Alonso frustrated with Monday running

©WRI2

There was a sense of déjà-vu yesterday in the McLaren-Honda camp following the opening day of pre-season testing Barcelona.

Events of the day cast memories back to early 2015 and the team's then dismal start to its year, although in all fairness that is an easy stab to deliver to a team which is in much better shape today than it was 24 months ago.

Still, McLaren-Honda's new MCL32, which ran smoothly during its filming day on Sunday, was halted after a single installation lap yesterday morning following a fuel system issue.

The car was back in action after a complete power unit change and Alonso was able to complete 29 laps, albeit at a pace about 3 seconds of that of the front-running Mercedes and Ferrari cars.

At the end of the day, the Spaniard found it difficult to contain his frustration - and a relative sadness - with how the day had played out.

"It's definitely not a perfect start to winter testing," he lamented.

"We are disappointed, we are sad to arrive to the first day and not be able to run.

"We know and are aware of the time we lost today. We have four days for each driver before the world championship starts and now one day is gone, so I have three days to prepare a world championship. It's not an ideal situation."

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Despite the good chuck of lost time, Alonso remains positive however.

"It's not a problem, luckily enough I have a good experience and find the limits very quickly.

"That has been the same all my life that I adapt to the cars quicker than anyone else and I will do also this year.

"I’m looking forward to having a proper day of running and hopefully we’ll then be able to make some more conclusive evaluations."

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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.