McLaren left frustrated, disappointed and yes, sad - Boullier

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McLaren was given another raw deal by Honda yesterday in Montreal when Fernando Alonso retired with just a handful of laps to go and a championship point in the bag.

The Spaniard was running 10th and pretty much out of reach with two laps to go when his engine suddenly lost pressure, forcing the Spaniard into a gut-wrenching DNF.

It was an unsatisfactory end to an unsatisfactory week which had seen McLaren boss Zak Brown deliver an ultimatum to Honda while also questioning the manufacturer's ability to deliver a competitive engine.

"For the first time this season, running in 10th place within spitting distance of the flag, we dared to hope," said a despondent Eric Boullier.

"OK, what we were daring to hope for were hardly rich pickings: a solitary world championship point for Fernando, who had driven superbly all afternoon, as he's driven superbly every race-day afternoon for the past two-and-a-half years.

"But, after so much toil and heartache, even that single point would have felt like a victory. And then came yet another gut-wrenching failure," added McLaren's racing director.

"It's difficult to find the right words to express our disappointment, our frustration and, yes, our sadness. So I'll say only this: it's simply, and absolutely, not good enough."

Honda revealed that Sunday's latest failure resided with the internal combustion engine, Alonso's third this season which implies that the McLaren driver will only have one ICE to go before grid penalties come into play.

While Alonso's performance up until his demise had been impressive, the two-time world champion insisted it had been hard work and even perilous at times given his speed deficit compared to his rivals.

"The race itself was already hard enough given the lack of power," said Alonso.

"They were passing us in the middle of the straights and sometimes it was even dangerous with such a speed difference."

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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.