McLaren not interested in 2017 line-up yet

Jenson Button could be out

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 rumor 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."