Jenson Button expects Lewis Hamilton to be his team-mate at McLaren next season despite speculation linking him to Mercedes.

15360 - Button expects Hamilton to stay at McLaren

Hamilton's contract expires at the end of the year and while an agreement with McLaren was thought to be close, reports this week have suggested he could be set to switch to Mercedes. Button, however, doesn't think Hamilton will leave and expects both Michael Schumacher to stay at Mercedes and Felipe Massa to remain with Ferrari.

"I think I'll have the same team-mate next year because this is the best place for him," Button is quoted by the BBC. "If you're in the same place for too long, it can get a bit stale, but not here. This is a great team and a team that's always giving us a chance to fight for wins.

"Whether we've had the chance to fight for the championship, that's another question, but they always give you the possibility of winning grands prix and that's what a driver wants. I don't think anything will change next year in terms of driver line-ups, but I might be wrong."