Although Paddy Lowe is refusing to rule out signing Fernando Alonso to Williams, he remained coy by also saying he isn’t ruling him in either.

Over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend reports emerged claiming that Williams have put an offer on the table for Alonso.

According to the paddock whispers, Lance Stroll’s father wants Alonso on board to not only develop the car but also his son as a driver.

Williams are refusing to say whether there is any truth to the rumours.

“It is that time of year when people write these sorts of stories,” Lowe, Williams chief technical officer, said.

“We haven’t announced who’s driving for us next year. It’s something we’re still working on.

“I’m not going to rule [Fernando] in or rule him out.

“There are lots of great drivers out there and we will always try to get the best ones we can.”

He continued: “You need great drivers and great cars to win races. You have to build a car that attracts a great driver and vice versa.

“The better the car you have, the better the drivers you can attract.

“I’ve seen how important the driver is in a team. A good team needs a good driver as much as a good driver needs a good team – they lift each other.

“With a greater driver in the team, everybody is motivated to work that bit harder for performance because they know it’s going to be exploited and deliver great results.

“But it can go the other way if you have drivers that are not performing.”