Button: Perez 'deserves' second year with McLaren

McLaren driver Jenson Button believes team-mate Sergio Perez 'deserves' a second year with the Woking-based outfit.

Perez joined McLaren at the start of this season, drafted in after some impressive drives for Sauber in 2012. However, he has yet to really make his mark, and currently has taken only eight top-ten finishes, although his result last weekend in India was notable and he put in a strong performance and finished fifth - his best placing of the season, and one that also equalled McLaren's best for 2013, after JB also finished in P5 in China at the start of the year.

"He [Perez] deserves to be here next year," Button confirmed in an interview with the official F1 site ahead of this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 17th round in the 2013 F1 World Championship. "He is very quick, has good pace and he proved that all weekend in India.

"For the whole team it was a very promising weekend, even more so for Checo and his future in the team."

McLaren sporting director, Sam Michael meanwhile reiterated this week that no decision has yet been taken.

"In terms of Checo specifically he is pushing very hard at the moment," Michael said during a Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes phone-in. "He is staying focused and he is driving well. He is also working well with the engineers and ultimately that is what we expect him to do.

"As for contracts going forward we are not in a position to announce anything just yet. As soon as we are then obviously all of our staff and all of you guys [the media] will know as soon as possible because there wouldn't be any reason to not do that.

"But we haven't come to that decision yet."