Fernando Alonso had announced earlier this year that he will be moving away from F1 in order to pursue his other passions in motorsport.
The Spaniard is targeting the triple crown, with just a victory in Indianapolis separating him from one of the greatest motorsport achievements.
Alonso has already won the Monaco GP and the Le Mans 24 and now needs a victory in Indianapolis to become only the second driver after Graham Hill to achieve the historic feat.
However, as and when Alonso’s time to leave F1 came closer, it became increasingly known clear that he wasn’t leaving F1 forever and that this could be just a small sabbatical before he returns to race in a ‘competitive car’.
According to Zak Brown, Alonso is open to the possibility of returning to McLaren in 2019 and could help them out with testing.
Brown has confirmed that a final decision on Alonso’s involvement will be taken post the 24 Hours of Daytona.
“I have spoken to Fernando about it. He is very open to it,” Brown said.
“These F1 world champions, whether it’s Michael Schumacher or Mika Hakkinen, who came close to a comeback, don’t want to be too far from the F1 pit lane.
“There’s a lot he can contribute experience-wise. Carlos and Lando are open to any ideas that will bring us experience. Fernando knows the team very well, Lando doesn’t have that experience, and Carlos doesn’t have that experience with us. It’s something I’ll be talking to him about.
“I’ll go to Daytona for Fernando’s Daytona testing and we’re going to chat to him further then.” he added.
Do you think Alonso will return to F1 in 2020?