Coming off a rollercoaster experience at the Indy 500, the topic of where Fernando Alonso will be racing in 2018 is once again back on the agenda.
It is well known that the Spaniard is in the final year of the three-year contract he signed in 2014 to rejoin McLaren, a return that has dominated by problems for Honda as they try to close the performance and reliability gap to their fellow engine suppliers.
Various potential destinations have been touted, but currently the two-time Formula 1 world champion, who has always maintained the topic would not be considered before the summer break, insists he remains open-minded regarding where he’ll be next year.
“We’ll see. I would be lying if I told you now that I have a concrete plan,” Alonso told Spanish media in America.
“I could go to another team, I don’t know whether it is Mercedes or another. If Renault starts to dominate, I don’t know.
“If in June or July a team calls I think we would have a chance but it’s all to be talked about.”
Giving some thought to where he’s sure he won’t be next year, the 35-year-old added somewhat bemusingly: “I think perhaps Red Bull is the only one that has doors a little closed because it already has young drivers with long contracts.”
Another place the former Renault and Ferrari driver may not be next year is back in Indianapolis, according to comments by McLaren executive director Zak Brown to Brazilian media.
“I hope he gets back on track with us to win the Monaco Grand Prix again,” he said, “which means that perhaps the return (to Indy) will not happen in 2018.
“Of course the calendar isn’t final yet but our main objective is to win again in Monaco with Fernando in the car,” Brown added.
Before his appearance in IndyCar, Alonso stated F1 as his preferred focus for next year it was just a matter of which team he would drive for, however, looking beyond that, one idea by the new F1 management doesn’t appeal to him.
“I have to see what they plan to do, I read that they want to make a championship of 25 races.
“When I started in F1 there were 16, now there are 20. If they tell me there are 25 I will retire,” he claimed.
