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Jenson Button is set to replace Fernando Alonso for next month's Monaco Grand Prix, as the Spaniard heads to the US to compete in the Indy 500.
McLaren executive director Zak Brown yesterday said two-time champion Alonso's replacement is "not in place". However, Button is contracted to McLaren, and with no other driver in place, looks set to make a return to the grid on a track where he has won once, in his title-winning year of 2009.
The Brit announced at the Italian Grand Prix in 2016 that he would be taking a step back from Formula 1 this year. He would not be racing but would remain with McLaren as an ambassador and reserve driver, with the latter point put in place to make sure the Woking based team wouldn't be stuck if they lost one of their drivers.
We assumed it to be unlikely, but Alonso's shock announcement yesterday that he would not be taking part in the Monaco Grand Prix leaves McLaren to find another driver - and with Button contracted, there really isn't any other real options, only daring and exotic ones.
Why do I have so many missed calls? ?
— Jenson Button (@JensonButton) April 12, 2017
At a Bahrain press conference, Brown said: "We have a few different options, we will state who that is when we know. Eric [Boullier], who runs the F1 team, is ultimately responsible for making the recommendation as to what driver should go in the car and I think he will be here at the weekend so I can save questions for him, he is working on it. I wouldn't want to share the conversations he has had with whom."
Plenty of driver names have been thrown around, but Button's deal was signed for this exact purpose. Despite not racing, he remains part of the team and agreed to race again if any such situation like this cropped up.
Fergal Walsh
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (4)
Login to replyHEINZ
Posts: 61
Strange way to report news:
"BUTTON SET TO REPLACE ALONSO AT MONACO" does not match with "Alonso's replacement is not in place"
mhejjas
Posts: 3
They mean that McLaren has allowed Alonso to skip the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, so he could race at the Indy 500. Button is to replace Fernando for that single race. On the other hand, his permanent "replacement is not in place", so presumably the Spaniard stays within his contract and continues to race for McLaren from the next race on.
f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
There's not really any other option, it would be silly for McLaren to go with anyone else
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Would be nice to see JB race again, if just for one race.