The Ferrari might be "sexy", but the McLaren MP4-30 has the better figure, according to Ron Dennis.

Whilst the McLaren mechanics sought the "niggly" problem that was compromising Fernando Alonso's running, and the Woking PR machine was figuring how best to put a positive spin on things, Ron Dennis was holding a rare 'meet the media' event.

In amongst the usual Ronspeak, which has come to be endearing as well as annoying, he heaped praise on the design of the MP4-30, even if it didn't appear to be going anywhere soon.

"The rear bodywork of our new car has been brilliantly shrink-wrapped around a fantastically advanced and incredibly compact Honda power unit," he said. "We've even invented a new phrase to describe its design philosophy: 'the size-zero F1 car'."

This just days after Maurizio Arrivabene described the new Ferrari - charged with wining just two races this season - as "sexy".

Whilst his team took to Twitter (where else?) to ask fans whether they would prefer a red and white (Marlboro style) livery or delve even further back in the team's history and revert to the (Gulf Oil) orange of the Bruce and Denny Gulf era, Dennis admitted his frustration at the constant clamour for a new look.

"We've got the same thing inside (McLaren), said the man whose middle name is Corporate. "You've got people who say 'Why don't we make it orange?', and I say, 'Why?' 'That was the old colour of McLaren', they reply.

"Why the hell do we want to go backwards?" he thundered. "What do you do? Do you create an aesthetically pleasing design? For what purpose?

"This is the livery of McLaren," he insisted, "it's always been a combination of these colours, and it will only change for commercial reasons. It won't change just to make a few people in the company happier because they want it orange, or they want it yellow.

"We tried to put a bit more of our real colour, which is day-glo… fluorescent red is our colour. We've got more heritage in fluorescent red than any other colour. But again what I prefer to do is put a stylish design and as we evolve. It will be far more recognised if we suddenly come out with a light green car for the following reason, you'll all go, yeah they've got a big amount of money coming in."

When it was pointed out that the (silver) colour of the car seemingly reflects previous partner Mercedes as opposed to new partner Honda, he snapped back: "The car's got a minimal amount of mirroring on it, I wouldn't even call it silver.

"You're voicing an opinion which lots of people voice, in the company, on Twitter, everything," he continued. "But that's a problem without a solution. Yes we could change colour, yes we could do something more daring, we could all these things, but give me a reason why? And if it's just to be aesthetically more pleasing, that's not enough reason to me."

Nonetheless, he subsequently admitted that a livery change might yet be considered, though this would be more about the signing of a major sponsor as opposed to bowing to pressure from the Twittersphere.

Meanwhile, the PR machine did a valiant job in summing up a day which saw Alonso complete just 6 laps. "After a successful fire-up, the morning was spent conducting a number of single-lap installation runs, which were gradually increased in length, concluding in a three-lap run at lunchtime," said the team in its official summary of the day's (in)action.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by nealio, 03/02/2015 15:05

"Of course McLaren can use any livery they want but as an advertising background the chrome paint is to contrast sensitive, creating reflective patterns that make it difficult to read the sponsor logos on the car. Not what I would think they would be going for especially now that sponsors are so thin on the ground."

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2. Posted by gturner38, 03/02/2015 0:42

"Ron is right about the day-glo being the color of McLaren. The chrome/pewter/grey and red have been on the car since 1996 and before that the Marlboro colors were white and day-glo red. Yes, Bruce painted the cars orange, but we're talking about a handful of seasons in the 1960s in orange versus the last 35+ years in red."

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3. Posted by yeyox, 03/02/2015 0:37

"McLaren have too many and much more important problems to fix than what colors they are using or will use on the bodywork. It is impressive how they are wasting time on this matter."

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4. Posted by Rappy, 02/02/2015 19:47

"Ron should just admit he got this one wrong, rather than make us ponder the philosophical meaningless of the universe with regards why he should change livery. Why race motor cars? There is no absolute reason. You do it cos you want to, most likely. It's the same with a fresh livery to hail the opening a new era (hopefully). You can easily say "what's the point?" but thats missing the point. Just change the frikkin livery Ron, just because and admit you got it wrong and were too conservative (McLarens old faults again) with grace and dignity next time."

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5. Posted by Kiwikaze, 02/02/2015 18:48

"It's not silver, it's chrome."

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6. Posted by Hondawho?, 02/02/2015 14:08

"The livery; quite possibly it maybe "Castrol", even though McLaren have been with Mobil 1 for years, Honda and Castrol seem to be in bed with other forms of motorsport and of course Castrol have ended their multi $ sponsorship with the John Force Drag racing team in the USA. It maybe, only maybe, time to see another "Castol car" come on the scene! "

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7. Posted by Italian Job, 02/02/2015 12:44

"MclOrange would be wonderful, but they need to return to the winning ways of yesteryear first!!"

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8. Posted by testa rossa, 02/02/2015 12:35

"Hope Button can help with the development of the car , Alonso is a hopeless testdriver as we have seen with Ferrari , his work make a car worse."

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Dennis talks of liveries and size-zero

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