Fernando Alonso has backed under-p🌌ressure McLaren teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, claiming his previous Formula 1 teammates were further behind him than the Belgian. 

Vandoorne is yet to out-qualify Alonso in what has proved a difficult and frustrating season, while he has only reg🦋istered eight points compared to Alonso’s 44 from the opening 12 race✃s.

Despite being outpaced by Alonso in the last 17 qualifying sessions, the Spaniard believes Vandoorne has fared better against him than his previous teammates, including Ki🦩mi Raikkonen – who was outqualified by the two-time world cha🌟mpion in 16 of the 19 races during their spell together at Ferrari in 2014. 

“I think it’s difficult to beat 👍me,” Alonso joked. “He always has to be a little bit behind. But if you see previous team mates, they were a lot further behind than Stoffel. Like in 2014 or something like that, it was six or seven-tenths to Kimi every race. He’s less than that now.”

Following his continuing struggles with McLaren’s MCL33 - which has proved less competitive than hoped - Vandoorne took on a new chassis for the Hungarian Grand Prix and had been running inside the top 10 until he wa𝓡s forced into retirement with a gearbox issue. 

Amid uncertainty over Vandoorne’s future at the Woking squad, Alonso defended his teammate, adding that he haꩲs been let down by an underperformin🐼g car. 

“I don’t think his reputation is going down,” he insisted. “The car is what it is. The car is underperforming. We as a team are trying to find the problem and to have both cars in the same conditions, with the same performance. He has shown his talent already. There’s no need for 🌠proof.

“Being a champion in every series before Formula 1, right now in a difficult car with some difficulties last year – and this year as well. He’s OK. He will be very clo𝔉se in peꦡrformance as soon as the car is delivering the normal performance.

“There’s not💫hing I need to say to him,” he added. “For his reputation for you guys, you need to wai🌼t and see, or see the result before Silverstone or last year in terms of qualifying.”