Oct.16 (GMM) Jenson Button can for now put aside his plans to contest the Le Mans 24 hour race.

Earlier this month, after signing a new contract with McLaren, the 2009 world champion expressed interest in the company's rumoured plans to enter its MP4-12C sports car in the fabled French endurance race.

"Not sure if I would be allowed but yes I am very interested," Button, 31, said at Suzuka.

But even though the 2012 Le Mans is scheduled for the weekend between Canada and Valencia, team boss Martin Whitmarsh has bad news for the Briton.

"Next year? Probably not," Whitmarsh is quoted by the Press Association in Korea.

"He hasn't asked me. We don't plan to have a McLaren (at Le Mans) next year, but we'll go back there one day because we have happy memories and one day in the future he (Button) might be doing that.

"But over the next few years I think he'll be concentrating on F1 and not Le Mans, but I'm sure we can accommodate it in the future," he added.

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