Ross Brawn is all but certain that he will retain the services of the newly-crowned world champion Jenson Button in 2010 as contract negotiations between the two parties remain on-going.
Button is currently out of contract and has been linked to other teams including McLaren, but made it clear after his title victory in Brazil that he would like to stay with the Brawn team in the future.
Brawn told the BBC on Sunday that he also wants the Briton to stay in his squad, but added that the outcome of the talks would depend on finding a balance between Button's salary demands and securing a budget to be competitive next season.
"Jenson's obviously a great driver and for those teams without their full compliment of drivers he has got to be a target," said Brawn. "We want Jenson to stay in the team and I think we will find a solution.
"Jenson has a contract with us, but of course that contract is not the salary of a world champion and not the salary of a team that is now in a much stronger position than it was ten months ago.
"We are working with Jenson to find a balance between what we can afford and what he feels is fair for his status and what he can contribute in the future.
"You are never 100% but I would say 99% [certain it will happen]."
Brawn added that the team and Button had agreed a target of two weeks after the end of the season to agree a deal, but said things could move faster if the two parties can find an accord before then.
"It's a little difficult going into Abu Dhabi because we still want to put up a good performance there so it's not the best environment," said Brawn. "We have set a target of two weeks after the last race to get this concluded, but maybe it will happen before then if we can reach an agreement.
"As I say it's finding this middle ground between what we can afford and it's what we can afford compared to all the other things we need to do with the team.
"We have a finite amount of resource and money and we have to look at the best way of spending that. It's not money that is going to shareholders, it's money that is going into the team to invest and buy the things that we need to be competitive in the future.
"We have a great relationship with Jenson and he has been a wonderful part of the team and he has done a fantastic job this year," he added. "There have been a few difficulties in qualifying this year but his race performances have been exemplary.
"I think it can only go forward from here with Jenson."
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