Are ART set to enter F1 with Magnussen and Vandoorne?

McLaren are currently in the middle of a twisting knot with their drivers. They have two world champions and two hot shot young drivers in the form of Kevin Magnussen, who was dropped by McLaren at the end of last year and replaced by Fernando Alonso, and Stoffel Vandoorne who is currently leading the GP2 World Championship.

However, a seat will not be available at McLaren until 2017 at the earliest, providing that all contracts between McLaren and their drivers are adhered to, leaving their young drivers in limbo.

ESPN revealed today that McLaren’s team boss Ron Dennis hinted to giving Kevin Magnussen a drive for 2016 in a smaller team, much like the team felt obliged to do with Sergio Perez after letting him go at the end of 2013, giving him a Force India seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg.

"I think Kevin has the ability to race next year. At the same time he knows we live in the real world. I have two world champions who are among the very best. So he has to prove himself. Perhaps that means I have to help him into another team for another learning year," Ron Dennis said.

This does not look to be an option for McLaren this time, though. Force India seem quite happy with their driver line up. One might argue that either Hulkenberg or Perez could be signed by Ferrari when Kimi Raikkonen makes his F1 exit, but it is Valtteri Bottas who is currently favourite to replace the 2007 World Champion.

So what options do McLaren have? The FIA recently announced they were looking for a new team to enter Formula One for either 2016 alongside Haas F1 or the following year. It just so happens that, at the moment, the team favourite to do so is ART, the current leading GP2 team as well as being the team that McLaren’s young star Stoffel Vandoorne drives for.

Here is the perfect fit for McLaren. ART entering Formula One gives them a place where they can put their young drivers. ART has often been seen as McLaren’s junior GP2; Lewis Hamilton joined Formula One in 2007 having driven for ART in GP2 the previous year. This system gives McLaren a Red Bull/Toro Rosso-like situation, which is often regarded as the best system currently within the sport.

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