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No reason to leave McLaren - Button

Jenson Button:"Driving a good car always helps" © Getty Images

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Jenson Button has no plans to leave McLaren or retire from Formula One in the next few years.

He moved to the team after winning the world championship with Brawn in 2009 and was arguably in the best form of his career last year when he finished runner-up to Sebastian Vettel's dominant Red Bull. He also signed a new three-year deal with the team and is confident he is in the right place to continue challenging for the title.

"Driving a good car always helps," he told the Press Association. "And when you're able to fight for victories it makes a massive difference, in particular after you've been racing for 12 to 13 years in the sport. Because I'm racing for McLaren, it's a team that has achieved so much in its career in Formula One. Even if we have an uncompetitive car, you still believe in the future you will get a competitive car.

"You don't immediately think 'well, I've had some great times, it is time to leave'. You still feel strongly about building up the team and fighting for a world championship again. If we get a bad car over the next couple of years it's not going to make me think 'it's time to give up now'. I'll still have fight in me and I'll want to get back to winning ways. But right now, I can't see a time when I might stop."

He admitted that life in Formula One has its downsides, but reiterated that he has no plans to do anything else.

"A lot of people enjoy the sport, but they find it a little bit overpowering," added Button. "I think Michael [Schumacher] probably found that - and Kimi [Raikkonen] too - that he wanted to spend more time with his family and friends and maybe try something new. But you soon realise this is where your heart is and this is what you were born to do, not that we can't achieve in other things. But when you've put so much time, energy and effort into one sport it's difficult to move on, and I don't see any reason to move on."

He added that working for McLaren means he is kept motivated and that people often underestimate the positive environment at the team.

"I do feel very good here," Button added. "We've a great atmosphere, everyone thinks it's a very cold, very grey team. I was expecting that a little bit when I arrived, but at that point I knew they normally build good cars and their history is very exciting. But there is a great passion here. People talk about Ferrari and them being very passionate, and they are. But I don't think most people realise how passionate this team is, and how much they want to achieve. So I'm very happy here, and you never know what's going to happen in the future. I'm not going to sign my life away, but I'll stay here for the next few years, definitely. I'm going to be here."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.