Dixon plays down McLaren interest
Motorsport giants McLaren have shoulder tapped Scott Dixon as they ponder a move into IndyCar next year.
Kiwi Dixon, a former Indy 500 winner who has won the IndyCar championship four times and is leading the current title race, confirmed the McLaren talks but played them down.
The 37-year-old Dixon is in the final year of his long contract with Chip Ganassi Racing.
‘‘We constantly talk to other people, but it’s not in a situation where we are shopping around or looking to move,’’ Dixon said.
‘‘A lot of these scenarios, I have known these people for over
15 years. Zak Brown [McLaren CEO], in general, that storyline is pumping up a little bit more.
‘‘I have known Zak since 1999, when he was running ‘Track Attack,’ so I have known the guy for a long time. I speak to him on a frequent basis, but that has been the same for many years.’’
Speculation suggested a threeyear deal with McLaren could be in the pipeline. The struggling Formula 1 giants are crunching the numbers on whether a move into the American single-seater scene is viable.
McLaren are fifth in the 2018 F1 constructor standings, nearly
200 points behind leaders Mercedes.
The development is catching headlines around leading motorsport sites.
‘‘There are always going to be talks and whenever there is a season where a few guys have their options up, it will spark talk,’’ said Dixon, who is managed by former F1 driver Stefan Johansson.
‘‘With new teams coming in, it sparks it even more.
‘‘For me, it’s about this season. We are really focused on trying to win this championship. The other stuff is away from the track and there is nothing really there at the minute. I’m a little surprised by all of the talk so far.’’
There have been suggestions McLaren could partner with IndyCar force Andretti Autosport for their move into the American scene. Dixon has been with Ganassi since 2002 and 42 of his 43 IndyCar wins have come with the team. He has the most wins of any active driver.