Alonso: McLaren struggles the same at every track

Fernando Alonso says McLaren's 2018 is struggling for performance at more or less every track on the Formula 1 calendar. The Hungarian Grand Prix had previously been a safe haven of points-scoring for the team as they struggled with their Honda power units, but the more fundamental flaws in the MCL33 mean that is less likely this week, according to Alonso.

The veteran finished sixth in last year's race, the last driver on the lead lap, but has not finished higher than eighth since the Azerbaijan GP in April.

Team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne has been in a worse rut, failing to even make it out of Q1 in the last four races, the Belgian has not scored a point since the Baku race.

Switching Honda for Renault engines has failed to pay off for McLaren and Alonso's pessimistic prediction for the Hungaroring, despite an upgrade coming at the circuit, spells out their plight.

"In previous years I would say yes, Hungary was one of the circuits that we definitely perform a little bit better and we have more chances," said Alonso.

"This year I think the characteristics we saw in our car, Hungary should be problematic, maybe, some of the sectors.

"[The car's performance] is going to be quite similar. We were in Canada, Paul Ricard, Austria and Silverstone more or less in exactly the same position with the same performance.

"The circuits were sometimes opposite like Canada and Silverstone, for example.

"So I don't think we will see like other years a clear difference between a good circuit and a bad circuit.

"I think it's going to be always very tight and it will be down to the new parts and the updates that you bring to that specific grand prix.

"I know there's a bigger package for Hungary so maybe that is the biggest help, more than the layout."