Alonso 'will evaluate F1 return' for 2021 - but not to Ferrari!

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Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso says he will "evaluate" a possible return to Grand Prix racing later this year, but not until completing his latest attempt to win the Indianapolis 500 in May.

Alonso - who is currently competing for the first time in the Dakar Rally - says that F1 is just one of several options that he will be looking into.

"In the summer I will have to make a decision, that's for sure," he told Spanish radio broadcaster Copa's El Partidazo de Cope programme this week.

"I will evaluate F1, I could also return to the WEC since the hypercars will arrive. Or I could do an entire championship in IndyCar," he added.

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"I will make my evaluations, and the teams will do the same: if there is a common interest I will certainly think about it."

Since exiting McLaren at the end of 2018, Alonso has been part of a second consecutive Le Mans-winning entry, and also went on to clinch the overall 2018-19 FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota.

However his attempt to win last year's Indy 500 - and with it, become only the second driver in history to attain the 'Triple Crown of Motorsport' - came unstuck when he failed to qualify for the 33-car grid.

But despite his headline-grabbling exploits in various championships around the world, Alonso admitted that he was still first and foremost a Formula 1 driver at heart.

"Inside I still feel like an F1 driver," he confirmed. "It's a championship that I like and in which I know I can give my best.

"F1 is the top of all categories, but it also has its disadvantages: it requires total dedication, and I've already had 18 years of career done that way.

"I have to decide whether I'm really interested in doing another two to three years with that load of work," he added.

Whichever way he decides, Alonso appears to have ruled one thing out: whatever happens, he doesn't see himself returning to Ferrari, for whom he drove for five seasons between 2010 and 2014.

"I haven't talked to Ferrari for 2021," the 38-year-old Spaniard confirmed. "I think the adventure with Ferrari has been good, but I don't think it's time to talk about a return.

"I think they bet on the future by betting everything with Charles Leclerc," he commented.

"For 2021 I will first have to see who will be competitive, and perhaps Ferrari will not be among the favorites. We'll see."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.