Fernando Alonso says his main concern is enjoying a “trouble-free race” as McLaren braces itself for another difficult weekend in China.
The Woking outfit predictably struggled last time out in Melbourne, with Alonso failing to make a chequered flag after a valiant fight for the final points place and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne finishing two laps down.
The team does not expect any upturn in fortune at this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, with the mammoth, 1.2 kilometre back straight set to once again exposes the weaknesses of the Honda power unit.
The aim for Alonso, then, is solely an improvement in terms of reliability.
“Shanghai is a really quirky track – Turn One is actually my favourite corner on the whole calendar – and it provides a good test for the driver with a high average speed compared to the street circuit of Melbourne,” the Spaniard said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what the new cars are capable of there, and I hope we can at least have a trouble-free race and see where we are when the chequered flag falls.”
Nonetheless, the 35-year old insists there were positives to take from the team’s performance in Melbourne and anticipates a constant stream of upgrades.
“Australia was a bit of a surprise for us, as we didn’t expect to perform at the level at we did, although on paper, ultimately, the results show the reality.
“We know there’s a lot of work to do and we aren’t delivering what we had aimed for pre-season, but equally we’re pushing hard behind the scenes.”
“Despite there being a few fly aways at the start of the season, we’re still expecting to have upgrades at every race, including China.”
