Alonso: “McLaren, the last team in normal racing conditions&”;

His roadmap was set from the start of the weekend. Qualified 13th through sheer determination, the double world champion relied on a divine intervention to secure a convincing place, at least in the top 10. Competing until the 50th lap, the former Renault driver could claim a spot in the points.

Alas, Fernando Alonso laid down his arms against Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg. Overtaken unceremoniously on the start/finish straight, his machine finally gave in a few meters later, with a broken suspension.

A potential early departure for Alonso?

At first glance, the race of the double world champion seems quite encouraging. Not so for the person most involved, with a closed face in front of the media: «Under normal racing conditions, I think we are the last team. That’s the performance we currently have. We moved up to 10th place only because the qualifying was extremely good. I was lucky to gain one position. Grosjean’s retirement gave us a second one.

On a strictly personal level, the bull from Asturias has nothing to reproach himself for: « It went well. I think I had one of the best races of my career, if not the best. We were level on points. However, I was hampered by my management of fuel consumption. So it was a surprising race even if in the end, we need to be competitive very soon… »

This last sentence is full of meaning. Annoyed by the disastrous management of the new Honda engine, Alonso is reportedly on the verge of slamming the door, according to his friend Mark Webber. The Australian, a consultant for English television, declared the following: Fernando might not stay with the team. I have a feeling he won’t finish the season. He is very frustrated. He is not here to finish sixth or seventh. He wants to fight for podiums.

And happy birthday Stoffel!

We’ve seen better gifts from an employer. Stoffel Vandoorne’s first race as a full-time driver was terribly complicated. Interviewed by Gaëtan Vigneron for RTBF, the Belgian looked back on his Australian Grand Prix: « A very difficult race for us. The positive point is that we finished the race! But I had a lot of work behind the wheel, especially after losing the dashboard early on. »

But beyond losing the essential information on his steering wheel, the ordeal continued: « Then I lost power. We had to do a complete reset of my car during my pit stop! »

Finally, the 2015 GP2 champion managed to finish in thirteenth place, last in the event. Like his illustrious teammate, the technical feedback is hardly flattering: « Our package is not competitive at all. We need to work to improve all of this.»

And to top it all off, the Honda engine, which lags by dozens of km/h behind its rivals, prevents the drivers from enjoying themselves on the track. « Impossible to overtake, we don’t have the engine power to do it! »

No doubt that Stoffel Vandoorne will not have fond memories of his 25th birthday, spent behind the wheel of an unruly single-seater. One thing is certain: the dramatic saga between McLaren and Honda continues to unfold.