McLaren hopes to keep Button for 2016

“There has been a lot of discussion about where Jenson is going”.

But McLaren boss Jonathan Neale has indicated the former world champsion will still need plenty of persuasion before he agrees to extend his stay with the team.

“I really hope we’ve done enough between us to continue discussions with him and have the confidence to have him with us”, said Neale.

Button, a world champion with Brawn in 2009, has struggled in a team with an unreliable Honda engine this season, and hinted he had fallen out of love with the sport having gathered only six points from 13 races.

Asked to interpret Button’s words, Sky F1 pundit Martin Brundle responded: “That tells me he wants to carry on if he can get the deal right and he is satisfied the auto will be more competitive”.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel said it would be “a big loss” should Button choose to retire at the end of the season. It’s about fighting at the front.

Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, Button was rumoured to be lining up a retirement announcement, but on Thursday said he was still in talks with McLaren about next year. It’s about the possibility of standing on top of the podium.

The 35-year-old recently considered that he would not ever hurry for one more crew, symbolizing that in case a fresh commitment is not just arranged, the person will escape from Formula a singular.

“I think 90pc of them are saying I shouldn’t retire from the sport, and when they read that it’s a possibility it surprises some of them”. I don’t like finishing 14th or 10th.

“That’s not what gives me joy and excites me”.

“But there are so many other things that if they work in your favour, if you see a future, there is the possibility of joy coming back and that is exciting”.

Button has been coy on his future in recent days, notably in an anticlimactic press conference on Thursday, but it seems clear that he has made a decision to call time on his career after 16 seasons in the sport. “That is a challenge but after the Singapore Grand Prix I was not joyful, no”.