Fernando Alonso — 2016 season

Fernando Alonso's 2016 Formula 1 season was a demonstration of his enduring skill, extracting consistent points finishes from a McLaren-Honda package still grappling with significant performance and reliability challenges. Following a challenging 2015 campaign, the team aimed for progress within the demanding V6 turbo-hybrid era, where Mercedes held a dominant advantage.

Going in

After a difficult return to McLaren in 2015, which saw the team finish ninth in the Constructors' Championship with just 27 points, expectations for 2016 were tempered. The Honda power unit, in its second year, was still developing, and while improvements were anticipated, a significant leap to the front of the grid was not realistically on the horizon. Alonso, a two-time world champion, continued to be the focal point for the team's efforts, tasked with maximizing every opportunity the car presented. His previous season, Fernando Alonso — 2015 season, had been a stark reminder of the performance gap McLaren faced.

How it played out

The season began with a dramatic incident at the Australian Grand Prix, where Alonso suffered a high-speed collision with Esteban Gutiérrez, resulting in a red flag and a DNF. This set an early tone for the reliability struggles that would punctuate the year. Despite this, Alonso soon demonstrated his ability to capitalize on any advantage, scoring his first points of the season with a P6 finish at the Russian Grand Prix. He followed this with a strong P5 in Monaco, a circuit less dependent on outright engine power, showcasing the chassis' capabilities in specific conditions.

The mid-season brought a mix of further points finishes and frustrating retirements due to mechanical issues, including a power unit failure at his home race, the Spanish Grand Prix, and a gearbox issue in Baku. However, the latter half of the season saw a more consistent run of points. Alonso secured P7 finishes in Hungary, Belgium (despite starting from 22nd due to grid penalties), Singapore, and Malaysia. His standout performance came at the United States Grand Prix, where he battled to another P5 finish, underlining his capacity to deliver results when the car held together. By the season's close, Fernando Alonso had accumulated 54 points, securing 10th position in the Drivers' Championship. This was a notable improvement from the previous year, and significantly ahead of teammate Jenson Button, who finished 15th with 21 points, highlighting Alonso's ability to extract the maximum from the McLaren-Honda package.