• McLaren

Boullier relishing challenge of managing Alonso

ESPN Staff
December 13, 2014 « Dennis to buy back majority stake in McLaren | Ecclestone pushing for 2016 engine change »
Fernando Alonso and McLaren CEO Ron Dennis have reconciled past differences © McLaren
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Eric Boullier expects McLaren will face a challenge managing the expectations of new signing Fernando Alonso - albeit a positive one.

Alonso joins McLaren after five seasons at Ferrari without a world championship, a failure which compounded his desire to leave the Italian outfit this summer. He has failed to shake off the charge that he is difficult to work with after leaving McLaren with his reputation in tatters at the end of 2007.

Racing director Boullier says he has already seen Alonso's competitive will to win since he signed to re-join McLaren but thinks it will only be a benefit to the team's new partnership with Honda.

"I know it's going to be challenging, [but] you have to take it as a huge positive," Boullier said. "This is the kind of commitment and dedication you want. We gained the best driver in the world today, and to have convinced Fernando to stop his last two years of contract with Ferrari to join us, that means a lot for me.

"It means he believes in what we are building. Clearly he's going to challenge us every day. To be honest with you, he's texting me every day already! He's really on it. This is the kind of boost we were looking for."

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