Fernando Alonso has joked he should be part of McLaren's bonus payments following its F1 constructors' championship win this year.
Alonso re-joined McLaren in 2015 and endured four seasons at the Woking-based squad - much of which was spent in the midfield pack.
Andrea Stella linked up with the outfit at the same time as Alonso. Now working as its team principal, Stella has played a crucial part in the squad's turnaround.
Working with McLaren CEO Zak Brown, the pair have spearheaded the revival which has peaked in title success this year.
Although his stint with McLaren had its difficulties, Alonso stated he shares a strong relationship with Brown and Stella.
“Zak is a very good friend of mine,” Alonso said. “I’m a very good friend of Andrea.
“In a way, I brought him to McLaren when I joined McLaren, so I told him before the race what Abu Dhabi took from our hands in 2010 [at Ferrari], hopefully it gives something back to you, and it did.
“Happy for him, he deserved it. He’s a very clever guy. McLaren is an example for many things now.”
When asked if he is taking part credit for transforming McLaren, he quipped: “Yes - I should be part of his [Stella's] bonus!”
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