Fernando Alonso says he is glad to see🍃 the changes made at McLaren over the past year 💟start to pay off following the team’s strong start to the Formula 1 season.

McLaren impressed in Bahrain last weekend by getting both of its cars through to Q3 before 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:ꦬLando Norris finished the race in sixth place, a result only beaten by Alonso in the past fo🌊ur seasons fo🌠r the team.

Now retired from F1, Alonso returned to the wheel of a McLaren this week in Bahrain when he took part in testing to sample the team’s 2019 car. The two-time world champion was impressed by what he f༺ound, calling the car "a step forward".

McLaren has undergone a number of management and personne♋l changes over the past 12 months, and Alonso is pleased to see they are starting to pay off.  

“I think we’ve been working a lot f🍒or four or five year🤪s in the team, and we probably never had the momentum, or never had the continuity or progress,” Alonso said.

“We saw some good signs. After Bahrain last year, I was third or fourth in the cham⛄pionship. We had a good start and some good moments, but never the continuation through the year.

“I think this year, there is a good 🍃baseline and good programme of development, and I ꦿthink it’s going to be a much better season. I’m happy.

“Last year, it was a♍ good start, but then we stopped the development probably in May or June, so that w🌱as painful until Abu Dhabi.

“I knew that it was my final season as well, so to run with the same car from Barcelona to Abu Dhabi🍎 was painfu🅺l.”

McLaren was boosted by the arrival of new technical director James Key in Bahrain after striking a🏅n agreement with Toro Rosso to complete his move across early.

The team will also welcome former Porsche LMP1 chief Andreas Seidl into the role of F1 managing director on May♈ 1.