Alonso: 'There is no ultimatum - I'm not bigger than the team'

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Fernando Alonso denied he had hit McLaren with an ultimatum, forcing the team to decide between him or engine supplier Honda for 2018.

While all signs pointed once again to a disgruntled Alonso last weekend at Spa, based on his on-board negative radio comments and a suspicious retirement after 25 laps, the Spanish driver appeared confident in Monza over his future with McLaren.

Reports over the Belgian GP weekend suggested that Alonso had issued an ultimatum to McLaren, but the 36-year-old emphatically denied the story.

"That is absolutely not true. I read that this weekend and I have absolutely not decided that," he said on Thursday in Monza.

"More than anything, I am not bigger than the team. We have 1,000 people at McLaren and Honda working for the championship.

"We know that things are not going in the right direction, we are not competitive enough after three years, but we all want to change that situation.

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"There are 1,000 people there and I am probably the least important one. For McLaren it is crucial to improve the situation so they are the first who want to improve as the second best team in the history of the sport with numbers.

"The team that has won the second most times in Monza. We are McLaren and we all want the same thing: to be competitive."

Alonso believes McLaren's potential remains intact despite the difficult times, and said he will soon assess his state of affairs with the team.

"I will start sitting down with the team, especially to understand the prospects for the future and the expectations for next year, we do now have some ingredients to be champions," he said.

"The team has improved a lot over the past three years since I arrived and I think we have the talent, the facilities and everything we are just need to be more competitive.

That is the most important thing, arguably, but we will see what the numbers are for next year. After that we will make a decision."

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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.