Following his success in Sunday’s London marathon, Jenson Button has announced plans to run the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix, claiming it will be ‘faster than using the McLaren’.

As well as significantly improved pace, Button is said to be believe that tackling the Catalunya track on foot will bring other major advantages over using his MP4-30. ‘Jenson managed to complete the London marathon without once belching steam and coming to a halt at the side of the course,’ said a source close to the team. ‘Nor did he suddenly get told to sit out the rest of the event for mysteriously unspecified reasons and then have to give an interview in which he is forced to claim the team is ‘making progress’.’

Although the idea of running 190 miles rather than using a car is likely to be extremely challenging, Button is said to be sanguine about potential problems including the risk of needing to take a Paula Radcliffe-style poo stop in front of all the fans. ‘Jenson is cool with that happening,’ our insider noted. ‘It certainly won’t be the first time he’s had trouble with the super softs.’

With less than two weeks until the Spanish race, the phlegm voiced racer is now in talks with Pirelli to buy some extra durable trainers and is working on precautions against the single biggest threat to his Grand Prix marathon – being run over by Pastor Maldonado.