Alonso: No surprises in Melbourne

Fernando Alonso is not expecting any major surprises when he arrives at Melbourne for the season opener later this month.

The McLaren man completed the least laps of any full-time 2018 driver with only 263 laps, but that hasn't stopped him thinking positively about the first race of the year.

The Spaniard told the press: "I think more or less the teams are now capableand ready to understand and prepared for the simulator work you will face in Australia.

"Definitely the setup work that you do here in Barcelona means nothing, so I am not worried to lose half a day because whatever setup optimisation you do here will mean nothing for Australia.

"It will also mean nothing when you come here for May and it is 30 degrees."

Alonso however does have concerns around the wet tyres, with the wets not being used at either test by any driver or team.

"I think the bad weather was a big factor because we could not test the wet tyres.

"Normally they do some programmes for the racesand some safety car starts and things like that.

"It was that cold that we could not develop the wet tyre either.

"Hopefully they will not have any consequences on the first races if they are wet and the tyres behave."