Silly season: McLaren to keep improving, changes afoot at Toro Rosso?
F1 News
With the Formula 1 summer break upon us the rumour mill is rife with the biggest stories in the world of motorsport. Today we look at potential changes at McLaren and Toro Rosso as the 'Silly Season' gets underway!
McLaren is one of the few teams that WON'T be involved with the classic silly season rumours, as they confirmed that Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz would continue their excellent partnership next season after a great start this year.
After vowing to return to the top for several years now, McLaren have finally tapped into their potential and have been a real force this season. Whilst they haven't been challenging for podiums or wins, they've been regulars in the points, with Sainz finishing fifth in the last two races.
The most interesting part of McLaren's silly season this time is their venture into IndyCar, which was confirmed on Friday. Could Fernando Alonso be joining them? We'll see in the near future...
Things are less clear at Toro Rosso, but not really because of their drivers. Red Bull's Pierre Gasly has had a torrid 2019 so far, and there are rumours that either of Toro Rosso's current drivers, Daniil Kvyat and Alex Albon, could replace the Frenchman for next season.
Toro Rosso often have a brand new pairing at the start of a season, but it is unlikely that either Kvyat or Albon will find themselves without a seat next season, especially considering the fact there isn't a huge haul of talent in the Red Bull academy, ready to join F1.
IndyCar star Patricio O'Ward recently joined the academy as they released Dan Ticktum, but it is unclear how fancied the Mexican is for a race seat.
At the moment, the most likely outcome is for both Kvyat and Albon to remain with either Red Bull or Toro Rosso, depending on whether Red Bull can find an outside replacement for Gasly, who could be dropped back to the junior team. It's complicated!