F1: Button will not race in 2017

Jenson Button will not race in Formula 1 in 2017 but will remain with McLaren-Honda as an ambassador.

McLaren-Honda announced that the 2009 world champion has signed a new two-year contract to extend his relationshp with the McLaren-Honda team in what the team says is "an innovative three-driver strategy for the 2017 and 2018 Formula 1 seasons."

Stoffel Vandoorne will be promoted from reserve driver to drive alongside Fernando Alonso.

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Button insists he is not retiring.

"I will stay current, train my arse off, attending races to make sure things are on right track and input as much as I can," said Button. "I'll spend more time with friends and family and live on my own schedule.

"I decided over summer break to not carry on racing. I'm really excited. I will do everything I can to make sure this team is competitive in 2017."

“I’m massively excited about my new role, which has come about as a result of a number of in-depth chats with Ron. Specifically, I’m looking forward to becoming even more deeply involved in the team’s efforts to bring about the success we’ve all been striving to deliver.

“I love McLaren-Honda – I firmly believe it’s made up of the best bunch of people I’ve ever worked with – and I have no intention of ever driving for another Formula 1 team.

“To be clear, I’m very definitely not retiring. I’m contracted for both 2017 and 2018, I intend to work hard on car-development, and I’m sure I’ll get behind the wheel of the new car at some point.”

Previous drivers who announced sabbaticals, including McLaren's 1998/99 world champion Mika Hakkinen in 2001, never returned.

"Other drivers who took sabbaticals never had a contract," McLaren CEO Ron Dennis pointed out. "Jenson is capable of winning races and world championships but it's the physical grind of F1. Jenson can get his mind balanced and re-established.

"It's a creative contract that works for both of us, a perfect solution for the circumstances within our team at the moment."

Dennis called the team's 2017 lineup "a perfectly balanced mix of proven brilliance and immense potential."

“For Fernando, 2017 will be his third year as a McLaren-Honda race driver, and I need hardly reaffirm his credentials here. So let me simply restate my belief that he’s one of the finest and fastest Grand Prix drivers I’ve ever seen, and we’re very proud to have him in the team.

“He’s been both diligent and patient over the past two seasons, and he shares with all of us at McLaren-Honda the confidence that 2017 will be the season in which our partnership begins to deliver strong results.

“Over the past two-and-a-half years [Stoffel's] made a very valuable contribution in that role, learning from his two World Champion teammates as well as from our many world-class engineers, and, having been runner-up in World Series by Renault in 2013 and the runaway winner of the GP2 Championship last year, he’s now completed with distinction a meticulously designed apprenticeship.

“He’s consequently now ready to race in Formula 1, as his fine Grand Prix debut in Bahrain this year proved.”

Vandoorne dominated GP2 last year and made his F1 debut in place of the injured Alonso in Bahrain this season.

Button has raced in F1 since 2000, when he made his debut with Williams for only his third full year of car racing after seasons in British Formula Ford and Formula 3.

A difficult spell with Benetton/Renault was followed by a breakthrough period with the team he joined as BAR but became Honda and eventually Brawn - a story that ended with a fairytale 2009 title.

He then moved to McLaren and brought his tally of grand prix wins to 15.

Alonso described the deal as "very good news for the team."

"We will have Jenson in the team which is most important," he said. "He's the best teammate I've had in terms of performance and feedback.

"Stoffel will bring fresh ideas and we will push team to maximum but still have Jenson helping us."

Information from Autosport.com was used in this report.