Fernando Alonso believes his ninth place finish in Azerbaijan highlights the competitive edge that remains in the McLaren team despite their ongoing difficulties.
The Spaniard started at the back of the grid in Baku but, in an action-packed race, was able to move up as was running in the top six before falling back but still managed to score his and the British team’s first points of the year.
It was a result that relieved some of the pressure on the Woking-based team and, in Alonso’s view, answered those questioning whether McLaren would still be able to compete with the best teams when given the opportunity.
“Our performance in the race not only showed that the foundations of our car package are strong, but also that our operational team – our mechanics, engineers and strategists – are all racers, poised and waiting to take advantage of any situation,” he claimed
“Two points may have been a small consolation after an extremely tough weekend, but, as I said at the time, we’ll take it and use it to drive us forwards.”
Indeed, upcoming races and Honda upgrades could enable McLaren to use the Baku result as a catalyst to start turning around their season, as they still sit bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.
“There are reasons to feel more optimistic about our weekend in Austria,” he said, looking ahead to this weekend’s race.
“It’s a circuit that’s not as dependent on power as some of the recent races, and I think our car will be better suited to the twists and turns of the Spielberg circuit.
“We’ve also got a couple of useful steps coming on the car, including – hopefully – Honda’s revised Spec 3 power unit, which I tried during Friday practice in Azerbaijan,” he added.
“Every step is important, so I’m looking forward to a positive weekend where we can once again get everything out of the car.”
Over the weekend, the double world champion also defended team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne amid reports of some disappointment within the McLaren management over the Belgian’s performance so far in his first full season.
“It is difficult and frustrating for him,” Alonso told Spain’s El Confidential
“He does not know most of the tracks, so he’s learning the circuits and everything about F1 but he can’t test the car and often he is going into qualifying with no preparation.
“It is a difficult season for him and also for the team in general, and myself too. We hope to have a competitive car next year.”