McLaren has the car to beat in Formula 1. So says driver Fernando Alonso.
Alonso proclaimed the revamped car the best chassis in F1 after setting the fastest Q1 middle sector times in Mexico last weekend.
"Today, for the first time in three years, we can be pretty sure that we had the best car on track," Alonso told Autosport.com.
His praise comes after McLaren made upgrades to the car that included a new front wing and new floor and bargeboards. The team decided to unveil the 2018 design now so it has time to put the car through real-race scenarios to see how it performs.
"It was a surprise," said McLaren racing director Eric Boullier. "We were not expecting to be that competitive, but if you put everything relative apart, the new full package that we introduced on Fernando's car last weekend looks like it delivers a little more than expected - which is good news."
Boullier says the team is working in R&D mode as it gets ready for next season, and there's plenty of work still to be done before he concurs with Alonso's proclamation.