Fernando Alonso believes "the truth" will be told in 2018, when McLaren is powered by a Renault engine and demonstrates how good its car really is.
While the Woking-based outfit has lingered at the bottom of the grid for the better part of the last three years, the main culprit has been Honda and its inability to produce a performing and reliable engine.
Alonso has said on multiple occasions that with adequate power the McLaren MCL32 would be racing at the front, such is the efficiency of the car's design.
"Next year will be a good test," Alonso told Sky F1.
"The same engine as Red Bull will be the truth to see whether the chassis is good or not.
"For the last three years we have been the only team with the Honda engine so it's been hard to compare. But the engineers do simulations on everything and we believe we have a good car."
The Spanish drivers' view was echoed by McLaren racing director Eric Boullier.
"Today we know that we have a decent chassis, which would allow us to be in the top three again with an equal level engine," Boullier told Formula1.com.
The question however may not be how McLaren performs with Renault in 2018, but rather will Fernando Alonso be there to reap the benefits if it does?
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