McLaren will not be making a driver announcement this weekend at Suzuka. With speculation about his future rife, Spain's Diario AS has claimed Fernando Alonso's situation at Ferrari is now "almost unbearable", and an announcement of a split could be the next item on the agenda.
The Spaniard is strongly linked with a return to his 2007 employer, McLaren, to spearhead the British team's new works partnership with Honda from 2015. Honda-owned Suzuka, the scene of this weekend's Japanese grand prix, would seem the ideal place for confirmation. But Yasuhisa Arai, Honda's F1 chief, played down the chances of an imminent announcement. "I don't think we will be discussing the topic of drivers given that nothing is decided," he told Britain's Sky.
Arai did, however, admit that talks with McLaren about the composition of next year's driver lineup are likely to take place behind the scenes this weekend. "We are constantly talking about which drivers we would like to see and whilst McLaren is here in Japan it is only natural that we organise some meetings with McLaren," he revealed.
It is believed the two most likely scenarios for 2015 are that McLaren will either field an unchanged lineup next year, or drop Kevin Magnussen and pair Alonso with fellow champion Jenson Button.
Briton Button, who previously drove for Honda's works team and is engaged to the Japanese model Jessica Michibata, said this week that McLaren needs experience at the wheel for the new era. "There are so many ways in which having a driver with experience can help you to find the right direction," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint, adding that "understanding Japanese culture" will also be important for McLaren from 2015. (GMM)
Honda to talk with McLaren at Suzuka about 2015 lineup
- Published on 02 Oct 2014 12:42
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
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1 - May 3
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22 - May 24
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Gilles Villeneuve
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Red Bull Ring
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Silverstone
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Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
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Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
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Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 631
- Podiums 9
- Grand Prix 204
- Country Spain
- Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (45)
- Place of b. Oviedo, Spain
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 188,074 comments on Aston Martin
78 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Fernando Alonso
Team profile
- Team name McLaren
- Base Woking, United Kingdom
- Jenson Button 1
- Lewis Hamilton 1
- Fernando Alonso 1
- Niki Lauda 1
- Stoffel Vandoorne 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Lewis Hamilton 2
- Gerhard Berger 2
- Daniel Ricciardo 3
- Jenson Button 3
- Lewis Hamilton 3
- Kimi Räikkönen 3
- Mika Häkkinen 3
- Lando Norris 4
- Lewis Hamilton 4
- Jenson Button 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Jenson Button 5
- Sergio Perez 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Niki Lauda 8
- Alain Prost 8
- Kimi Räikkönen 9
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Kevin Magnussen 20
- Jenson Button 22
- Lewis Hamilton 22
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Stoffel Vandoorne 47
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- Oscar Piastri 81
- 306,947 comments on McLaren
- 162 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about McLaren
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