MONZA, Italy -- Fernando Alonso says Jenson Button's ability to develop an F1 car makes him "probably the best" teammate he has worked with.
Alonso and Button are in their second season together at McLaren and have spent all of that time developing a car hampered by a Honda power unit a long way off the pace. There are doubts whether the pair will remain a pair next year, with speculation McLaren will drop Button in favour of Stoffel Vandoorne.
Alonso, whose former teammates include Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, thinks Button is the "complete" package and ranks as his toughest.
Asked if Button was pushing him harder than any other teammate, Alonso replied: "Yes...He is a very experienced driver and he is helping the team a lot with feedback and developing the car. As a driver he is very complete and is probably the best I have worked with."
On Thursday another from that list, Massa, announced he will retire at the end of the coming season. Alonso was unsure what the Brazilian driver, who was his teammate between 2010 and 2013 at Ferrari, was going to do after this season.
"A little bit [surprised]... I didn't know for sure what he was doing next year but even if he was retiring I was expecting the announcement later in the season. His decision, he is a great man, I was teammate with him for four years and I know him very well, so I wish him the best for the future and for his family."
Asked seeing Massa retire made him feel old, 35-year-old Alonso quipped: "I don't need to see Felipe going to feel older!"