Button was close to Top Gear switch

Jenson Button has admitted he came close to leaving F1 in order to join the new lineup on the BBC motoring programme Top Gear in 2016.

Amid rumours the 2009 world champion was considering his future at McLaren-Honda last year, the Daily Mail newspaper claimed Button, 36, was simultaneously "in talks with the BBC".

Button appeared this week on the BBC Radio 2 programme hosted by Chris Evans, who is Top Gear’s new main presenter.

He asked the driver: "When will we know this season as opposed to last season if you’re definitely able to host Top Gear next year?"

Button laughed: "I knew that was coming."

Evans continued: "We were close though, weren’t we? We were so close, then McLaren said ’No, we want him for another year’."