Jenson Button says he is excited by the proposed Formula One rule changes for 2017, even though he does not know if he will still be racing in the sport by then.
Button's recently-confirmed contract extension at McLaren ended long-running speculation about his future and will see his career continue for a 17th season in 2016. Part of the reason behind agreeing to stay was his faith in the McLaren-Honda partnership, which has struggled in its first year together in 2015.
The 2009 champion has pointed to the mooted changes for the 2017 season, with emphasis on making cars faster and more aggressive-looking, as another reason to be optimistic about F1 in the future.
"The future of the sport is also a lot more exciting than we thought it was maybe a year ago, with people understanding things need to change," Button said. "There's been a lot of criticism about the sport in general and it's nice to see people are taking notice and things are changing. The future, I don't know if I will be racing in '17, '18, whatever, but I think it looks very exciting and I think that's something the sport should be excited about, and the fans also."
Button says his current focus is on taking McLaren back to the front of the grid after its troublesome 2015 campaign.
"Obviously we are focusing on now, the future is something we can look forward to, concentrating on now is the only way we are going to be competitive now. There are lots of changes within the team and the power unit. This is still a very young partnership and I think you'll see a much more competitive team next year."