Button says not in talks to renew McLaren contract yet

AUTOSPORT reported earlier this week that McLaren is set to reward Button with a fresh contract by taking up an option it has on the Briton for next year - and offer him improved terms in likely exchange for a longer deal that could tie him down for the next few seasons.

And although there seems little doubt that Button will remain at the team in 2012, he made it clear in Valencia ahead of the European Grand Prix that the matter was not sorted yet - and that he may not want too long a deal.

"The team has an option for me for next year, which we haven't talked about yet," he said when asked about his future.

"I am sure we are going to have to talk about it soon because it has been mentioned so much in the press, but we didn't plan on talking about it quite yet. For me, I have an option. But I don't want to look too far in the future."

Button also played down talk linking him with Ferrari, insisting there was nothing to rumours suggesting he was on the shortlist at Maranello for the future.

"Yeah, I don't know who put that out there, but it wasn't us and it wasn't Ferrari," he said. "It was just some column inches."