Alonso to decide on F1 future after summer break

The two-time world champion, who is in the third and final year of his current McLaren deal, has endured a somewhat frustrating stint at the Woking-based team so far – and been a frequent critic of modern Formula 1 cars.

The Spaniard has insisted on several occasions that he would seriously consider leaving F1 if the 2017 rule revamp failed to make the cars more fun to drive.

Speaking at the launch of McLaren's 2017 challenger in Woking, Alonso reiterated his stance – and expressed hope over the new regulations.

"From the sport I am expecting change in terms of how exciting it is to drive these cars," he said. "If we go back to what we had in the past a little bit, how we manage also the tyres, the fuel, the charge...

"All these difficulties that we have in the modern F1 in last four or five years with the turbo engine, it has lowered a little bit the racing spirit. We were saving something – batteries, tyres or fuel, not a single lap in the race we could push as much as we wanted.

"Definitely I hope these new regs bring back a bit the fighting spirit and racing spirit and that is something we find out in the first couple of races."

Asked when he would decide on his future in the sport, Alonso insisted he will not be thinking about his plans until "around September".

"I will see. That's a question that I will answer after the summer break - around September is a good time to start thinking and sitting with yourself, and start deciding what to do.

"Until September, after the summer break, I will not think about anything about the future."

The Spaniard also assured that, despite his uncertainty over whether he would race in F1 past 2017, he was still fully motivated for the coming season.

"I start this year with maximum commitment, I really enjoyed the break, I really needed the break until January 10.

"I was relaxing, charging the batteries mentally, surrounded by family, friends in a quiet environment. Then from that moment, the maximum moment – more or less the same of what I have been doing every single winter, but maybe a little bit more emphasis on neck, shoulder and arms to prepare for this year's car.

"I arrive now with a completely new motivation, new challenge in front of me, that I can give something extra, compared to the rookies or people who didn't drive the old cars. I'm happy and motivated, it was a long break from November 27 in Abu Dhabi until now, for us and me it was the right time, perfect timing,

He added: "Obviously I want to be world champion, it was what I am trained for, running and biking – in minus 10 degrees in the snow for the last month.

"I am 100 percent committed to winning and, if I can win this year, it is better than next year."

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble