MARINA BAY, Singapore -- McLaren claims to be "very close" to securing a new contract with Fernando Alonso that will see him remain as one of Formula One's best paid drivers.
Now in the final year of his current contract, Alonso's future at McLaren had been in doubt following three seasons without a podium. But news this weekend that McLaren has secured a switch to Renault power for 2018 means Alonso is more likely to remain at the team in the hope that it can turn its fortunes around next year.
"We are very close [to a deal] with Fernando," Brown said on Saturday in Singapore.