Championship point good for team morale - Alonso

It looked like McLaren's drivers were jumping from the frying pan into the fire at the start of Sunday's British Grand Prix, with both cars entangled in a first lap incident originated by Lotus' drivers.

While Jenson Button retired on the spot, Fernando Alonso was able to continue after stopping for a new front wing, with the Spaniard running a relatively uneventful race thereafter to achieve a tenth place finish which appears as quite a feat given McLaren-Honda's disastrous record to date.

"The two Lotus drivers were far too aggressive going into Turn 3," Alonso commented on the first lap incident. "They touched each other and then to avoid them, I had half a spin and touched Jenson as well. Definitely no common sense there."

"One championship point is nothing to get excited about but it's still important for the team's morale and for everyone's motivation," conceded Alonso. "The team is very focused on the job, and we know it's a long term project at the moment because there is no magic, so to get a result and a point on the table is important."

Alonso was quick to acknowledge however that without the rain, tenth would have remained out of reach.

"We deserved to get some points in Barcelona and Monaco, and here we were P11 and thanks to the rain we got P10."

Click here for Galleries from the British Grand Prix

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Cadillac braced for ‘difficult test’ at Monza, Budkowski warns

Cadillac heads into its first Formula 1 appearance at Monza facing the prospect of a…

6 hours ago

Schumacher memorabilia headlines Bonhams Monza auction

The name Michael Schumacher will loom large over Monza this weekend, and now fans of…

7 hours ago

Hadjar sidelined for Monza as injury healing continues

Red Bull has opted for caution over urgency, confirming that Isack Hadjar will miss this…

9 hours ago

Ferrari confirms SF-26 power boost for Monza homecoming

Ferrari is turning up the volume for its homecoming at Monza, with the Scuderia confirming…

10 hours ago

Schumacher beats the Professor's F1 record milestone

On this day in 2001, Michael Schumacher became the sole record holder of the greatest…

12 hours ago

Haas rejects 2027 switch as it fights to fix VF-26

Haas has no intention of waving the white flag on its troubled 2026 Formula 1…

13 hours ago