Fernando Alonso: "Last year you could bring your cup of coffee into the car"

Fernando Alonso has so far endured a horrible year in 2017, as his McLaren-Honda has looked quite slow. The car also broke down multiple times during pre-season testing but seemed to fare better in terms of reliability in Melbourne as both he and teammate Stoffel Vandoorne managed over 50 laps in the Grand Prix last weekend.

Despite the struggles, the Spaniard is enjoying the new cars that have much more downforce added to them this year, making them more challenging to drive. 

"It's much more fun to drive these cars and the cornering speed is as it should be in Formula 1. I think we all miss the sound of Formula 1, the sound that is part of the DNA of the sport. But I'm afraid it will not come back," he says.

"If you lose the car,  especially at the back, it is difficult to recover because you're so much faster in the corners. Last year you could bring your cup of coffee into the car."

Fergal Walsh