Alonso proud, but expects a lot more to come from McLaren

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Earlier this week Fernando Alonso said Melbourne would likely be the low point for McLaren. Should that prediction hold true, the Woking-based outfit is heading towards a spectacular resurgence.

At the very minimum, the Spaniard delivered an encouraging inaugural race for McLaren and its new engine partner Renault.

Alonso capitalised on the consistent race pace of his MCL33, but also gained a significant benefit from the retirement of the preceding Haas duo half-way through the race and the subsequent deployment of the VSC.

Regardless, it was solid drive for the 36-year-old and one which likely went a long way towards satisfying the driver's and McLaren's numerous fans.

"It was a good race today, especially considering where we started," Alonso said.

"The last couple of years have been difficult, and I think the winter has been difficult as well.

"We switched to the Renault engine quite late and the team had to react very quickly to redesign some of the parts at the rear end, and now we’ve come here and both cars have scored points – one in the top five.

“We should be proud of that, but I think there’s a lot more to come from McLaren. We didn’t maximise the full potential nor squeeze everything out of the package today. "

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Looking ahead, Alonso sees more of the MCL33's potential unlocked in the future as development comes into play.

"This is only our first race together with Renault, and some updates will come in the next few races. We can start to look ahead a little bit and Red Bull will be the next target," he said.

"As I said before, this race is probably our lowest performance of this season as things are going to get better and better.

"Obviously, today we got lucky with the two Haas cars retiring, Carlos’ [Sainz] problem in turn nine, and then overtaking [Max] Verstappen under the Safety Car," he admitted.

"Let’s say four positions came thanks to some favourable conditions, but we made no mistakes and we capitalised on everything. A perfect job from the team."

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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.