Formula One news

Button: I'm not that expensive

Jenson Button insists that, whilst he is searching for a pay rise ahead of 2010, he will not be requesting outlandish figures from his Brawn team. The Englishman picked up his first world title in Brazil on Sunday, having taken a £5m pay cut prior to the season and paying for all personal travel arrangements throughout the year.

With Honda having pulled out of the sport in December and Brawn directions Ross Brawn and Nick Fry eventually managing to organise a buyout of the team - with it taking its name after the former - Button's pay cheque decreased in size from £8m to £3m, which now makes him the lowest-paid F1 Champion of recent times.

Button takes the title from compatriot Lewis Hamilton, whose salary at McLaren is significantly larger than the Brawn man's

"I'm not that expensive compared to some drivers," he told reporters on his return to the England on Tuesday. "For me, the most important thing in my career is to be in a great car, a competitive car, and this year was the first time I have really been in that position; I want to continue achieving in the sport - I'm not one of those drivers that wants to find a new team that will pay more money, that's not what I'm about."

Stressing that winning races is his principal goal, Frome's Jenson adds that talks ahead of his season of title defence are set to begin soon. "You always want more," he admitted. "Winning the championship is a great feeling but after that life goes on and you want to achieve greater things - that will be the aim and that's why I would like to be with Brawn next year.

"As you know, I paid for pretty much all my travel but we all give up certain things when times get tough and, to be fair, when you get the chance to drive a car like I'm driving you'll give up pretty much everything."

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