From GMM
McLaren could wait another year for a top name to join the newly Honda-powered outfit.
In recent days and weeks, it has become increasingly clear that the Woking team is bidding to lure a star champion like Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel to the British-Japanese works collaboration for 2015.
All three, however, are under contract to their existing teams, which may be good news for the nervous incumbent, F1 veteran Jenson Button, who otherwise might be staring at retirement.
"If I'm not racing at the end of the season, so be it," he said at Monza. "I can't do much about that."
But Britain's The Observer newspaper reports that McLaren is in fact now most likely to sign Button and his rookie teammate Kevin Magnussen for at least another season.
"We are happy with the drivers we have, to be honest," team boss Eric Boullier confirmed. "You can rate them or not rate them, I don't care. We are happy and lucky to have the good drivers we have. If we have them next year we will be happy with that."
The Frenchman hinted that a better "strategy" for McLaren might be to let the all-new McLaren-Honda partnership bed in for a year before thinking again about a driver change for 2016.
"We are thinking about strategy," Eric Boullier said. "We have to think about 2016. We are seeking who, when, how, how much, because we need to know how we want to build for the future. It is usual in formula one, especially with A-list drivers, to have discussions not for next year but for the year after."
It is obvious that drivers of Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel's calibre might be unlikely to take a gamble with a move to McLaren without first assessing the new Honda era.
"We are in favour of having the best car," said Eric Boullier, "because then we can attract the best driver and have the winning package. At some stage you have to open the negotiations."
McLaren could wait another year for a top name to join the newly Honda-powered outfit.
In recent days and weeks, it has become increasingly clear that the Woking team is bidding to lure a star champion like Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel to the British-Japanese works collaboration for 2015.
All three, however, are under contract to their existing teams, which may be good news for the nervous incumbent, F1 veteran Jenson Button, who otherwise might be staring at retirement.
"If I'm not racing at the end of the season, so be it," he said at Monza. "I can't do much about that."
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| Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes, at Monza. (Photo: WRi2) |
But Britain's The Observer newspaper reports that McLaren is in fact now most likely to sign Button and his rookie teammate Kevin Magnussen for at least another season.
"We are happy with the drivers we have, to be honest," team boss Eric Boullier confirmed. "You can rate them or not rate them, I don't care. We are happy and lucky to have the good drivers we have. If we have them next year we will be happy with that."
The Frenchman hinted that a better "strategy" for McLaren might be to let the all-new McLaren-Honda partnership bed in for a year before thinking again about a driver change for 2016.
"We are thinking about strategy," Eric Boullier said. "We have to think about 2016. We are seeking who, when, how, how much, because we need to know how we want to build for the future. It is usual in formula one, especially with A-list drivers, to have discussions not for next year but for the year after."
It is obvious that drivers of Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel's calibre might be unlikely to take a gamble with a move to McLaren without first assessing the new Honda era.
"We are in favour of having the best car," said Eric Boullier, "because then we can attract the best driver and have the winning package. At some stage you have to open the negotiations."