Button: Lewis doesn't have an edge

Jenson Button has once again dismissed suggestions that Lewis Hamilton will start the new season with an edge over him.

Sir Jackie Stewart recently claimed "Lewis will be the natural No 1" at McLaren while Nigel Mansell believes "Jenson will take a few races to get up to speed with the car".

Button, though, insists the team have done everything possible to make him feel at home and says he'll start the season on equal footing with Hamilton.

"I don't think there's an edge, particularly," he told the official Formula One website. "Of course, Lewis knows the team, and he feels very much at home here, but the team has done everything it possibly can to make sure that we receive equal treatment and equipment.

"And I can honestly say that my welcome here, and the experience of working at McLaren has been overwhelmingly positive - I was made to feel part of the family as soon as I joined, and I know that they've made every effort to ensure that I feel at home, feel comfortable and can work to the best of my ability. I have absolutely no concerns in that area whatsoever."

Despite winning the title Brawn (now Mercedes) last year, the 30-year-old decided to join McLaren this year to seek a fresh challenge.

"The motivation this year is totally fresh," he said. "Of course, I think that's primarily come around because of the switch of team.

"If I'd stayed where I was, I don't think I'd have had quite the same determination as I do now - and that's due to a combination of things: my familiarity with the team, the feeling that you're repeating yourself. At McLaren, everything is new, I'm more driven than ever and I want to achieve great things here."

Source: Button: Lewis doesn't have an edge | Planet F1 | Formula One News