GETTY Fernando Alonso is already racing full-time in WEC

Alonso’s current contract at McLaren expires at the end of the current season but there are options to extend the deal. However, the Spaniard has always said that he wants to be in a car that will challenge at the front of the grid and while McLaren have made marked improvements in 2018 - their first season with Renault engines after the disastrous three-year spell with Honda - they remain a distance behind the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. Alonso has failed to finish higher than fifth in the first five races of the season and the lack of pace has left the 36-year-old considering his future.

GETTY Fernando Alonso was hoping McLaren would be far quicker in 2018

And Spanish outlet Diario Gol claim the two-time F1 world champion has been told by McLaren that they want him to stay with them but with a focus on World Endurance Championship and IndyCar projects. Alonso is already racing in two series over the 2018 season, having been allowed by his F1 team to sign for Toyota Gazoo racing in the WEC and take part in all eight rounds of the championship. The organisers even moved the “6 Hours of Fuji” race in Japan to make sure it would not clash with Alonso’s F1 commitments, a sign of the draw the Asturian has.

And now McLaren reportedly want Alonso to spearhead their forays into other forms of motor sport, something team boss Zak Brown has talked about before. “We did the Indy 500 last year,” said Brown. “North America is an important market for us and we’re a fan of IndyCar racing. “So as we look at the budget cap and how you manage that, looking at additional forms of motor racing is something we are considering.”

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