McLaren: Alonso is already thinking about 2016, Button still wants to believe

After a highly frustrating Canadian Grand Prix, the two McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, struggled to hide their disappointment. The performance of the British team’s car, powered by Honda, remains an open question for the rest of the season.

Which leads Alonso to say that the team should focus entirely on 2016: Given the position we are in, and the performances we have, I think focusing on next year is the smartest option for us to consider now. I have no problem starting all the races from the pit lane if it allows us to improve the car.

While remaining optimistic, the Spaniard does not expect a big change by the end of the season: « This is the priority now: to concentrate on next year’s performances, and we’ll see what that brings us. I don’t think the progress has been impressive so far, so the second half of the season remains a mystery for us. But we are all really optimistic. »

On the other side of the garage, Jenson Button doesn’t really think like his double world champion teammate: « We can’t write off this year; there’s no regulation change [next season]. We are here to develop and make the car faster by doing our best during the races. Of course, next year promises to be more exciting, and I hope we can fight at the front. But to develop, we have to keep pushing and see what we can do during the races. Then, the development will go in the right direction. »

The Briton remains realistic about McLaren’s situation this year: « Of course, we have more problems than we thought we would. But I think we’ll be able to solve them because, apart from that, the pace isn’t so bad. »