Bernie: Button and Brawn just sparring

Bernie Ecclestone reckons Jenson Button and Brawn GP are "probably just sparring" at the moment and that a deal with be forthcoming in the not too distant future.

Button's future is in doubt after Brawn GP refused to pay the World Champion the £8million he is asking for, instead saying they are willing to offer him a "higher proportion of driver freedom" to negotiate his own sponsorship deals.

But it appears Button and his manager Richard Goddard are not at all impressed with Brawn's offer as the Brit was reportedly seen at McLaren's Woking factory earlier this week.

Ecclestone, though, believes the two parties are just toying with each other as they try to get the upper hand in the salary negotiations.

"Even drivers are not immune to the recession and if teams are cutting back because they don't have the same level of sponsorship then salaries will come down," the F1 supremo told the Daily Express.

"The big-spending days are probably over but teams will pay for the best - it is about market forces.

"It would not be ideal for F1 to have two World Champions in the same team but Brawn and Button are probably just sparring at the moment and something will be worked out."

Source: Bernie: Button and Brawn just sparring - Planet-F1 News - from planet-f1.com

I don't think anyone is 100% convinced about Button considering his performance in the second half of the year. Raikonnen is a better bet considering he got 40 points or more in the last 6 months

^ yep.. raikkonen has been fighting.. and everyone has seen that.