Alonso: You always want to be where the best car is and that's Mercedes

F1 News
Monday, 07 March 2016 at 11:34
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McLaren driver Fernando Alonso is still refusing to rule out a move to Mercedes in the future. while revealing that the lack of power in the current generation Honda power unit will be the main problem Woking team.
Although fully committed to the remaining two seasons of his McLaren-Honda contract, the Spaniard began his 2016 campaign by revealing he almost switched from Ferrari to Mercedes last year in a swap deal involving Lewis Hamilton.
"You always want to be where the best car is, and that's Mercedes," he has now told Spanish radio Onda Cero. "I am now where I try to be happy. And yes, I'm happy."
His comments about being 'happy' at McLaren are almost certainly in reference to his previous situation at Ferrari.
"Montezemolo told me that drivers like Prost, Lauda and Senna all asked him if they could go to Ferrari. He did not understand that I asked to leave."
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - MARCH 30: Fernando Alonso of Spain and Ferrari inspects the car of race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP in parc ferme after the Malaysia Formula One Grand Prix at the Sepang Circuit on March 30, 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
The start of the new McLaren-Honda project last year, however, was nothing short of utterly disastrous, but Alonso says his car is definitely better for 2016.
"What we are behind is between 30 and 80 horse power," Alonso said. "There is no 100 or 200hp deficit to Mercedes. "The engine last year had serious structural flaws. This year our Achilles heel will again be the power as I do not think we can recover all of the lost ground.
"But this season will be different and we started well, not to get victories but it will be very different from last year. I am very motivated and willing to do the best season of my life. The car was born well with some limitations, but I am told there will be major improvements," he added.
Where he also wants major improvements is in the regulations, as he warns that he may have exhausted his desire to drive the current generation of cars by the end of his McLaren tenure.
Alonso McLaren Brazil
"I still have several years at the highest level - two at least - and then we will see," he told the Spanish broadcaster TVE.
"The F1 cars now are too slow," Alonso said plainly. "It has taken the pleasure of driving. They are extremely slow cars, with hard and difficult to understand tyres with extremely high pressures to further reduce grip."
"Driving is now different and more boring, with audiences continuing to go down as you cannot cheat them. So I hope we can find the right direction for the sport," he added.
Interestingly, in a GrandPrix247 poll, 58% of readers would choose Alonso over Hamilton when asked who they would pick for their own F1 race team. Poll here>>>
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