Formula 1 champion Jenson Button and NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson could race in one-off entries for Arrow McLaren SP in IndyCar, Zak Brown says.
2020 sees the British team make a full-time return to the American series after partnering with Schmidt Peterson Motorsport, this after two previous single-car entries at the Indianapolis 500 with Fernando Alonso in 2017 and 2019.
Patricio O'Ward and Oliver Askew will take the full-time race seats, however, a third car will be available for select events, notably Alonso's third run at the Brickyard later this year.
Beyond that, however, Button and Johnson could also step behind the wheel, though Brown admits the impact from the coronavirus could delay their plans.
"I've spoken with all three of them (Alonso, Button and Johnson)," the McLaren CEO told Motorsport.com. "All three of them really enjoy IndyCar racing. All three want to race.
Also Read:
"All three are extremely competitive. I think IndyCar now has just come out with a testing restriction, so unfortunately that might make this year more difficult because I don't think any of those would want to just jump into a car, you know, cold in Friday practice.
"I think they're all too professional and know the sport is too competitive to think that they can just hop in without an appropriate amount of testing.
"But I would say all three of those drivers… I wouldn't be surprised to see one or all three in an IndyCar at some point, and I think that'd be very exciting."
The 2009 F1 champion has previously hinted at an IndyCar run, though revealed how the loss of two fellow racers means he has ruled out racing on ovals.
"I was watching some video footage someone sent me the other day from 1989. I was racing in karts at Clay Pigeon – the Clay Pigeon Super Prix," he told RadioTimes earlier this year.
"I was racing with two other drivers at one moment – Justin Wilson and Dan Wheldon – and both of them have been killed in IndyCar so it’s like ‘no’.
"It’s not worth it. I like IndyCar, I think the racing is fantastic. The racing is really, really good and hopefully, the British public will see that but yeah, I can’t do ovals.
"If I was 19 and hadn’t got into F1, I might have given it a go but now? No. I’ve had a great career in F1. I don’t feel I need to go race in an oval and risk more than I should."
