The expected announcement that Fernando Alonso was returning to McLaren was finally made official on Thursday.
The wait regarding who his team-mate would be has somewhat stolen the headlines from what is a massive coup for McLaren Honda.
The Japanese manufacturer wanted a marquee signing to indicate their return to Formula One and the Spanish former two-time Formula One Champion is the biggest marquee signing on the F1 grid.
The 33-year-old is widely believed to be the best Formula One driver of the current era, proving time and time again that he drags the performance out of under achieving cars, especially over the last few years at Ferrari.
But despite the huge falling out between McLaren and Alonso following the 2007 season, the pull of Honda and a new project with the potential to compete with Mercedes was enough to force McLaren and Alonso to rebuild once destroyed bridges.
?We both feel it’s unfinished business. We all have more to prove than ever before,? McLaren boss Ron Dennis said at the media day.
Alonso added: ?I am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination, knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for, which is no problem for me, I will do everything in my power to deliver for everyone and for our team, based on a formula that has always worked for me: effort, sacrifice, perseverance and faith.
?We have time, we have hopes and we have the necessary resources. Let the legend return: that is our challenge.?
He continued: ?Over the past year I have received several offers, some of them really tempting, given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest. But, more than a year ago, McLaren-Honda contacted me and asked me to take part, in a very active way, in the return of their partnership ? a partnership that dominated the Formula 1 scene for so long.’
McLaren confirm Alonso return
