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McLaren 'interested' in talking to Perez about IndyCar

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McLaren boss Zak Brown says he would "definitely be interested" in talking to Sergio Perez about a potential drive with the Woking team's IndyCar outfit for 2021.

Perez will be leaving Racing Point at the end of the current season following the team's hiring of Sebastian Vettel.

The Mexican ambitions to remain a Grand Prix driver next year, but a move to IndyCar could be the next best thing for Perez if the 30-year-old fails to secure a deal with an F1 team.

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"He’ll probably end up in Formula 1, [that] is my guess, at either Haas or Alfa Romeo," said Brown.

"But if he had an interest in IndyCar, I think he’s a great racecar driver, and we’d definitely be interested in talking to him."

McLaren's current IndyCar program is conducted in association with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports which runs young hopefuls Pato O'Ward and Oliver Askew.

Both drivers have showed great potential in the series this year, but Arrow McLaren SP could enter a third car for Perez with adequate financial backing.

"We would need the funding for three cars, and at this point we only have the funding for two cars," added Brown.

"So we wouldn’t be in a position to sign him today, but it would be something that, in-between the backing that he’s historically had, and the commercial activity that we’ve got going on, and the excitement someone like Sergio would create, we would certainly look to see if we could put it together."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.