Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that the complex McLaren-Renault deal is "done".
Although no longer the hands-on F1 supremo, the sport’s 86-year-old ’chairman emeritus’ told the Daily Mail newspaper he has no doubt the McLaren-Honda split has paved the way for Fernando Alonso to stay in the sport.
"The Renault deal is all done," he said. "Alonso staying is super news."
However, Ecclestone is not sure McLaren’s switch from struggling Honda power to customer Renault engines will be a silver bullet for the once-great British team.
"I can’t see why McLaren will be any happier with Renault than they are with Honda," he said.
"It wasn’t Honda’s fault things didn’t work out, it was McLaren’s. Every day they had a fight about everything, instead of working with them, which was a little bit stupid."