McLaren delay line-up announcement

McLaren have announced that their driver line-up for the 2015 Formula One World Championship will not be announced in the immediate future.

With reports that Fernando Alonso is set to join McLaren in the biggest deal in Formula One history, the delay on its announcement seems strange.

In fact, Ferrari have yet to officially confirm the Spaniard’s departure and whilst Red Bull Racing have confirmed that Sebastian Vettel is to leave the team, his arrival at Ferrari is also yet to be formally announced.

Two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso is reportedly set to sign the biggest deal in the history of Formula One.

The Spanish newspaper AS has stated that Alonso’s estimated salary of £25million will be a binding two-year contract with an option for a third season.

The Spaniard is expected to sign the deal, after reportedly having his contract terminated by mutual consent with Ferrari.

The move is believed to have been engineered by Honda, who have been desperate to secure a marquee driver since announcing their return to the sport.

But whilst Alonso’s imminent return to McLaren is widely known, it is not known who his team-mate will be.

Rumour in the paddock was that Kevin Magnussen would partner Alonso at McLaren.

At 22-year-old Magnussen is 12 years Jenson Button’s junior. So with a view on the years to come, Magnussen is clearly the favourite.

But whilst Magnussen has done well in his debut season, having often outperformed Button on a Saturday.

But when it really matters on a Sunday, Button has shown why he is a former world champion himself.

Button leads Magnussen 106 points to 55 in the drivers championship.

Magnussen would prove to be the cheaper option and after splashing the cash on Alonso, that could be an option that McLaren prefer.

But 2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button insists he isn’t after a big cash deal to remain in Formula One and the longer the announcement takes, it feels like the the more chance Button has of remaining with the team.

‘Selecting the optimal driver line-up for a Formula 1 team is clearly an important process, and it is therefore one that requires precise and prolonged analysis,’ a McLaren statement said on Sky Sports.

‘That being the case, and in order to avoid distracting the race team from its primary objective during the final Grand Prix weekend of the season, which is to secure the best possible on-track results, we have decided to defer our final deliberations relating to our 2015 driver line-up until a date no earlier than Monday December 1st.’