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McLaren says it will work hard to ensure team juniors Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne are on the F1 grid next year. It appears likely that the Woking based team, enduring its high-profile struggle this year with Honda power, will retain the champion line-up of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in 2016.
Current reserve Magnussen, however, has said he is determined to either step up to a McLaren race seat, switch to a rival team or leave F1 to race elsewhere. And Belgian Vandoorne, 23, is having one of the most impressive GP2 campaigns in recent memory, and will almost certainly wrap up the title soon.
"It's a luxury problem to have four good drivers," said McLaren team boss Eric Boullier. "Kevin and Stoffel are very good drivers, we expect both of them to race formula one but if we can't fit or accommodate them at home we will do our best to make sure they can race next year," he added.
According to the paddock grapevine, even if McLaren wants to keep Button, there is an outside chance the now 35-year-old will call time on his long F1 career at the end of the season. Mark Webber, who made the mid-30s switch from F1 two years ago, said Le Mans would also be a smart move for the popular Briton. "Everything becomes more difficult as you get older," the Australian is quoted by Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, "even in the world of a driver."
"Look at Jenson, he's 35 and fighting against young, aggressive guys. He had a good career but at his age he has to figure out what is the best time to stop in style. In sport, there seem to be only two cases of athletes who do not feel the weight of age and they are Valentino Rossi and Roger Federer," Webber added. (GMM)
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G. Zhou
Replies (2)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
A wise decision, if you ask me. Not like it was either driver's fault this season has gone down the drain anyway, test season or not. Button is a great driver in many ways: very tactical, tyre-friendly, and is not too shabby in rain. And he is pretty good on developing too, I've heard. Couple that with the more fastpaced but inconsistant Alonso, and McLaren has basically found themself a Hamilton-Rosberg combination. Now they just need a car to match it...
khasmir
Posts: 893
I would even say Button is one of the best regarding car feeling and control. Many of his victories (except the Brawn season) were during difficult weather conditions.
But I would not dare to call Alonso inconsistent, for me he is one of the, if not the best drivers out there. With a good car he can put down the same fast lap times over and over again. He's a machine ;)
I think they are a good match and it's a dream for many teams to have such a pair of drivers. Now just give them a good car dammit...