British media reports have speculated that newly crowned Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button could leave Brawn next year for Mercedes-Benz's “official” F1 team, McLaren Mercedes, but Mercedes' motorsport director Norbert Haug has denied that the company is negotiating with Button.
“There are no current negotiations with Jenson Button, but I do have understanding for the fact that people in England are dreaming of an English team with two World Champions in the cockpits,” Haug told Germany's DPA press agency. “However, dreams don't always come true.”
Button has maintained that he will return to Brawn next year, although he is believed to be demanding a hefty salary increase reflecting his newfound success, after having accepted a major pay cut at the end of 2008 when the team's Honda owners pulled out of the sport.