Lewis Hamilton says Formula One needs Fernando Alonso to return to the front of the grid in a competitive car before the end of the Spaniard's career.
Pre-season testing hinted at the possibility of a three-way battle for this year's championship, with Hamilton's all-conquering Mercedes team likely to face challenges from Ferrari and Red Bull. Alonso, however, looks set to be in a battle to stay off the back row of the grid after McLaren struggled with the performance and reliability of its Honda power unit throughout testing.
Hamilton is looking forward to fighting Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel on track, but said what F1 really needs is Alonso in a competitive car.