Jenson Button believes his former team boss Ross Brawn understands the motivation behind his surprise switch to McLaren.
The new world champion left the Brackley-based team’s management reeling earlier this week when he concluded a deal to join rival McLaren on a three-year deal, the move coming less than a month after he won his maiden title with the squad.
And while Brawn and team CEO Nick Fry have publicly expressed their disappointment with the 29-year-old’s decision, Button is sure Brawn respects his reasons.
Asked in an interview with GMTV if Brawn was disappointed by his defection, Button said: “It’s a difficult one to talk about right now.
“But we will remain friends.
“It will be a different atmosphere and it will never be the same because we’re not going to be working together in the same team.
“But I think he respects my decision and realises why I wanted to make the change.”
In joining his predecessor as world champion Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, Button has signed up for arguably the toughest challenge of his 10-year Formula 1 career.
The Briton acknowledges his new team-mate will be a difficult force to be reckoned with on track in the same car, but feels his own career is ready for that sort of test.
“It is going to a be a real challenge, for sure,” Button admitted.
“And that’s what I’m looking for – I’ve reached my goal and my initial dream, which was to be world champion, and now I’ve got this challenge.
“It’s going to be a big challenge.”
And asked if he had yet spoken to his friend Hamilton about the move, Button, who appeared at a book signing in Selfridges in London on Thursday, said: “I haven’t, I’ve been pretty busy since the announcement.
“But I will speak to him very soon and I’m sure we will be spending quite a bit of time together over the winter.”