Eric Boullier says McLaren-Honda has not considered its driver line-up for the 2017 F1 season yet, adding that “it would be a distraction for the team”.
The British outfit currently has world champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button under contract but the latter’s deal reportedly expires at the end of the current campaign.
And while the Spaniard is theoretically locked in until 2017, his name has often appeared on the silly season’s rumour mill in the light of McLaren-Honda’s steady but slow progress.
Meanwhile, reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne has been tipped for a full-time role next year, even more so after his convincing points-scoring grand prix debut in Bahrain last April.
Asked whether McLaren-Honda had begun addressing the question of its 2017 pairing, Boullier replied: “No, absolutely nothing. We have not started discussing anything with any drivers. It’s too early in the season so it would be too distracting for the team.”
When suggested to him that he wanted to keep the current line up on their toes, the racing director added: “Exactly, yeah. It’s part of the game.”
From the cockpit: Felipe Nasr on a controversial Monaco Grand Prix
Scene at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix
Driver ratings - Monaco Grand Prix
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
The asphalt at Jerez was already sizzling on Saturday, but the temperature in the MotoGP…
On this day in 2001, the world of motorsport mourned the loss of Michele Alboreto,…
Former Grand Prix driver Jean Alesi, who famously wore his heart on his sleeve during…
Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has called out Red Bull for letting Max Verstappen…
While the start of the 2026 season has been a heavy lift for Williams –…
Zak Brown has once again lit the fuse on one of the sport’s most controversial…