McLaren will score its first points of the season in Monaco this weekend according to Fernando Alonso, despite a disastrous Spanish Grand Prix which saw him retire and team-mate Jenson Button proclaim the MP4-30 the scariest car he’s ever driven.
The Spaniard, who’s retirement was purely down to bad luck when a visor tear-off got caught in his brake duct – causing his brakes to overheat – was set to finish ninth had it not been for his misfortune, according to McLaren’s simulation.
He is therefore confident of a top-ten finish in Monaco at a circuit which will better suit Honda as straight-line speed – a major weakness of their power unit – isn’t such a key factor around the twisty street circuit.
“I think we will get points in Monaco,” he confidently told Sky Sports.
“[In Spain] our simulations until the retirement put us in ninth place, so [that] was already the first opportunity to get the points. In Monaco it will be the second.”
Alonso believes McLaren will regularly be fighting for just one or two points over the next few races before making a further step forward around the Austrian GP.
“From now on we will always be on the limit of the 10th place for the next two or three races,” he said. “Hopefully after Austria we will be more secure – seventh, eighth place I hope. That’s the target.”
Meanwhile his target’s for the closing races of the season are far more ambitious given their current position.
“We need to be close to the podium positions,” he added. “I’m very optimistic.”
