In 2022, Zak Brown will have Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris driving for him.
McLaren boss Zak Brown says that Formula 1 is in danger of not having any sprint events this year because of a stand-off over money.
The teams agreed to increase the number of sprints from three to six in 2022.
Eight out of 10 teams need to agree on details to get the sprints, and some are holding out for more money.
Brown said that F1 might not find a way out of the situation.
In a news conference, Brown also spoke.
The controversy of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was addressed.
Discussed Lewis Hamilton's future.
He said he heard the VW Group would enter F1 with Red Bull.
What is the problem with the sprint races?
The sprint events were new last year. The British, Italian and Brazilian Grands Prix introduced a short race on Saturdays in place of the traditional qualifying to give the grid for the main event a better chance of being set.
The data shows that the sprint events increased audience figures and sponsorship income.
The teams were given a small payment last year to offset the damage from more racing.
The big teams are trying to take advantage of this by pushing for a larger than necessary increase in the budget cap.
A few teams and one team in particular wanted a $5m budget cap increase, which was ridiculous.
There are no rational facts behind it. You have to anticipate when you challenge them, because they go to what if and could. You sit there and think this is nonsense.
The F1 rules state that for a change in the rules to be instigated in the calendar year of the championship, eight teams need to agree to it. If others agree, teams can hold F1 to ransom.
Brown said that F1 should vote on the sprint events first and then try to agree on this season.
"Maybe there can be a compromise raised and we raise it a little bit, and we start in 2022, or we skip 2022, and a couple of these teams should have to explain to the fans why there is no sprint races," he said.
The voting protocols in F1 governance are exploited by the big teams who pressure smaller outfits with links to vote in their favour, according to Brown.
It felt like a pantomime auditioning in Abu Dhabi.
Brown said he had a lot of confidence in the new president of the FIA to resolve the controversy over the Abu Dhabi GP.
The world title changed hands at the season finale when race director Michael Masi failed to apply the rules correctly in a late safety-car period.
Brown said that Abu Dhabi is just one of many incidents that have happened in the last couple of years, and that the teams had a big say in how the sport is policed.
He said Abu Dhabi felt like a pantomime auditioning as Mercedes and Red Bull team bosses tried to get Masi to make their decisions in their favor.
The mic was open and it was good for TV. Some decisions that maybe weren't the right decisions were created by some of the habits it created.
Brown said that the FIA needs to be seen to have conducted a thorough inquiry that explained what happened and why, what went wrong and what it is doing to make sure it doesn't happen again.
I don't agree with people who think that the sport is corrupt.
Is there a different decision that could have been made? Probably. I don't think it's corrupt and I want to wait to see what the FIA comes out with, but I don't think it was malicious.
The future of Hamilton.
Since the Abu Dhabi Gran Prix, Lewis Hamilton has not been seen in public.
Brown said he expects Hamilton to be on the grid, even though he is waiting to see how the FIA responds to the Abu Dhabi controversy.
"I'm sure he's angry," Brown said. I think race-car drivers want to race and he's a fighter and he will want to win an eighth world title. I don't think he's ready to stop working.
He said he didn't know Lewis well. If he stopped, I wouldn't be surprised. I don't think anyone should take for granted that he's coming back.
We shouldn't discount his anger or frustration. Maybe he hasn't made a decision, and maybe he's taking time to make his decision, because once it's made, it's made.
I don't think we should make light of it. I think he still has a burning desire to race and that will drive his decision.
Will VW come to F1?
Brown denied claims that McLaren had agreed a deal with the German giant.
He said he believed VW's brand would enter F1 in partnership with Red Bull.
"I'm hearing they are going to do something with Red Bull on the Porsche side," Brown said.
He said McLaren had talked to VAG about F1, but that they were committed to Mercedes until the end of the power-unit regulations.
Brown said that they had conversations with a few people on the grid. We are very happy in the short and medium term.
We are just going to wait and see if they come into the sport, because that's not been decided.
We have a contract through this term and we will evaluate where we are and make a decision on what to do in the future.
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