The mood is good within the team and Fernando has a straight forward three yer contract with no get out clauses that's what he wanted to sign

(McLaren Honda)

McLaren Technology Group Chairman Ron Dennis has revealed that the mood within the McLaren Honda Formula One Team is good despite a difficult start to their new partnership with Honda.

The Woking based outfit endured a difficult winter testing programme due to various issues with the new power unit however they have designed and built a great package in the MP4-30 chassis which will feature a big upgrade package which will include an upgraded power unit from Honda for the next race, the Spanish Grand Prix which takes place at the Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona next weekend.

Last time out the Woking based outfit came close to finishing the Bahrain Grand Prix in the points with Fernando Alonso ending the race just outside the points in eleventh place while Jenson Button failed to even start the race due a number of technical issues with his car. The 2009 world champion completed just 17 laps over the course of the weekend.

Despite the various issues that the team have had and indeed expected to have at the start of the season, Mr Dennis revealed that the managers at Honda who are also engineers understand that their Formula One power unit is not the best but that it will be. 

The Japanese manufacturer has invested millions into their return to Formula One building a facility in Milton Keynes to prepare the power units for McLaren.

Speaking to the official Formula One website, Mr Dennis addressed the media speculation that Fernando Alonso who returned to the team at the start of the season has no ‘get out clause’ after one year and that he in fact ‘has a straight three year contract with us, with no options. It’s as simple as that. That’s what we wanted to offer him, and that’s what he wanted to sign. I can’t make it plainer than that.’

© Ben Johnston 2015