Alonso keeping future options open

Although Alonso has previously said he sees no reason to leave Renault, he hinted at the Canadian Grand Prix that he was now looking at all opportunities within the sport.

"Next year everybody will start from zero," said Alonso, who is believed to have a performance-related clause in his contract that allows him to leave Renault at the end of this year.

"Aerodynamically, etc., every team improves five or 10 percent every year. You miss one year, you are down for the rest of the year. Next year, [because of the new regulations] that's not the question.

"So there are always surprises when these things happen. Any team can be strong next year. It's a difficult decision from a driver's point of view."

Alonso said he would not rush into making a decision and suggested that he would favour joining an outfit that had the chance to do something special.

When asked what he will base his future decision on, Alonso said: "Being calm and listening to everybody. At the end, trust one of them. Everybody is very optimistic now about next year, but it's the same every time. You need the inside feeling that someone is cleverer than the other ones."

Alonso has been surrounded by speculation that he has already signed a contract with Ferrari from 2010 - and the possibility of Kimi Raikkonen retiring at the end of 2009 would make the Spaniard an obvious target for the Maranello team. But Alonso says he is surprised by the Ferrari rumours.

"I was not talking to anyone there," he explained. "I've seen many things written everywhere. It's not a big problem. It's also strange to read about 2010; we are in 2008. I don't know what I will do next year, so imagine in two years' time! There's nothing. Just rumours."