Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button Named McLaren Honda Drivers for 2015 F1 Season

McLaren Honda has finally confirmed the signing of Fernando Alonso for the 2015 Formula One season, and he will join Jenson Button, after the Brit's future was clarified during Thursday's announcement in Woking.

The official McLaren Twitter account provided confirmation of the team's driver lineup for next season:

Daniel Johnson of The Telegraph reports on Alonso and Button's salary in the new deal:

"

Telegraph Sport understands part of the deal includes a significant pay cut from £12 million a year to less than £8m. Negotiations with Ron Dennis, the McLaren chairman, only opened on Monday morning, concluding on Tuesday night. Button is not thought to have played an active role but was kept in the loop by his management. 

Alonso, meanwhile, has been lured by a series of high-level meetings at both McLaren’s base in Woking and new engine supplier Honda’s in Japan, not to mention a salary of around £25 million a year, thought to be one of the biggest ever in F1.

"

McLaren Honda chairman Ron Dennis instantly fired a shot at standard bearers Mercedes, stating on the team's official website:

"

Fernando and Jenson have started a combined total of precisely 500 grands prix between them—a mighty aggregate—and have won 47 of them.

I can safely say, therefore, that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver line-up of any current Formula One team.

"

Alonso, as previously announced, parts ways with Ferrari after four seasons. The two-time Formula One world champion returns to McLaren for the second time in his distinguished career and will be hoping for a more serene spell than his first stint; Alonso left just one year into a three-year deal back in 2007 after a tumultuous season.

He confessed McLaren's offer wasn't the only one on the table:

"

Over the past year I have received several offers, some of them really tempting, given the current performance of some of the teams that showed interest. But, more than a year ago, McLaren-Honda contacted me and asked me to take part, in a very active way, in the return of their partnership—a partnership that dominated the Formula One scene for so long.

"

Clive Mason/Getty Images

The more surprising news is the partnership with Button, who for long spells during the 2014 season appeared resigned to the fact he might lose his seat upon Alonso's arrival.

Young talent Kevin Magnussen is greatly respected by chairman Ron Dennis, who felt the 22-year-old would bring more potential than the 34-year-old Button, per BBC Sport's Andrew Benson. Magnussen stays on the team as test and reserve driver.

However, Button's stats back up the decision to keep him. He out-qualified his younger peer and earned more than double his tally of points throughout the 2014 season, showing he still has the class to perform despite a totally unreliable car.

The Brit is clearly enthused about partnering Alonso in 2015, per the team's official website: "I am very much looking forward to having a driver as fast and as experienced as Fernando as my team-mate. I am sure we will work extremely well together."

Alonso’s departure from Ferrari paved the way for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to make a move to the Italian outfit; the German leaving Red Bull Racing at the end of the 2014 season.

The deal to bring Alonso to McLaren is one of the most high-profile in the history of the sport. The team finished the season in fifth position in the constructors’ championship, but an Alonso-Button partnership should yield an upturn in fortune.

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Alonso endured a difficult season at Ferrari in 2014, failing to record a single race win. That had plenty to do with his car, which fell well short of the standards set by Mercedes this year, but he also made some uncharacteristic lapses throughout the campaign.

Nonetheless, the 32-time grand prix winner's class remains undeniable. Despite having failed to win a grand prix since his home race back in 2013, Alonso's consistency has always been clear to see.

That makes him a major coup for McLaren, but it's imperative the team delivers a car befitting of the Spaniard’s immense talent and incomparable experience. Perpetual issues with pace and reliability have left both Button and Magnussen hugely frustrated this season, and there’s little point having a driver of the highest calibre on your books if the car isn’t good enough to challenge at the sharp end of the grid.

All figures and statistics courtesy of Formula1.com