Alonso: "I will not gamble on 2018 drive"

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso says he does not intend to take any gambles with his 2018 drive and wants to be assured of having a car capable of returning him to the front of the grid.

The Spanish driver has endured a difficult three years since leaving Ferrari in search of a third world title, with not even a podium to his name in his second stint at McLaren. This has led many to believe that he will be leaving the team at the end of the year to seek the success he believes he deserves.

However, his options seem limited in the event of leaving McLaren, with the two teams that have won all seven races so far, Mercedes and Ferrari are both considered very unlikely to hire Alonso. Mercedes would seemingly be unwilling to recreate the volatile McLaren 2007 partnership of Alonso and Hamilton, for fear of upsetting their lead driver, and a return to Ferrari representing a huge loss of face for Alonso as he left the team due to frustrations because of its failure to produce a competitive car.

Alonso clarified in an interview with Sky Sports News: "As I said many times, I want to win next year and I don't want to gamble too much in any decision, I want to be more or less safe in wherever I go for." Alonso added he does not have a “clear picture” of how the driver market would unfurl but seemed to suggest that more seats will be available than what currently meets the eye.

"There are some movements out there, I know there are even more movements than probably we all know and there are some teams we think are set for next year, I don't think it's so clear that they are 100 percent confirmed. So I think there will be a lot of changes for next year. I will try to stay calm and pick up the best decision for next year."

Sam Gale