It is finally official! Two time world champion Fernando Alonso and 2009 champion Jenson Button have been confirmed as the main drivers for McLaren-Honda in 2015. Kevin Magnussen, who finished his rookie year in 11th position with 55 points, will now act as a test and reserve driver.
Fernando’s move to McLaren-Honda comes after a lot of speculations in the past few weeks when he announced that he will be ending his 4 year partnership with Scuderia Ferrari.
McLaren-Honda, one of the most successful collaborations in Formula 1, has seen some legendary drivers of all times grace the podium with their team colours. In fact the partnership between the two companies gave throttle to the single most successful Formula 1 car, the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 which was driven to the top slot 15 out of 16 races in the 1988 season by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
Alonso claims that he has been receiving several offers from different sources but choosing McLaren Honda gives him a chance to get closer to his idol, the legendary Ayrton Senna. The surprising revelation though is that the McLaren-Honda collaboration has been trying to get Alonso on board for more than a year now!
Honda is working hard on the engine of the 2015 car at their new purpose built motorsport facility in Sakura, Japan. The unfinished business which Fernando left when he left McLaren back in 2007 will have the first opportunity to see any fruits when Formula 1 caravan moves to Melbourne mid-March.
