McLaren Formula 1 racing director Eric Boullier believes it is evident that Fernando Alon🍸so wants to remain with the team for the 2018 season as the Spaniard continues to mull over his future.

McLaren announced last wee🦹kend in Singapore it would be cutting ties with ailing engine p♛artner Honda at the end of the season, linking up with Renault for 2018.

The decision is expected to aid its bid to💫 keep two-time world champion Alonso on-board, with his contract expiring at the end of the season, having long stated his ambition to return to the fro🤪nt of the pack next season.

When asked in an interview with the official F1 website how clo🍸se McLaren was to re-signing Alonso for 2018, Boullier said it was “very close”.

“Fernando wants to stay. You can see i💎t in his body language and the way he speaks,” he added.

“There are marketing details that have to be sorted out and that Zak [Brown] is worꦰking on.

“He is only interested – and he’s been saying this for months – in a comp🅷etitive car. That is for him. For us – McLaren – we are happy that the shareholders have made a sporting choice and nꦯot a business choice and changed the engine.

“McLaren’s DNA is to be comp𓂃etitive – the team has aꦍlways been in the top three and we belong there again.

“Today we 🌊know that we have a decent chassis, which would allow us to be in the top three again with an equal level engine, so for us as a business it is important to be competitive, no matter what role Fernando plays. We had to make this decisi🧜on for us.

“But if you want to be competitive you not only need an engi🐎ne, you also need a driver. That is when Fernando comes into the picture.

“We did what we did for McLaren first, but the package includes also the driver.🌞”