McLaren wants a motivated driver

McLaren does not want to engage in and is not interested in a bidding war for the services of a driver, stated the head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, Norbert Haug.

Several high-profile drivers are expected to be lined up alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2010. Notably, Kimi Räikkönen, Nico Rosberg, or, to a lesser extent, Jenson Button are being considered.

But with teams like Toyota or Renault also hunting for a pair of top drivers for next season, Norbert Haug states that McLaren will not give any consideration to any driver more interested in money than in a winning car.

Kimi [Räikkönen] is an option, but there are plenty of others, Haug said to Autosport. One thing is certain, a guy in it for the money is not the right guy for us, whoever it may be. I won’t name anyone, but we want total involvement oriented towards success, not someone saying ‘I’m a big name, give me a lot of money and I’ll drive for you’. The team needs to be convinced that the driver is hungry, motivated, focused, and that his first thoughts are not towards money.

Norbert Haug is convinced that McLaren’s resurgence in the second half of the season proves that the team will be a contender for wins and titles next season. “We have demonstrated our level of competitiveness. Lewis has recorded race wins and podiums, and has beaten drivers in contention for the title this season,” he adds. “This shows that we are heading in the right direction. We have stabilized this year and we have a seat to offer in a winning car. There are probably three, four, or five teams at most that can offer this.”