Fernando Alonso has offered some slight clarity over his plans for 2018, reiterating his desire to remain in Formula 1 and revealing he plans to commit to just one series next season.
The Spaniard would insist no decision has yet been taken on where he’ll race next year, though recent claims of a McLaren-Renault deal being signed has led many to believe the double world champion will extend his contract for at least one more season.
However, a highly successful venture to IndyCar for the Indy 500 in May plus a free seat at Andretti Autosport, the team McLaren worked with on the one-off project, means a potential full-time switch is yet to be ruled out.
“As I said, I will think what is the best option,” he told reporters in Singapore. “Whatever I do next year will be because I want to win. I will not be in any series to be fighting for top 10, top 15, nothing like that. There are many options I’m studying and looking at.
“F1 is my first and only priority. I will wait to make a decision on that before making decisions on other series. If I remain in Formula 1, it’s because I believe I can win next year.”
On what that would mean for his ambition to win the Triple Crown, he added: “That (winning in F1) will ease the decision a lot because I will be in Monaco because I don’t want to lose any points there. The Triple Crown is in the background, there are three races, not only Indy.”
The third piece of the puzzle is the Le Mans 24 Hours which, unlike the Indy 500, is not expected to coincide with a Grand Prix and, therefore led to the question of whether that would be part of the double world champion’s 2018 plan.
“There is nothing yet confirmed. As I said, my plans did not change,” he said. “The Triple Crown, to win one day, that will put me in a level as a driver that can win in any series at any time. For my fans and for motorsport lovers, they will have a fantastic 2018 season. The plan is ongoing, and very good news will come.”
When that news will come, however, Alonso wouldn’t say as he waits for McLaren to confirm their situation before assessing his own.
“I want to give time to my team,” he said. “After the last three years with some struggles that we went through together, to have time for them to make decisions, to see the future for next year’s car.
“After they take decisions, I will take mine. I want to stay loyal at least to that. I will not make any decisions without them making any decisions first. I’m relaxed, happy, and we’ll see what’s going on in the next few weeks.”
