FORMULA ONE CHAMPION JENSON BUTTON TO TAKE ON WORLD WITH MCLAREN LEWIS HAMILTON

JENSON Button has already got his sights set on his next target.

He’s ready to take on the world with fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton after the pair’s partnership at McLaren was ­finally confirmed yesterday.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh insisted Button wasn’t in it for the money after he signed a £6m, ‘multi-year’ deal.

And 29-year-old Button revealed it was the prospect of a fresh challenge after his all-conquering year with Brawn that finally convinced him to move.

“It’s always a difficult decision to leave a team when you’ve been there for so long,” he said. “But life is all about ­challenges and, most important of all, it’s about challenging yourself.

“So although I won the World ­Championship with Brawn GP last year, and I’ll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges.” Button, who has made 170 grand prix starts, will line up alongside Hamilton after severing links with Brawn, who were taken over by Mercedes earlier this week.

His move to McLaren ends his seven-year association with the Brackley-based Brawn GP outfit, whom he joined in 2003 when the team was known as BAR.

Button is under no illusions about the task ahead, but he expects to form a ­formidable double act with Hamilton.

“It’s fantastic that we’ll be forming an all-British line-up,” said Button.

“I know that we both fly the flag with pride and I sincerely hope we can make the whole of the United Kingdom, as well as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes fans across the world, proud.

“Nothing means more to me than to be able to represent my country.

“This is a team that always goes racing to win and I’m looking forward to being part of that.” The deal means that for the first time in F1 history a team will start the new ­season with a line-up featuring the two most recent world champions, while it is the first pairing of two British world champions since Graham Hill partnered Jim Clark at Lotus in 1968.

Hamilton said: “It’s fantastic news that Jenson has decided to join.

“I already know Jenson and we get on very well together. We both really want our team to succeed.

“Although we’ll be pushing each ­other hard, I’m sure we’ll very quickly ­establish a great working ­relationship.”

Whitmarsh added: “I want to make clear that Jenson’s decision to join us was in no way motivated by money.

“We’ll be paying him no more than he could be getting elsewhere. And that fact is a reflection of not only Jenson’s belief in Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, but also his desire and ambition to build on the phenomenal results he achieved during the 2009 season.”

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