MARINA BAY, Singapore -- Fernando Alonso says it would feel as though "normality" had been restored, should McLaren become competitive again in 2018.
Since partnering with engine supplier Honda at the beginning of 2015, McLaren has been left behind by many of Formula One's top teams and forced to scrap for top tens as opposed to podiums and victories. However, with the team announcing on Friday it will be switching to Renault power in 2018, hope has been restored.
Alonso is widely regarded as one of the most talented drivers on the grid and says there's a lot of things he would be doing differently this weekend if McLaren had a more competitive car.
"The aim is always to be on the podiums and to fight for victories," said Alonso. "[Today we could be looking at] what we can do at the start, looking at the videos about maybe attacking tomorrow and leading the race in the first stint.
"All the things I did for 13 years of my career. Back to normality."
Alonso is yet to reveal his plans for the 2018 season. It's unlikely he will be able to secure a more competitive drive in Formula One given that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have all locked away their driver line-ups for the next twelve months.
If he elected not to re-sign with McLaren, the Spaniard could potentially join Indycar for a season before looking at making a return when a vacancy opens up.
When asked why he hasn't made his decision yet, Alonso said there has been too many distractions.
"Firstly, this weekend there were already too many announcements," he said. "Secondly, we are very focussed on [Singapore] because we have one of the few chances remaining to score good points. It is important to deliver the best result possible this weekend.
"After here I will be in the UK next week for the karting world championship. Then I will be in the factory and the simulator and we will have a better time to discuss the future."