McLaren laud Alonso's contribution

That is the view of McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh, who thinks that although Hamilton has greatly impressed in his first two races, it would be wrong to overlook what Alonso has done.

He was speaking after Alonso's first win for McLaren was slightly overshadowed by Hamilton's breathtaking move past Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa at Malaysia's first corner - and his subsequent brilliant defending of second place.

"Lewis' first laps were phenomenal, and his start was again great," Whitmarsh told autosport.com. "Dealing with the pressure from Massa was entertaining.

"I had to say when Massa outbraked himself the second time, I thought it was more serious for Lewis because he had Kimi coming. But he dealt with that as well, which was fantastic.

"Inevitably, there's going to be a lot of excitement about Lewis - and justifiably - but Fernando did the job of a world champion. The lean, keen, killing machine just went out there and did it."

Whitmarsh believes that Alonso's arrival at McLaren has been a significant factor in helping the team return to the winners' circle following their victory drought in 2006.

"He has made a fantastic contribution - and there's rightly huge acclaim for what Lewis has achieved. But Fernando is a great world champion and a very experienced guy. He is someone who has given us a lot of insight.

"He's a thoroughly motivating force in the organisation. He thinks about his job and the jobs that we all do. And in Malaysia he did a fantastic job."