Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo reckons the McLaren MCL32 chassis would fare much better with any other engine than a Honda.
The Aussie has witnessed up close the efficiency of the Woking-based outfit's 2017 design whose efficiency appears to be inversely proportional to that of its disappointing power unit.
"Unfortunately Honda has not been able to make McLaren's car fast with these engines," Ricciardo told the Spanish daily Marca.
"So I think if they put in a Renault engine or anything else, they will automatically be faster because the car itself looks very good.
"They should be stronger next year," he said.
Ricciardo perhaps states the obvious, but the Honey Badger would still like nothing more than to see Fernando Alonso join the fight at the front.
"I really like Fernando and respect him a lot as a driver," adds Ricciardo.
"I would like to see him suffering less on the track and in a top car. It would be great to have him as a teammate one day -- him or Hamilton. I'd love that."
