What next for McLaren's juniors?

McLaren-Honda is not be blessed with a great wealth of championship points or car performance in Formula 1 right now, but the same cannot be said of its driving roster, which one could certainly argue represents something of an embarrassment of riches.

'Front of house' this F1 team boasts the most experienced driver line-up on the current grid in Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, who have amassed 528 starts (Alonso has actually started 248 despite his recent celebration of his 250th grand prix in Russia), 47 wins, 147 podiums, 30 pole positions, 2984 points, and three world championship titles between them.

Waiting in the wings are two of the most exciting junior driving talents to have emerged in recent years: newly crowned GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne and one-time F1 podium finisher Kevin Magnussen, who is currently the team's official reserve driver.

McLaren's recent decision to retain Button for 2016, by not activating the release clause written into the two-year deal he signed at the end of last year, means he and Alonso are set to continue their partnership for at least one more season.

So what does that mean for McLaren-Honda's two youngsters?

VANDOORNE: THE NEW NEXT BIG THING

Fresh from clinching the GP2 crown with two rounds to spare at Sochi, momentum is with the Belgian, and he is undoubtedly the new junior flavour of the month at McLaren.

He has impressed the team with his maturity and attitude, and McLaren clearly feels he is ready to make the jump to F1 in 2016, though of course it cannot know exactly how he would deal with the unique pressures and demands it brings on a driver.

The trouble is there's no room at the inn, so to speak. McLaren could therefore seek to place its young charge at another F1 team next year, to blood Vandoorne in readiness for promotion to the main squad once Alonso or Button decide to move on.

In this scenario Manor is the only realistic option. Team principal John Booth and director of driver development Marc Hynes have a strong track record when it comes to nurturing young talents, and could provide Vandoorne with a lower-pressure environment in which to learn the intricacies of F1.

Dominating GP2 was Vandoorne's priority but he's also tested for McLaren this year © LAT

It's something that worked well for Ferrari and Jules Bianchi before the Frenchman's accident at Suzuka last year, and may well be what DTM ace Pascal Werhlein ends up doing now Mercedes is set to supply engines to Manor in 2016.

If that avenue proves fruitless then McLaren's best option for 'plan B' is probably to place Vandoorne in Japanese Super Formula with a Honda-affiliated team, of which there are currently five competing in Japan's premier single-seater series.

This could provide a decent stopgap for Vandoorne. The cars are similar in specification to GP2, but the championship features seasoned professional drivers and engine competition between Honda and Toyota. They even have a fuel flow limit!

Whatever happens, Vandoorne is set to take over Magnussen's current role as McLaren's official third/reserve driver in 2016, which would put him in line for promotion to the race team should Alonso suddenly decide he really has had enough of Honda's "GP2 engine" after all.

MAGNUSSEN: OUT THE EXIT DOOR

'Hang on a second!' we hear you cry. Surely Magnussen is next line should rumours of Alonso's impending departure be realised? Well, not anymore. In fact Magnussen's immediate F1 future now lies outside of McLaren-Honda.

The Dane, who beat rookie Vandoorne to the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 title as a sophomore, has realised this, so sought to secure a berth at American newcomer Haas F1.

He had meetings with owner Gene Haas and team principal Gunther Steiner, but ultimately lost out to Romain Grosjean, who brings the benefit of greater F1 experience to the Charlotte outfit.

With Ferrari reserve Esteban Gutierrez set to secure the second seat there, Magnussen has switched focus to Lotus/Renault. A lot depends on whether Renault goes through with its intended buyout of the Enstone operation of course, but lining up alongside Pastor Maldonado now looks to be Magnussen's best shot if he wants to race in F1 next year.

Although Magnussen did a reasonable job paired alongside Button in his rookie season of F1 in 2014, and looked set to retain his seat in '15 until a late volte-face by the management, subsequently things went cold as far as McLaren is concerned.

Concerns remained about the fact he focused too much on his team-mate's performance last season (something Magnussen now admits unravelled him a bit), and his ultimate capacity to improve within such a high-pressure environment.

Magnussen's McLaren reserve gig is going to his old FR3.5 rival Vandoorne © XPB

Magnussen leaving the McLaren fold so soon after his F1 graduation represents a sad parallel with his father Jan's time at Woking. Although in completing one full season of racing for the team (plus this year's Australian Grand Prix), Magnussen Jr has at least gone further than the single start his dad made for McLaren at the 1995 Pacific GP.

Regardless, there is no doubt Kevin Magnussen is an extremely quick driver, who deserves to land on his feet. He has already said there is "no way" he won't race in some form of motorsport next season, but unless he can successfully make his own arrangements that will need to happen outside of F1.

The best options in this scenario are the World Endurance Championship, DTM, or IndyCar. Magnussen came close to finalising an IndyCar deal for this season, which fell through after his late pre-season call-up to replace Alonso for the final test and first race of 2015.

He has spoken of his affection for IndyCar and the whole American motorsport scene, where his father plies his own trade in the United SportsCar Championship.

"I'll definitely do IndyCar one day if I can," he told Autosport earlier this season. "I've always loved IndyCar and I think there's something about it which is really cool. I like old school racing."

There is sometimes an obsession within F1 that staying in the paddock at all costs is all that matters, but so long as you don't burn your bridges there is no reason why that necessarily has to be the case.

And like his father - who returned to F1 with Jackie Stewart's new team in 1997 after a season away in the ITC (precursor to the DTM) and CART (Indycar) - Magnussen Jr could always make an F1 comeback in the future.

Whatever happens, both Magnussen and Vandoorne need to be racing somewhere next year. They are too good to end up stuck on the sidelines.