I want to taste champagne again, says Alonso

Fernando Alonso has claimed that he 'wants to taste champagne' again as McLaren set themselves the target of returning to the podium again on a regular basis after a difficult 2017 where they struggled to compete at the business end of the grid.

Despite Alonso's best efforts and some inspirational drives he could not make a dent on the leading places, with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes so dominant.

But a change of engine has led to increased expectations for the 2018 campaign and the Spaniard feels that a minimum requirement for the team should be popping corks on the podium to announce their return to regular contention.

McLaren's last top-three position was at the Australian Grand Prix in 2014, and Alonso said: "In terms of results, it is always going to be difficult to predict. This is Formula 1, it is not mathematical that you know in advance. Anything can happen. Even the favourite ones, the champions, Mercedes cannot guarantee that in 2018 they will be fastest.

"But we are quite optimistic, we know what Red Bull is doing with the Renault power unit, they are maybe not the fastest in qualifying but they are quite fast in the race. They’ve been on a couple of podiums, they won two or three races, so with those kinds of results I think we will be very happy. If we are in the fight and if we can taste the champagne again."

Alonso also added that the underachievement of the last three years has been difficult, it is testament to the hardworking nature of the team that they are still motivated to compete, adding: ""The biggest thing I learned in the last three years was the speed of the team, they never give up, they were very united, very constructive, working flat out to bring even half a tenth for the next race even if we were fighting for 16th.

"That spirit in the team was remarkable, its something that I will keep for the long term."