You have to admire Fernando Alonso’s forbearance in the gloom of his McLaren team’s ineptitude and inability to seat him in a car to match his towering skill and commitment in pursuit of grand prix glory or, at least, an emergence from a frustrating and embarrassing spell as an also ran.

If his abject situation is not a constant blow to the once mighty team’s prestige, especially its pernickety and notoriously difficult head honcho Ron Dennis, I would be very surprised.

His stern face, a register that gives nothing away or a clue to his mood, captured only too often in the team‘s garage, reflects a blankness puzzling to McLaren fans worldwide.

Given all of this it is remarkable that Alonso, twice the world champion and so used to being a winner, but not for three years now, retains an upbeat attitude that must surely boost the fading confidence of the committed back-up crew who strive to get the best out of what they have been given to work on.

The McLaren tie-up with Japanese engine giants Honda has been little short of a disaster and, right now, there is little sign of any improvement.

Their slump, no fault of either Alonso’s or his teammate Jenson Button, an ex-champion, too, is one of Formula One’s enduring mysteries. And not even Honda’s immense wealth and background of technical expertise is easing the problem.

But despite all the pressure, the admirable Alonso maintains his extra special level of complete dedication to the McLaren cause and despite fears and rumours that he could be overtaken by frustration he has vowed to stick with it and continue to give it his all.

He will be on duty in the Belgian Grand Prix at Francorchamps-Spa this weekend hoping that there is no repeat of his experience of last year’s race when he and Button dropped out of Q1 and finished the grand prix one lap down ahead of only Manor, the grid’s no-hopers.

Ahead of the race where he has never been a winner, but a podium climber three times, the 35-year-old, the world champion in 2005-06, stresses reassuringly for his fans: “I have a contract with McLaren for 2017 and I will honour it. I am going nowhere.

“Then in 2018 I will see how much the cars, under the new regulations, excite me to drive. I don’t think that right now I am motivated to change teams and switch to a more competitive car.

“For sure, I want to win and I want to do it as soon as possible. And I have every faith and belief in this team.”

Alonso, a grand prix winner 32 times, with 97 podiums and 22 pole positions plus 21 fastest laps, faces his 265th grand prix in Belgium. He is 17th in the championship chase — but determined to improve his lowly status.

Not that he stands too much of a chance around the wonderful and prestigious Spa circuit set in the picturesque Ardennes forest and mountains.

But, as always, living in hope he says: ”It is a circuit that always throws up something unpredictable and there is usually some drama during the race. You are on full throttle for 70 per cent of the time and anything can happen under that level of pressure.

“So I am hoping we can fight hard and take advantage of any situation that comes our way and gives us a chance for a good strong finish. My time in F1 is nowhere near over and I think I am driving at my very best right now and I have the knowledge about cars and the way they behave and the technical situations. All of this allows me to push the car a little more to the limit.

“After some years when you are not fighting for a championship you tell yourself you have to keep going, going, going because you know that sooner or later that your talent will pay off. You never forget how to race. You just have to trust yourself. And I do…..”

My plea is: Come on McLaren, give Fernando a car to equal his latent brilliance.

— The author is an expert in motorsport