McLaren have improved, insists Alonso

Fernando Alonso has rejected claims of complete unrest at McLaren following the news last week that certain employees in the team reached out to former team boss, Martin Whitmarsh, to vent their frustrations at the current situation, with the Spaniard insisting they are on the right path.

Whitmarsh has previously been critical of team bosses Zak Brown and Eric Boullier, calling into question their plans for the team and their suitability for their respective roles.

Alonso has been quick to defend the current hierarchy, however, saying the team has improved since 2017.

"We have improved compared to last year," said Alonso at the Lions Festival in Cannes this week.

"We are not yet able to win the world championship, but we want to join the race for victories as soon as possible. I believe this year is a transition year for us but we are moving in the right direction."

This week, Red Bull announced they would be ditching Renault engines in favour of Honda power units, which the is the opposite turnaround which McLaren went through in the summer, opting to change to the French manufacturer.

Some critics have called this the wrong decision as McLaren as still nowhere near competing for championships, but Alonso has dismissed this claim.

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"The decision to stop the cooperation with Honda was right, although it is clear that it was not easy for the team to accept," the two-time world champion continued.

"The transition to Renault engines has been successful, as we are fighting for higher positions and earning points in almost every race, but it takes time for the cooperation to become truly fruitful."

Alonso's boss, Brown, also put a positive slant on the current situation, but did admit he wants the team to develop quicker.

"In sports there are no guarantees that you will win all the time, but I believe that McLaren is a very powerful brand, we have a rich heritage, and we will be able to overcome all our difficulties," he said.

"The operation of the team is gradually improving, but we do want the pace of improvement to be faster."