawn GP for the help they provided him with during the 2009 campaign, but admitted there are some moments in a driver's life when one has to make some difficult choices. He will therefore leave the team where he has been an active part of the group for the last 7 years (since the BAR days).
“It's always a difficult decision to leave a team when you've been there for so long. But life is all about challenges - and, most important of all, it's about challenging yourself. So, although I won the world championship with Brawn GP last year, and I'll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges. So that's why I've decided to join Vodafone McLaren Mercedes,” added Button.
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