Dennis: Stoffel is not for sale

Stoffel Vandoorne looks set for a permanent race seat with McLaren from 2017 onwards, with team supremo Ron Dennis declaring that the 24 year old Belgian is a big part of McLaren's future plans and most certainly not for sale to a rival team.

Speaking to BBC, Dennis said, "Vandoorne is an integral part of McLaren-Honda's future. Any team that imagines they may be able to poach him is very much mistaken."

And added emphatically, "You may rest assured that Stoffel is not for sale."

"Stoffel is an extremely talented, intelligent and hard-working young driver, with an enormous amount of potential, and who importantly knows how to win," declared the McLaren chairman.

For now the Woking team, enduring the lowest ebb of their existence, are keepung their options open with regards to their driver line-up.

What is known is that Fernando Alonso's deal runs until the end of 2017, while Jenson Button is out of contract come the end of this season.

Meanwhile Vandoorne is reportedly signed up until late into this season, preventing him inking any deal before then with a team other than McLaren.

Vandoorne's performance during the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he replaced injured Alonso, justified McLaren's belief in the GP2 Series champion.

Speculation is that Button will be shown the door at the end of 2016, making way for Vandoorne to partner his freind and mentor Alonso in the Woking outfit.

Nut for now Dennis is not confirming the driver line up and said that the team is "not yet ready to commit or communicate" who will drive for them beyond this year.

In terms of silly season speculation, Vandoorne is coveted by Renault whose racing director Frédéric Vasseur is a big fan of Vandoorne having run his championship campaign in GP2 last year.

If there is a lifeline for Button it would be with Williams, with whom he made his grand prix debut back in 2000, in place of Felipe Massa.

The Vandoorne camp are expecting a decision on his future, by McLaren, before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, if not earlier in October and it is highly likely the young Belgian will be on the grid next year.