McLaren hinted on Friday that Jenson Button was planning to call time on his Formula 1 career but said they still hoped to persuade Britain's 2009 world champion to stay with them next season.
"Jenson is a fantastic guy, a world champion and a big part of our family at Honda and McLaren for six seasons," managing director Jonathan Neale told reporters after a wet day of practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.
"We are contracted with him, we want him to stay and we like him very much," he added. "But if your driver doesn't really want to be in the seat, then we have to respect that."
Button's future has become a hot topic in the Formula One paddock, with mounting speculation earlier in the week that he was planning an announcement at his favourite circuit.
Instead, the 35-year-old told reporters that they would have to wait for news. Neale noted that had come as something of an anti-climax for the media but the team wanted to continue discussions with Button.
Former champions McLaren, in a new partnership with Honda, have had an abject season with the engine uncompetitive and unreliable and no match for dominant Mercedes.
Both Button and Fernando Alonso have collected multiple penalties due to repeated engine problems and the Briton has scored just six points in 13 races.
Button spoke on Thursday about how the 'joy' of competing was missing, "I don't think any driver has joy when they are not fighting for victories,. I don't like finishing 14th, I don't like finishing 10th. That's not what gives me joy and excites me.
"But there are so many other things that if they work in your favour or you see a future, there's the possibility of joy coming back," added the most experienced driver on the current starting grid.
Even though Jenson Button delayed his expected announcement on Thursday, rumours the McLaren driver is ending his long F1 career are only growing.
That speculation has been further fired up by Chris Evans, the new host of the British motoring programme Top Gear.
It is being predicted that, if Button ends his 16-year grand prix career, he will join Evans as a presenter, potentially dividing his time in 2016 between broadcasting and racing at Le Mans or the world rallycross series.
Evans told Radio 2: "We are getting news from the F1 fraternity in Japan. There is talk of a press conference about to be held to do with Top Gear at Suzuka.
"But he (Button) hasn't signed on the dotted line or, as far I'm aware told his current bosses. Anyway, we'll see how that unfolds," he added.
Button supposedly planned to announce his retirement on Thursday and had even briefed some British journalists to that effect.
But subsequent talks with McLaren and Honda officials may have convinced the 35-year-old to hold fire for now, "It's just respectfully between the team and myself. That's what you do when you're in business with people.
"So, mutual respect and whatever decision we make will be good for everyone. It will be the right decision."
The BBC, who broadcast Top Gear, denied there are any announcements scheduled to take place in Japan this weekend.
But Button hinted that, notwithstanding the new delay, he knows what he is going to be doing in 2016.
"Even if you know in your mind what you want to do, you still want to talk with the team and discuss the future. It's going to happen.
"It doesn't mean that it changes my mind in any way, but it's important for us to be as one when we decide what's happening."
Button said he has been overwhelmed by the support of the fans, who have been bombarding his social media accounts with messages of support amid the retirement rumours.
"I think 90pc of them are saying I shouldn't retire from the sport, and when they read that it's a possibility it surprises some of them. I wish I could tell them a little bit more," he added.
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