Jenson Button has indicated that he would like to see out his F1 career at the wheel of a
McLaren – but has no intention of retiring just yet.
The Briton, who admitted a couple of years ago that he may not have long left in the top flight, appears reinvigorated after winning the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix last November, insisting that he cannot wait to get started on the 2013 campaign.
Button is now the most experienced driver on the grid in terms of F1 starts, following the recent exits of
Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher, but is not the oldest, an unwanted stat that falls to pal Mark Webber. With former team-mate
Lewis Hamilton having flown the Woking nest in favour of pastures new at Mercedes, Button has the chance to mould
McLaren in his own image, and says that he sees the relationship lasting for the remainder of his career.
“I feel very at home,” the 33-year old told the UK's
Observer newspaper, “I feel like I'd like to end my career here. I'm not saying that's going to happen soon, [but] I don't see me leaving. There's no reason to. Some people decide to leave this team because they feel there's another challenge, or something's missing from their position, [but], for me, there is still so much to achieve.
"To see what the team had achieved in terms of world championships, drivers and constructors is spectacular – and I want to add to that, not just this year, but in the coming years."
Although the 2012 campaign didn't go to plan, with wins to book-end the season leaving him a frustrated fifth in the final standings, Button is confident that this year can be better, even if the new MP4-28 has yet to show both consistency and pace in testing.
"I'm really loving my job at the moment and I feel that, whatever is thrown at me, I should be able to control it," he continued, “I was pretty happy at the end of last season. A few things didn't work out for me but, in terms of driving and what I achieved, I was very, very happy. I ended the season on a high and really couldn't wait to get back out this year.
"When you win a grand prix, you want the next one to come round straight away. So, this whole winter, I've been very positive. Obviously, there are changes in the team, but I like change. I think we all like change. It makes it exciting!"