McLaren have had numerous mechanical problems during winter testing and both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have admitted their MP4-26 is not up to scratch with the new season just around the corner. BBC commentator Martin Brundle went as far as calling the car a "mess".Alonso though believes the McLarens will be fighting for a top-three finish in Melbourne in a fortnight.
"They're better than they look," he told Spanish paper El Pais. "Winter testing doesn't explain anything.
"They say themselves they are expecting a little more, so perhaps they will be at a similar level to the best (in Australia) and then go on ahead.
"When we get there, we'll see. McLaren are not going to be fighting for 10th place, but rather the podium."
Alonso has also dismissed the notion that Hamilton and Button's different driving styles complicated the design of the car.
"I think not because Formula One is dominated by aerodynamics," said Alonso.
"For example, if a wind tunnel predicts a gain of a tenth of a second, that is valid for Alonso, (Felipe) Massa, Hamilton, Button and all the others, regardless of the driving style of each.
"Maybe the tyres are all that matter in terms of having to adapt your way of driving."
Source: Planet-F1
