Honda F1 chief exit takes Alonso by surprise

Fernando Alonso was among those who were caught by surprise by Honda's announcement of the departure of F1 chief Yasuhisa Arai on Tuesday.

"I heard it at noon when I was jumping in the car," said the Spaniard. "Let's see what changes this brings with it."

Actually, Arai's exit should not be a surprise, given the woeful performance of the new McLaren-Honda works collaboration last year.

Alonso got his first taste of Honda's 2016 engine on Tuesday, declaring that it is better than last year's.

"But that was clear even before the test," he told Spanish reporters. "Our deficit to the others was so great that we had to improve.

"I think this year we will improve, and even more for 2017. I really believe that only McLaren-Honda, with its potential, can beat something as dominant as Mercedes is at the moment," Alonso added.