Alonso: MP4-31 is good chassis

Fernando Alonso dreaming if he thinks the McLaren will be better than the Aldo Costa designed Mercedes

Fernando Alonso says McLaren has set itself the target of having the best chassis on the grid by the start of the European season.

McLaren endured a dismal reunion with Honda in 2015, as the Japanese manufacturer struggled for engine reliability and performance.

As he waits to determine just how much Honda has gained over the winter, Alonso spoke of a desire at McLaren to perfect its chassis.

"I think the target to have the best chassis is achievable by the European races, and the motivation for this is very high," explained Alonso.

"There is not a magic solution or crystal ball [to the team's problems], but I would like to be competitive and fight for something important."

Alonso echoed teammate Jenson Button's thoughts that Honda has improved on its main 2015 weakness, deployment, but was unwilling to make detailed predictions.

"The power deficit we had compared to top teams was just too high [in 2015]," said Alonso, who finished ninth on Tuesday's timesheets, three seconds off the pace.

"I think on aerodynamic side there are some parts which are quite innovate or new, maybe the others they had these ideas in the past but for us they are new and we need a little bit of time.

"The package, and in the power unit, it's the same thing.

"Last year was a lot of learning, a lot of pain, but we learnt many things and now with a new design, philosophy and power unit we still need a little bit of time to understand it."