McLaren is determined to keep two-time world champion and current driver Fernando Alonso with the team for the 2019 season. The Spaniard has made it clear his focus is on winning motorsports triple crown and having already accomplished his Monaco Grand Prix victory, could see his future elsewhere.
McLaren boss Zak Brown believes that Alonso has never been happier within a team in Formula One and that his intent is to stay on with the team past the current season and continue to develop the car into what the team hopes will be a race winner.
"We will look at the driver line-up in the middle of the year. We'll see what Fernando wants to do.
"I think Formula 1 is his passion, but he's been doing it a long time so we have got to see what he wants to do. But hopefully he will be with McLaren for a long time."
McLaren junior driver Lando Norris has been making waves in Formula 2 this year already and with the McLaren driver line-up all but assured for next year, the team definitely has options available to them should they need to replace either one of their drivers, but Brown maintained that Alonso was happy at the team.
"He loves the McLaren environment, I don't think he's ever been happier driving for a racing team.
"I think his heart is definitely still in Formula 1 but he wants to win. He's going to wait and see how these developments come along - we have more developments coming - so in the middle of the year we will sit down and make a decision.
"But I expect to see Fernando racing something and I hope it has a McLaren badge on it."
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