McLaren is set to join forces with a leading GP2 team, according to reports in France.
RMC Sport claims ART, headed by FIA president Jean Todt’s son Nicolas, will become the GP2 team to house and nurture McLaren and its 2015 engine partner Honda’s burgeoning young drivers.
That will begin with the strongly-championed McLaren junior Stoffel Vandoorne in 2014, and possibly a Honda-linked Japanese driver, the report adds.
RMC said the parties have agreed to the collaboration, with an official announcement due in the coming days.
Meanwhile, McLaren has refused to comment publicly on speculation that, despite having now passed all the crash tests with its new MP4-29, the team could sit out next week’s opening winter test at Jerez.