McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says Fernando Alonso's resigning delivers consistency to a team which he believes has the best driver line-up in F1.
As widely expected, Alonso extended his contract with the Woking-based outfit.
The duration of the new deal is unknown but the Spaniard specified that his contract was not for a single year.
"With Fernando, you really can’t ask for a better driver to deliver a result for you on a Sunday afternoon – and I think everybody in Formula 1 would acknowledge that sentiment," Boullier says in today's release.
"He’s always been clear to me that this is a team he loves, and that his heart has always been set on staying.
"Today’s announcement shows that he’s fully committed to racing and winning as a McLaren driver, and, while we’ve often shared his frustrations over the past few years, we now feel that we can deliver on our promise to give him a competitive car next season.
"Consistency of driver line-up is one of those small but essential elements that really helps a team to maintain momentum, and, with Fernando and Stoffel, we’re lucky to be writing a fresh chapter with what we believe to be the best driver line-up in Formula 1."
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