McLaren performance in-line with expectations - Alonso

©McLaren

Fernando Alonso says McLaren's level of performance in the first two races of the season is pretty much where he expected it to be, suggesting the results bode well for the remainder of the year.

The Spaniard is hopeful of capitalizing on McLaren's resurgence with Renault this season and launched his campaign with two successive finishes in the points in Melbourne and Bahrain.

During pre-season testing, the two-time world champion said McLaren ambitioned to challenge Red Bull at the outset, but the Woking-based outfit remains at a fair distance from its Milton Keynes counterpart.

However, Alonso is satisfied with what has been achieved so far, even if the team's performance has fallen short of others expectations.

McLaren performance points to 'not so great car' - Marko

"We’re third in the constructors championship, fourth in the drivers' championship - maybe not on performance," he said.

"I don’t know exactly what the people were expecting, from one season to another, when the regulations stay the same, and there are three teams ahead of everyone last year.

"This year they keep ahead of everyone.

"Last year in three races, [we had] zero points. Bahrain last year, Stoffel [Vandoorne] didn’t make the start.

"On the grid, he was pulling the car into the pitlane. This year, two races, four cars to the chequered flag.

"As I said, look at the facts, not the feelings or the wishes or the dreams. If we see the facts, this is a very good start."

©McLaren

Indeed, the facts points to significant progress this year, both in terms of performance and reliability.

"We didn’t have any mechanical failures, we didn’t have any operational failures. I think we’re the only team now," Alonso said.

"With pit stop problems for Ferrari and Haas, and Red Bull retirements, now there’s only one team remaining with no issues at all: that’s only McLaren.

"Even Mercedes changed their gearbox a couple of times. This could change quite quickly, but so far, the start of the season is very positive," he added.

"I understand the expectations are difficult to meet when we’re talking about McLaren and a championship fight."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

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.