Fernando Alonso has set arguably unrealistic expectations of McLaren that he wants to be met if he is to remain with the British team in 2018.
The Spaniard has been the focus of the motorsport world for several weeks now, as he skipped the Monaco Grand Prix to participate in an ultimately failed effort to win the Indianapolis 500.
This weekend, however, he is back in the Formula 1 paddock at the Canadian Grand Prix and now the focus is once again back on his future.
“We have to win,” said Alonso, when asked what will keep him at McLaren in 2018. “If we are winning before September or something like that, [when] I will make a decision, then I will stay.”
Alonso has made it clear he sees his future in F1 beyond this year, going further this week by claiming a third world title remains his main priority and he is adamant that it can still be done with McLaren and Honda.
“I mean, you cannot be 100 percent sure now in June about one decision for next year that you don’t even start to consider,” the double world champion claimed.
“What we all want is to win, and I think relating to the answer before, Zak’s comments about Honda, is probably what you expect Zak to say.
“He wants to win and he wants to put McLaren [in] position for the championship. After three years we are not in that position, so things have to change, for the team.
“It’s the same with me, I want to win.”
The comments Alonso referred to were made by executive director Zak Brown to Reuters, in which he described Honda as “lost” and that the committee at McLaren was “near our limit” after it emerged a planned upgrade for this weekend would not be ready in time.
“I joined this project because I wanted to be champion and we are not in that position,” the Spaniard added, “so if you don’t see things changing, if you are not in a competitive position, maybe you change project.
“That’s the only thing I can say now.
“Until I sit down in September, October or whatever, after the summer, as I’ve always said, I cannot say 100 per cent about anything now.”