Jenson Button insists there is no way he will play second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton in the race for the F1 world title.

Reigning champion Button currently trails his McLaren team-mate by 35 points in the drivers' championship, but he is adamant the team will not be favouring one driver over the other in the final six races of the season.

Mark Webber has said Red Bull might have to prioritise as both he and Sebastian Vettel chase the crown, but Button is confident there will be no such situation at McLaren.

He told Drive Time: "We won’t prioritise one racer. It’ a very fair team and that’s why I wanted to join this team.

"I've got a great team-mate in Lewis, we’ve both won world championships in the past, and the great thing is we are given equal equipment.

"That’s the way it should be and the way you want to win a championship."

Button's title hopes were dented in Belgium last weekend when he crashed out at Spa following a collision with Sebastien Vettel, a clash for which the Austrian later apologised.

Button revealed: "Seb called after the race to apologise for the accident he caused, which was good, but it doesn’t give me my points back.

"He didn’t do it on purpose. It was just a mistake but I was the person who paid the price. But we've got to put that behind us and look forward now."

And Button insists the battle for the championship is still wide open.

"It's definitely not a straight fight between Lewis and Webber for the title," he said. "I'm 35 points behind but that's not that much. In old money, with last year’s points system, it equates to about 14 points. So it’s not a lot – it’s like a win and a fifth place.

"So it’s all still to play for. As it heats up in the last six races I think there’s going to be a lot more action so it’s about staying out of trouble and fighting for every victory.

"The next race is at Monza and that should suit our car. I’m still fighting for the title and to keep the F1 trophy in my living room."
Jenson Button was speaking ahead of the annual BGC Charity Day at Canary Wharf in London. talkSPORT will be broadcasting live from the event from 6am on Monday, September 13.