All-British line-up!

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has expressed surprise at world champion Jenson Button's switch to McLaren, where he will race alongside Lewis Hamilton next season.

But leading race pundits in Bahrain believe the British duo will strike up a powerful partnership and will provide a boost for Mumtalakat Holdings, the kingdom's investment arm which has a 30 per cent stake in the company.

Button signed a long-term contract to drive for the McLaren team alongside Hamilton in what will be only the second all-British world champion line-up in Formula One history. The £6m-a-year deal sees the 29-year-old Englishman turning his back on the Brawn team only two days after they were purchased by Mercedes-Benz.

"It's always a difficult decision to leave a team when you've been there for so long," said Button. "But life is all about challenges - and, most important of all, it's about challenging yourself. So, although I won the world championship with Brawn GP last year, and I'll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges."

Hamilton welcomed Button's arrival. "It's fantastic news that Jenson has decided to join Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - and I'm looking forward to working with him and our engineers to make sure we kick off the 2010 season with a car that's competitive enough to win the world championship."

Hamilton, McLaren's 2008 world champion, added: "I already know Jenson, and we get on very well together. We both really want our team to succeed.

"Although we'll be pushing each other hard, I'm sure we'll very quickly establish a great working relationship. I think we'll complement each other very well."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said Button's move from Brawn 'was in no way motivated by money'.

"It has always been our policy to employ the two very best possible drivers - and, in Jenson and Lewis, we feel we not only have the fastest pairing on the 2010 grid but also the two most complete, professional and dedicated drivers in Formula One."

Ecclestone says he did not expect the kind of interpersonal rivalry which marred relations between Hamilton and former champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren.

"I think it will work," he said. "They're both English guys and understand each other. I don't see a problem at all.

"He (Button) obviously knows what he's doing and he must be satisfied with the arrangements he's got in hand. I must confess I was a little surprised to see it happening. I suppose he feels confident enough to take on Lewis and that's it."

Next season kicks off at Bahrain International Circuit on March 12-14 and the BIC's CEO Martin Whitaker believes the paring could be a match made in racing heaven.

He said: "The combination of world champion Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, the man who's crown Jenson stole, will certainly create a lot of interest both on and off the track. Some are calling it a 'dream team'.

"Both drivers have very different driving styles and I expect to see Lewis being the dominant force."

Talal Al Zain, CEO of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, said: "We are excited about the coming period as we have two phenomenal drivers under the McLaren name. All this will only strengthen our position. We expect an interesting season ahead of us."

Mr Al Zain also highlighted the development of a McLaren road car as added excitement to the relationship. The MP4-12C will be introduced into the high-performance production sports car market in 2011.