Fernando Alonso 'fastest driver in F1', says McLaren boss Ron Dennis
Alonso confronts Sky F1's Johnny Herbert over claims he should quit
Monday 4 April 2016 14:34, UK
McLaren boss Ron Dennis has hailed Fernando Alonso as "the fastest driver in Formula 1" after the Spaniard brushed off claims he should consider quitting the sport.
The Spaniard, who has been declared unfit for duty at this week's Bahrain GP after suffering fractured ribs during his crash in Australia, confronted Johnny Herbert in the Bahrain paddock on Saturday after the Sky F1 pundit suggested that his talent is on the wane.
"I don't think Fernando should come back," Herbert said. "We haven't seen this two-time world champion that everyone says is the best."
But Dennis, whose relationship with Alonso disintegrated during the Spaniard's previous stint with the team, is adamant the two-time world champion remains without equal on the F1 grid.
"He's the fastest driver in Formula 1," the McLaren chairman said. "It's for us to provide him with a chassis and an engine which is capable of doing the job.
When is the Bahrain GP on Sky Sports and how can you watch?
"We believe in Honda, and we will achieve with Honda, it's just taking a little longer than we would have liked."
It was revealed ahead of qualifying - when Alonso's stand-in, Stoffel Vandoorne, finished two places ahead of Jenson Button in 12th - that Dennis had accompanied the 34-year-old when Alonso made a renewed appeal to the stewards on Saturday morning to be permitted to race.
"It's frustrating because we're a data-driven time," Dennis told Sky Sports F1. "The scans were from Monday. We wanted to have Fernando scanned again this morning. If he passes, fine, if he fails, fine. Just to say 'we're not prepared to go through a logical process' was frustrating.
"I don't think anything from this would have affected other drivers. It should be up to the team and Fernando. The doctors from Europe didn't agree with the doctors here."
According to Sky F1's Martin Brundle, Alonso even resorted to jumping on the floor in front of the stewards to do press-ups in what was ultimately an unsuccessful bid to be allowed to return to action.
