Alonso slams 'GP2' Honda engineposted in F127 | 09 | 2015
DOUBLE WORLD CHAMP Fernando Alonso (pictured) aired his frustration at the lack of performance from his McLaren-Honda as he labelled the team's performance embarrassing".
And as he struggled to come anywhere close to matching the speed of cars which traditionally qualify in the lower half of the grid, he lambasted Honda's straightline speed over team radio, comparing it to a "GP2 engine".
"I feel embarrassed when I'm racing sometimes because it's frustrating when you see the other cars making mistakes, going off the racing line, getting sideways," the Spaniard, now eight months into his second spell with McLaren, said.
"You look in the mirror on the straight to look for them and they are already side by side with you. The deficit we have on power is like another category.
"It's tough to race like this and it's frustrating, but on the positive side both McLarens finished the race so hopefully we have some useful information from that mileage.
"Next year we must change a lot of things on the power unit and on the structure so it will be a medium-term job and for next year, not the next races."
But while some speculated Alonso was sowing the seeds for s swift exit from McLaren, he stated: "Next year is what we are looking for and my intention is to stay and win."
However, the Spaniard's team radio outburst isn't go down well with McLaren Group CEO Ron Dennis, who said he would take Alonso to task internally over his comments.
"I'm not going to condone those sort of things. It doesn't show the professionalism I would like all our drivers to show," Dennis said. "He is in the car, he is frustrated, and his remarks to the technical staff were not a particularly constructive way to communicate with everybody.
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"The way for me to deal with drivers is through the management channels of Eric (Boullier, racing director) or in certain circumstances to talk to them myself.
"But whatever I choose to do, however it is done, it remains a team matter."
And Dennis made it perfectly clear he expects Alonso, and team-mate Jenson Button, to again be driving the two McLaren's next year.
"I spoke to Fernando earlier today, he's got a contract, he understands the contract," Dennis continued. "Anything that's coming out of our drivers at the moment has its origins in frustration, disappointment and demotivation. Yeah, we're all demotivated,
"I still can't understand why everyone doesn't appreciate you're not going to win a world championship if you have a second-string engine as a customer team. It's just not going to happen.
"Therefore we have to go through the pain, we have to go through this learning curve and get a competitive engine.
"That's not a derogatory comment against Honda. The president of the company, the president of R&D, the president of Honda Motor Company are totally committed.
"They understand what needs to be done, they're increasing resources, putting more money and effort into it, and we will get there. It's just a bit painful at the moment.
"Jenson has a two-year contract. I should have taken away any doubt of our commitment to him earlier than I did.
"I did not speak to him until Thursday, but at the end of the day it would have been more constructive if he had known I had no intention to exercise our option to terminate his contract.
"These sort of decisions are not mine and mine alone. They are decisions that have to be supported by the shareholders and I informed Jenson accordingly. But I could have done it a couple of days earlier and I don't think it would have been an issue now.
"I think that the decision he found himself in was, like any relationship, that you need to know the other party wants you.
"There needs to be a human relationship in any partnership and I took that doubt away and I don't think that doubt was constructive to his thinking."
Asked specifically whether Button and Fernando Alonso would be racing at McLaren in 2016, Dennis answered, unequivocally: "Yes."
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Jim McGill