Jenson Button has admitted that he did consider retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the 2015 season amid McLaren’s troubles.
McLaren toiled to its worst finish in the constructors’ championship in over 30 years in 2015, finishing last but one as issues with the new power unit supplied by Honda left it struggling for pace all season long.
Button, 35, had been tipped to retire in the lead-up to the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, only for McLaren CEO Ron Dennis to announce that the team had passed on its option to terminate his contract.
Confirmation soon followed that Button would be remaining with McLaren for 2016, partnering Fernando Alonso once again.
However, in an interview with British broadcaster Sky Sports, Button admitted that he did consider walking away from F1 for fear of another year of strife with McLaren battling at the back of the field.
“Last year I wasn’t sure if I’d be racing and it wasn’t my choice. This year it was totally my choice and there was a moment where I thought ‘I’m not sure I want to do this anymore and be where we are’,” Button said.
“Obviously, if we are where we are right now next year, it is not going to be that enjoyable. I spent a lot of time with the engineers and the aerodynamicists and I spoke more with Ron in the two months when I was trying to decide what to do next year than I have in my whole time at McLaren.
“We went through a lot of ideas for next year and spoke to the aerodynamicists and the engineers and got a real direction and understanding of where we are going and with Honda as well.
“So that got me excited. That got me pumped for next year knowing that there are big improvements on the horizon, and we need them.”
