Fernando Alonso would consider F1 2020 return for a 'great' chance

Alonso will have his first taste of a 2019 F1 car next week when he joins McLaren for the post-Bahrain Grand Prix Pirelli tyre test.

Alonso was present at F1 pre-season testing earlier this year and became a McLaren ambassador.

But he has switched his post-F1 racing career focus to attempting to complete his triple crown bid with victory at the Indianapolis 500, as well as his Toyota World Endurance Championship campaign.

His return to test a 2019 car raised questions over his F1 future and when asked by Autosport if the test was about keeping himself sharp for a potential race return, Alonso said: "No.

"As I said last year, and in Barcelona [testing] as well, my idea is not to come back.

"When I said 'bye-bye' last year it was because I felt this chapter was already complete.

"I achieved a lot more in F1 than I dreamed of and I had great opportunities outside F1 to do something unprecedented. That's why I took the decision.

"So coming back is not in the plan. If something happened and a great opportunity arrives, I probably will consider [it].

"I don't close doors 100% to anything in the future."

Alonso said the Bahrain opportunity was his first real involvement with McLaren's F1 activities since his short-lived pre-season attendance.

"I would lie if I told you I was involved in many things until now," he said.

"I've been only two days in Barcelona, one day Carlos [Sainz Jr] was P1 the other day Lando [Norris] was P1. So not bad at the moment!

"Now, let's see this first race. If we keep that average, probably I will have to come to many races."

Alonso's WEC season and his Indy 500 appearance will be complete by June.

He is yet to commit to any racing beyond this, although he has tested NASCAR and Dakar machinery in the last year.

Alonso says he will wait until the middle of the year before thinking about his long-term ambitions.

"I will have to think," he said. "There is time to think in the coming months. Right now I don't want to get too deep on that thinking, because the Indy 500 is going to take all my focus.

"But, for the future, it depends what I will do after the summer: what projects are coming, where I will switch my focus.

"The WEC, obviously after winning Le Mans and winning Daytona at the beginning of the year and Sebring a couple of weeks ago, it's a question mark if I commit to that.

"It ends in July 2020, it's quite a future commitment. Maybe I have to think and be sure of that."