While we are never likely to know the full details of the saga surrounding his re-signing with McLaren - much as we'll never know the full details of his teammate's pre-season test crash - Jenson Button insists he is delighted to be continuing in F1 and believes good times are just around the corner.

In the wake of the Japanese Grand Prix it seemed Button was looking to quit, much like his teammate, but a couple of days later the Woking team announced the Briton was staying on for a seventh season.

"I had thoughts about what direction I would take if I wasn't here next year, what I could possibly do, but it wasn't in my mind for very long," he admitted to reporters in Sochi today.

"I had a really good week last week, very positive spending it with a lot of key individuals within the team, the heads of department that are really going to make a difference," he continued. "So I have real belief that it is going to be much better next year, both on the car and engine side, and that's why I want to be racing here next year.

"The only reason you want to keep racing is to have a chance of being competitive, and obviously we're not there yet, but it will be the case in the future. There are going to be lots of changes within the team, with the power unit. This is still a very young partnership and lots will change over the winter and we'll be more competitive next year.

Whilst a full season in 2016 will see him remain third in terms of all-time race starts, behind Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, Button hasn't dismissed in eclipsing the pair, especially as F1 undergoes a radical overhaul in 2017.

"I don't know if I'll be racing in 2017 or 18, but it looks very exciting, which is something the sport and the fans should be excited about," he said. "There's definitely no fear of leaving F1. I'm here because I want to be here and this team is going to be competitive in the future, and that's the reason why I want to stay."

Check out our Thursday gallery, here.