Four candidates for second McLaren seat

Zak Brown has named four candidates who are in the running to race the second McLaren in 2019.

The Woking team has already signed up Carlos Sainz, but now Stoffel Vandoorne is in danger of losing the other place.

Changes adrift

Recently, it was rumoured that McLaren could 'give' its junior Lando Norris to Toro Rosso for 2019, in exchange for Red Bull letting James Key start work at McLaren early.

READ: 'No doubt' Stoffel Vandoorne keeping his 2018 seat - manager

But at Monza, Brown said Norris is actually in the running for a McLaren seat.

"Lando is developing well with us and has done a great job in the practice sessions in Belgium and Italy," he said.

"He is on our list of potential drivers that has only four names on it: Lando, Stoffel, Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez."

Perez is a surprise candidate, given that the Mexican declared at Monza that he already knows the identity of his 2019 employer.

"We have not made a deal with anyone. I don't know what Sergio has signed and with whom, but the driver market is on the move and we want to keep all our options open,"  Brown said.