Why Alonso won't be McLaren's saviour
Fernando Alonso remains waiting in the wings at McLaren. But with the team looking like it will be consigned to the back of the Formula 1 midfield again, can the double champion do anything to help the flailing giant?
McLaren grabbed headlines during Formula 1 pre-season testing that were out of proportion to its place in the overall competitive order. That wasn't just because it regularly cropped up near or - on two days - at the top of the timesheets, or for its illustrious history, but also because of the appearance of Fernando Alonso. Or, as we should now call him, Ambassador Alonso - charged with preaching the good word of McLaren worldwide as part of his ongoing association with the team.
It was a similar story last season. Once McLaren had firmly established itself as deep midfield fodder, the main attraction was either speculation about Alonso's future or his latest must-hear utterance about what he had just done with the recalcitrant machine.
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