McLaren are title favourites, says 'new man' Alonso

Fernando Alonso says his move from Renault to McLaren has made a new man out of him and put him in pole position to be F1 world champion for the third year in a row.

Asked by reporters before the launch of the new Mercedes-powered MP4-22 car yesterday who he felt was the championship favourite, the 25-year-old Spaniard did not hesitate.

"McLaren. Us," he replied. "I don't know how the Ferrari is, how the Renault is, but I have full confidence in ourselves."

McLaren failed to win a race last year, for the first time in a decade, while Alonso and Renault again swept both championships.

Alonso has had just one day in the McLaren since he left Renault, and that was last month in a car with test driver Pedro de la Rosa's settings, and he said he was raring to go.

"I feel more ambitious now, a completely new man," he declared.

"I want to be in the car straight away, so I have the feelings like six years ago when I arrived in F1."

McLaren last won the drivers' championship in 1999, with Mika Hakkinen, and have not won the constructors' crown since 1998. But they have a record second only to Ferrari over the years in terms of race wins.

All teams will be on the same tyres this year, after the departure of Michelin, and Alonso felt that too would be a benefit for McLaren.

"I think Bridgestone tyres help the McLaren performance because in the last three tests of last year the McLaren was very quick. I felt the car to be comfortable to drive, not difficult and quite competitive," he said.

British rookie Lewis Hamilton, only just 22 years old, will be his team-mate in the youngest F1 line-up.

Alonso saw Hamilton as a breath of fresh air and was not worried about the Briton beating him.

"I think Lewis can help the team a lot because he is coming new to Formula One with fresh ideas," he said.