Alonso denies wanting Ferrari or Mercedes switch

Apr.13 - Fernando Alonso has played down suggestions McLaren is still not out of crisis even after dumping Honda.

After blaming its woeful performance between 2015 and 2017 on the now departed Honda, McLaren now is behind newly Honda-powered Toro Rosso and still notably slow on the straights.

And Alonso's management supremo, Flavio Briatore, said on Italian radio this week that he would like to see the Spaniard in a Ferrari or a Mercedes.

"Flavio wants the best for me in terms of results," Alonso told AS newspaper. "In the last two or three years there were three teams ahead of the others so I understand his comments.

"But I'm happy where I am now," he insisted. "I think there are many things that we will change and we will become more competitive. So I think that in the next couple of months, the place to be is McLaren.

"That is the message for our fans and the people who support us."

Alonso said those who thought moving from Honda to Renault would be the magic bullet for McLaren were deluding themselves.

"Some of the expectations were unrealistic," he said.

"I don't know how we can conjure marvellous things when the rules are stable.

"For me, dreams do not count, facts do. And if you look at them in peace, I realise: we had a good start to the season."

As for why McLaren is still so slow on the straight even after dumping Honda, Alonso answered: "We need to understand why.

"We have a Renault power unit, as other teams do. Perhaps the difference is due to the settings or the design of the car, but I'm sure that in the next few races we will find a solution."

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