Jenson Button won't help Lewis Hamilton's title bid until his own championship hopes are over

The 2009 world champion slipped back in the title race during a dramatic mid-season slump, caused by himself and McLaren getting lost on set-up ideas.

That left Button 88 points behind championship leader Fernando Alonso going into the summer break, while McLaren team-mate Hamilton is only 47 adrift.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh suggested earlier on Thursday Button might have to support Hamilton later in the season, but the Australian Grand Prix winner hit back at suggestions that he should already be playing a back-up role.

"Personally I think it is a pretty pointless conversation right now," Button said at Spa ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. "Forty points [between the McLaren drivers] is not a big margin, it's less than two wins.

"Half the grid are in front of their team-mates, and all their team-mates will not say they are going to help them. You always think you have a good chance, and until that chance is gone you will fight for it.

"We are here to fight, to do the best job we can for ourselves and for our team. It would be a pretty boring championship if only 12 drivers are fighting for victory and the rest are helping them.

"We will fight all the way until either we win the championship or it is no longer possible."

Button added that he was buoyed by his return to form ahead of the summer break, which included fighting for victory in the German GP.

"The last two races before the break were very good," he said. "I was second in Hockenheim and Lewis won in Hungary. So we come here positive of a good result.

"So [having to support Hamilton] is not the situation. We go racing as always, and we do the best we can.

"We want to get as many points for ourselves but also for the team. The constructors' championship is important to McLaren and something that we will work for as hard as we can."