McLaren have confirmed they have held talks with Sergio Perez

“I think the driver market is fluid and you need to keep all your options open,” Brown told reporters at the Italian GP.

“We have a shortlist of four drivers and we think Sergio’s an excellent driver and deserves to be on that list.”

“My understanding is he has various ownerships – I’m not sure who he’s signed what with.

“We’ve not signed a piece of paper with anybody, but he is someone we’ve had a conversation with.

“Maybe someone who’s on our list is going to announce tomorrow morning, so you just need to be prepared to keep your options open for anyone that you would consider, and Perez is someone we would consider to drive for us.”