McLaren's Fernando Alonso is keeping an open mind about the raft of updates scheduled for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
McLaren heads into the European phase of the 2018 F1 campaign fourth in the standings, having already amassed more points than it accrued in the 2017 season.
Expectations rose after switching from Honda to Renault power, aiming to challenge the top three of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, but despite the team's improvements from recent seasons, they have yet to meet the targets they set for their 2018 campaign.
Last month Racing Director Eric Boullier revealed the team would be bringing its 'true' 2018 car at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the hope of helping them climb further up the grid, however, Alonso is wary of putting expectations on what the developments will mean in terms of true performance.
"I know we have some developments in the pipeline, but we also know there is no 'magic bullet' that will propel us to the front of the grid overnight," said Alonso.
"There has been a lot of work happening at the factory and there is still a lot of work to do – so in Barcelona, it’s a chance to evaluate some new things, see where we are, and determine the direction that we take with car development as we progress through the season.
"As always, and especially after the battle we fought in Baku, I’m really looking forward to pushing hard on track again this weekend in front of my home fans.”
Alonso began his venture into the World Endurance Championship last weekend with a victory for Toyota at the 6 hours of Spa-Francorchamps and will contend with balancing Formula 1 duties and preparations for the Le Mans 24 hours in the coming weeks; however, he believes he is ready for the gruelling schedule ahead.
"The Spanish Grand Prix represents the start of a very busy few months leading up to the summer break, both for McLaren and for me with my other racing commitments," added the Spaniard.
"I’m more than ready for the challenge and I’m really excited to see what the next few races bring us."
