Alonso: 2017 still a very bad season for McLaren

Editor

Despite progress in the latter half of this campaign, Fernando Alonso says that doesn’t mask the fact that it has been a “very bad” season for McLaren-Honda.

Barring a miracle McLaren are on track to finish this season ninth in the Constructors’ Championship as they have scored just 24 points in 18 races.

Their campaign has been blighted by reliability issues with the Honda power unit and a general lack of pace, also blamed on Honda.

There has, however, been signs of progress of late with McLaren believing their chassis is one of the best on the grid.

Alonso, though, says that progress doesn’t make up for a bad season.

He said: “It was very bad.

“It was not a good season, despite the progress that is noticeable we did with the car, and despite the optimism for next year.

“We all believe inside the team it will be a fantastic 2018 season – we have a better mood now in the team.

“[But] if we look back and we launch the car in McLaren in February – new regulations, four months to work on the engine, to power a little bit what we had in 2016, the hopes for this season were much different, from myself and from the team.

“Now, to be ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, to use nine engines until now, it cannot be a good season for anyone in the team.”