McLaren gearing up for contract talks with Alonso

McLaren's Zak Brown says that contract talks with Fernando Alonso will likely begin after the first few races of the season.

Alonso's run with McLaren since he re-joined the team in 2015 has not been fruitful. While progress was made last year following a dismal 2015, the Spaniard has yet to stand on a podium with the Woking-based outfit, let alone win.

Such a dry spell for a two-time world champion and a driver of Alonso's status is not acceptable. One would believe that if contract talks are to begin early, than McLaren's 2017 car would have to be competitive out of the box to entice Alonso to remain on-board.

"He's definitely committed to the project, but his contract is up and he's in high demand as you can imagine,” Brown said in an interview with NBC Sports.

"Vettel is out of a contract next year [too], that's my understanding. So as you can imagine, next year's going to be an exciting driver market.

“Obviously we'd love to keep him. He's one of the greatest drivers on the track, if not the best. But we're just going to see how things go and kick off those conversations a few races into the year."

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Brown admitted that Alonso's frame of mind will undoubtedly be determined by his car's level of performance.

"Yeah, if I were him, I'd want to see how we perform before I started making decisions," Brown added.

"You can't blame him for that. But I think we're all waiting to see and that goes both ways."

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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.