Brawn refusing to be held to ransom by world champion Button
Button has been locked in contract negotiations with Brawn GP since wrapping up the world title in Brazil last month, with the two parties unable to agree a wage deal.
The 29-year-old is believed to be seeking a return to the salary he commanded at Honda and has been consistently linked with a move to partner Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.
The Briton took a £5 million (€5.5m) pay cut to help the team stay afloat following Honda’s withdrawal last winter but Brawn is reluctant to return Button to his former salary of around £8m (€8.8m).
Brawn this week said there was “still a 99% chance” that Button would remain with the Brackley-based team for 2010, but has since indicated he will not be held to ransom.
“We can offer a higher proportion of driver freedom and that will probably be the route we will go,” Brawn said.
Meanwhile India’s Karun Chandhok says he has a real chance of racing in Formula One next year after talks with all the new teams due to enter.
“My father, our sponsors, advisors and I have been quite busy at following the driver market in F1 and making sure we’re talking to the right people,” the 25-year-old Chennai-born driver said. “We’ve met with all the new teams and some of the existing ones to explore options for 2010.
“At the moment, I would say there are still three very realistic possibilities to race in Formula One next year but I don’t think anything will be public for a few more weeks.’’
Formula One is due to expand from the 10 teams this year to 13 teams in 2010, despite the departure of Toyota and BMW-Sauber.
Of the new teams, only Spain’s Campos Meta has so far named a driver – Chandhok’s former GP2 team mate, Brazilian Bruno Senna.
“Of the 26 pieces in the F1 driver puzzle there are only maybe 10 that are in place so there’s still a lot up in the air and I am still optimistic that something will work out,” said Chandhok, who has won two races in GP2 and tested for Red Bull’s Formula One team in 2007.
Silverstone-based Force India, owned by Indian tycoon and family friend Vijay Mallya, has given Chandhok time in the McLaren simulator as part of an agreement with that team.
Italian teenager Mirko Bortolotti has been called up to test for Toro Rosso in a three-day rookie session at the Jerez circuit in Spain next month.
The 19-year-old, who won one race on his way to finishing fourth in this year’s Formula Two Championship, is a member of the Red Bull Junior programme and won the 2008 Italian F3 title.
Bortolotti will drive for Toro Rosso on the second day of the test running from December 1-3, with young New Zealander Brendon Hartley expected to be in the car on the other two days. Toro Rosso have already confirmed Sebastien Buemi will stay with the team next year, while Jaime Alguersuari is also expected to be retained, but Bortolotti is nevertheless delighted to get the call to test.
“I’m very happy and very proud,” said Bortolotti. “My target is to get to Formula One in the next few years so to be selected for this test is very important for my career.
Next month’s session will be Bortolotti’s second experience of a Formula One car after he impressed in a test for Ferrari at the end of 2008, which was part of his prize for winning the Italian F3 title.
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