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Button would be surpised if Mercedes let Brawn go

Jenson Button won the title with Brawn GP in 2009 © FIA

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McLaren's Jenson Button thinks Mercedes would be making a mistake by letting Ross Brawn leave the team at the end of the year.

Since the last race in India, rumours have surfaced that Brawn may be on his way out of Mercedes in order to make room for Paddy Lowe to take over the technical side of the team. Button worked closely with Brawn when he won his title in 2009 and believes it would be an error for Mercedes to let him go.

"I think for any Formula One team Ross is beneficial because of his experience and he is a very strong character as well," he said. "I'm surprised they are letting him go, for me he's the perfect guy to run a team so I'm surprised to see him leaving the sport if that is the case.

"It would be a loss to Mercedes, but it would not be a loss to the rest of us. I think it would be a good thing [for Mercedes' rivals]! Ross is a great team leader, very strong and a very confident individual. I think everyone needs someone like Ross in their team. I'm surprised to see he's leaving, but maybe there are some reasons for that - it's difficult to know what they are."

Button said he had fond memories of working with Brawn but would not be drawn on even more speculative rumours that he could join McLaren.

"I'm not as close [to him as I was] because I don't see him anywhere near as much and I don't work with him," he said. "We had 2008, which was a very difficult year, and we went through all the pain in 2008 and all the glory in 2009. Some good memories and I still see him, I saw him on the flight here from India and had a good little chat. He's a great team leader and we've seen that over the years."

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