Fernando Alonso hailed a "perfect" final day of the first Formula 1 test on Thursday, as McLaren completed the most laps of any individual team.
Teammate Stoffel Vandoorne began racking up 110 laps in the morning and early afternoon before the Spaniard put an additional 51 tours of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on to the total in the final three hours.
It was a productive end to a sometimes troubled week in Spain, which began with a wheelnut failure causing Alonso to spin in the first hour on Monday and a £2 exhaust clip hampering running on Tuesday.
“I’m very happy with what has been an impressive day from the whole team in the garage and at the factory to put that amount of laps on the board between Stoffel and myself,” the double world champion commented.
Also Read:
- McLaren critical of "selfish" teams after bid to extend first test fails
- Hamilton & Mercedes flex muscles on final day of first F1 test
During the week, McLaren found themselves at the centre of a lot of attention with their occasional problems exaggerated by the smooth running of former engine supplier Honda with their new team Toro Rosso.
On the final day, however, Alonso admits the British team made a lot of progress as they adjust to using the Renault power unit.
“The car ran perfectly all day," he said.
"We did some interesting runs with some set-up changes, and we keep discovering more about the new package each time, especially with the integration of the Renault engine that was previously unknown for us.
“It was a very productive day for all of us and I’d like to say well done to everyone for working hard to get through a very full and comprehensive test programme."
