Lewis Hamilton has revealed he pushed for Jenson Button to be his team-mate, rather than rebelled against it.

Hamilton claims, at a time when McLaren were actively looking for a replacement for Heikki Kovalainen, he placed a call to team principal Martin Whitmarsh suggesting Button.

The irony is, according to Button, he was quietly prodding Hamilton for information about McLaren's situation, somewhat remarkably even before he became world champion with Brawn GP.

From Hamilton's perspective, it dispels the myth he did not want a strong team-mate such as Button after two years of putting Kovalainen in the shade.

Now, the British duo have made Formula One history as this will be the first time a team has started a new season featuring the two most recent winners of the world title.

"Something you won't know is that I actually called Martin and said 'What about Jenson?', which was before they had negotiations," said Hamilton.

"At the time I was calling them and asking them, 'What's going on? I keep reading all these different stories about different drivers. What's happening?'.

"Fortunately I would be told who they were talking to, but I had absolutely no input into who they would pick.

"So I would say, 'Have you spoken to this person? Have you spoken to Jenson?'.

"And why Jenson? Because he is the best driver there is, and they wanted to get the best driver possible.

"I just wanted to find out because people kept asking me as to who was going to be my team-mate.

"I was happy with the team-mate I had, but it seemed like they were looking for someone else."

Asked whether he had made a rod for his own back in plumping for Button, Hamilton, who could not recall ever finishing second best to a team-mate in his entire career, dismissed the notion.

"Firstly, I want the best team I can possibly have to score the points alongside me," replied Hamilton.

"When he's winning I've got to be finishing second, and when I'm winning he's got to be finishing second.

"I need a team. I can't win the constructors' championship on my own, so I need to have as strong a team-mate as possible.

"You want someone to push you. I had Fernando (Alonso) pushing me in 2007, and at certain points in the year in 2008, I had Heikki pushing me.

"I've no doubts this year Jenson is going to be hard to beat. His results last year speak for themselves, so in coming here I'm sure he will do a solid job."

Confirming Hamilton was fully supportive of Button's appointment, Whitmarsh said: "As we evaluated the driver market, which we did over a number of weeks, Lewis was consistently positive about Jenson.

"As I think has been made clear, they have a high regard for each other and are already getting on well."

They were certainly all smiles during the launch of the new car, the MP4-25, at the UK headquarters of their primary sponsors Vodafone in Newbury.

The duo even went out for dinner on Thursday night ahead of the launch, part of a team-bonding exercise.

But asked whether he was aware of Hamilton's input, Button replied: "No, I didn't know that.

"We spoke a little bit in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, but not about me coming here.

"I asked questions about McLaren, but he didn't know why I was asking the questions.

"I was interested, being nosy. You are always going to ask people what their experience is like in other teams.

"I didn't think for one second I would be changing teams. I didn't think the option was there.

"But your mindset changes when you've achieved something you've worked so hard for, and you look for other challenges."