Fresh from his IndyCar test, and with official practice due to get underway on Monday, as expected Fernando Alonso was the star of the show in the opening segment of today's official press conference in Barcelona.

With his McLaren contract ending this year, speculation is rife as to whether the Indy sweetener will be enough to keep him on board at Woking, whether he will look elsewhere in the F1 paddock or whether he might head off to pastures new.

The good news for F1 fans is that the two-time world champion sees the sport as unfinished business.

"Aa I said at the beginning of the year, this is the last year of the contract I have now with McLaren," he said. "So I will have to think a little bit, after the summer, because now it's quite a busy period, plus the Indy 500, and it is not the time to think any further. But come September, October, yeh I need to consider what I will do next year.

"If it is time to find other challenges, outside Formula One, or if Formula One will be an opportunity to win, to win the championship, which is my main goal," he insisted. "I'm very open to anything.

"With this year's cars and with the 2017 regulations, the cars are as good to drive... I think Formula One is back in a way. Power, efficiency, cornering speeds, things that were missing in the last couple of years. The cars look nice from the outside, with the big tyres and everything, I like this Formula One, so my intention, my first priority, is to race next year here.

"Not only to race," he continued, "I want to win. So now I do not have any more obligations with McLaren... I am happy with the team but we are not winning, so if from here to September, October, we are in a position where I can see a possibility to win in 2018 I will be more than happy to stay with the team if not the case I will be more than happy to talk to anyone."

Check out our Thursday gallery from Barcelona, here.