Fernando Alonso says he will not give up on being the "master of my own destiny" in his life - and in Formula 1.
The two-time world champion is easily the oldest driver on the grid, and currently linked with bombshell moves for 2025 to Mercedes or even Red Bull - whilst also being pressed by Aston Martin to sign a new contract.
"I don’t want to wait until the summer," he told DAZN in Melbourne, "because I think that’s unfair for me but also for the team if they have to find more options.
"And as I said at the presentation of the car, when I make that decision, the first office I will go to will be Aston Martin, and that will be my priority, my loyalty to them," Alonso, 42, added.
"And if we reach an agreement, then that will be the decision. If I don’t reach an agreement with Aston Martin, I will look elsewhere, but that will be a second option."
Alonso has made some questionable team moves in his long career, including the failed 2007 switch to McLaren, unsuccessful returns to both Renault and McLaren-Honda, his F1 comeback with Alpine - even his stint at Ferrari that ended without a third title.
But he insists that he won’t turn to the advice of others about what to do next, including the possibility of returning to retirement at the end of the season.
"I chose when to leave a team, when to join a team, when to leave Formula 1, when to return," said the Spaniard. "And now I will choose what to do next year.
"I will now follow what others do, I will do it for myself, for better or worse, that’s who I am. I have always been like this.
"Sometimes it has helped me, sometimes it has hurt me, but I am the master of my own destiny. I always had my fate in my own hands."