Button's future with impoverished Brawn riding on Mercedes deal

London: Jenson Button's Formula One future could hinge on Mercedes buying into his Brawn GP team and providing them with the funds they need to bankroll the contract he is demanding.

It is understood that otherwise Brawn are too impoverished to meet the new world champion's salary expectations, which amount to at least double his current £3 million (Dh18 million) a year.

They have used up all, or nearly all, of the £120 million Honda left them with when they handed over ownership to Ross Brawn in March. That has been spent on running costs, development of this and next year's cars and laying off 200 staff.

Even with Virgin's name plastered over the car all season at a rate of £150,000 per race, it has yielded only £2.5 million if, as many doubt, the arrangement has been paid up in full.

Brawn's plight was underlined when they withdrew a points-based bonus scheme for staff in mid-season, causing consternation in the factory. Ross Brawn, who said he was 99 per cent sure of signing Button, said on Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme: "It's finding this middle ground between what we can afford and all the other things we need to do with the team.

"We have a finite amount of resource, money, whatever — and we have to look at the best way of spending that. It's money that's going into the team to invest and to buy the things we need to be competitive in the future."

Brawn, who has taken direct charge of negotiations, indicated to staff that he will not risk the team's future for one man. He is also unhappy at what he perceives as Button's tactic of conducting contract talks through the press.

Brawn is rightly cautious. Though his team claims to have a title sponsor for next season, it is unlikely to answer all their financial concerns on its own. So it is over to Mercedes to provide long-term stability.