Sergio Perez jumps on the McLaren bandwagon!

Sergio Perez, whose future with Force India appeared done and dusted, may have just joined a group of potential drivers in line to partner Carlos Sainz at McLaren next year.

Last weekend at Spa, the Mexican confidently claimed that he knew where he would be racing in 2019, but added "I cannot communicate it yet, I don't think it'll be long from now."

While pundits suspected Perez was alluding to an extension of his deal with Force India, reports on Wednesday from Sky Sports suggest the 28-year-old has put himself in contention for a drive with McLaren.

• Stoffel Vandoorne's manager is hearing 'too many rumors'

The Woking-based outfit has yet to nominate the driver that will be racing alongside Sainz in 2019, but its current short-list includes incumbent Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren junior Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon and now Perez.

It would be a homecoming of sorts for Perez if he is chosen, having raced with McLaren alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2013. It wasn't a productive partnership however, and Checo was dropped after just a single season.

Rumors are swelling that a big game of musical chairs is set to start after next weekend's Italian Grand Prix if Lance Stroll's expected transfer from Williams to Force India effectively takes place.

That move - if confirmed - would ignite a series of in-season driver rotations, with Ocon expected to make way for the Canadian at Force India and head over to McLaren, to the detriment of Vandoorne.

The French driver, who is backed by Mercedes, apparently had a seat fitting at Woking recently, but paddock gossip in Spa suggested he had trouble fitting his 6ft 1in lanky figure into the team's MCL33.

Now Monza will provide another flurry of stories and speculation, and perhaps a few confirmation, as the silly season continues to unfold.

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