McLaren boss Zak Brown commented on the contract renewal with Swedish Felix Rosenqvist, who still doesn't know whether he will continue in Indy or migrate back to Formula E in 2023
McLaren announced last Thursday (23) the contract renewal with Felix Rosenqvist. However, the British team did not reveal in which category the Swede will compete in 2023, and Felix can either continue in Indy or return to Formula E, where he competed between 2016 and 2019. The unusual tie-up has drawn attention, and Zak Brown has not ruled out following a similar path with other drivers in the future.
"I think it goes from case to case. It made sense with the current situation we're in now and Felix being able to win in both categories. So I wouldn't say it's necessarily a path forward, it's just an option based on the driver, what categories we're in and where we might have openings," Brown said during the announcement of a partnership with a futuristic city in Saudi Arabia.
A week after the announcement, it is still unclear what Rosenqvist's future will be. Currently eighth in Indy, the Swede has one pole position this year and a fourth place in the Indianapolis 500 as his best results this season. McLaren is still looking for options in the market for both Indy and Formula E, in order to define the best driver combination for 2023.
"There is no progress yet, we are trying to put together the best driver lineups in all our racing activities. We are expanding to three cars in Indy, Felix is unique because he has won in Indy and Formula E, so he can race in either," praised the Woking team boss.
"So it will depend a lot on who will be our other Indy driver or who will be our other Formula E driver, and then we will think about 'This is the best lineup we can put together in Formula 1, Indy, Formula E and Extreme E,' and that's why we're still undecided about where we want to put him. It's really based on what the best combination is," the American manager explained.
McLaren will make its Formula E debut in 2023 in place of Mercedes, which is leaving the category after three seasons. Asked about the possibility of taking advantage of one of the German team's drivers, which currently features Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, a former McLaren driver, and Dutchman Nyck De Vries, Brown revealed that the two already have other plans for the future.
"No, they are working on other things. I could spoil the announcement, but I'll let them do that!" stated Zak.